20 Easy Evening Activities for Toddlers

Looking for some fun and engaging activities to do with your toddler in the evening? Check out our list of 20 ideas that will keep your little one entertained and help them wind down before bedtime.

For many parents, our evenings can be pretty limited, especially during the week.

Working parents might only have an hour or so to play before we need to cook dinner or pack for the next day. An early bedtime could cut our time even shorter. And our go-to activities can get stale and repetitive, making everyone feel stuck in a rut.

Don’t worry—your evenings aren’t doomed, friend. I list 20 evening activities for toddlers that are simple enough for after-work hours and easily done with just one parent. Many are also indoor activities for toddlers under 2 in case you really have no time to head out.

I know all too well how limited your time and energy can be by this time of the day, so I made sure that these ideas are both feasible and fun. Take a look:

1. Play with building blocks

Our box of blocks is hardly ever stored in the closet—until now, they’re a constant activity that the kids are always playing with.

Jumbo blocks are perfect for toddlers, allowing them to play safely and making it easier to build and construct pieces together. You can follow the guidelines and create a recognizable piece or let your child create whatever his imagination leads him to.

Besides putting pieces together, you can also use building blocks to talk about colors, shapes, and counting. And they also help kids focus and develop hand dexterity as they work on piecing them together.

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2. Put together a puzzle

I admit that our puzzles were often stored in the cabinet, making it so easy to forget that we had them. But once we brought them out, they brought so much fun for my kids.

Puzzles lend themselves well for after-work evening hours because they have a definite end time. They’re not the complex puzzles that older kids and adults work on that take days to complete.

Chunky wooden puzzles with knobs are a great one to start with since your toddler simply has to match the puzzle to its matching piece. Later, jumbo floor puzzles are a fantastic option because they’re easy to grip yet offer more of a challenge since he has to piece different parts of an image together.

3. Play with kinetic sand

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I learned about kinetic sand a few years ago when my sister-in-law gave it to my son for the holidays. Think sand and play dough combined. It’s not as messy as playing with real sand, making it more manageable for that brief after-work time frame.

Keep your area tidy by placing kinetic sand in a large plastic storage bin and placing that on a splash mat or opened paper bag for easy clean up.

4. Play with trains

Bring out the train sets! These are fantastic toys to play with your toddler, or even to set one up near the kitchen should you need to get started on dinner. Either way, he’ll likely spend a long time building tracks and riding the tiny trains on them. Set it up once on the floor and let him imagine a world of trains and towns.

5. Pretend cook

One of the best presents my husband and I gave our toddler twins was a kitchen set. We placed this in our real kitchen, so they’d pretend to prepare meals while we were doing the real thing. We filled it with pretend cooking utensils and play food.

For the after-work evening hours, this activity can be a fun way to keep your toddler occupied while getting dinner ready. You could also simply give her safe kitchen items like wooden spoons and measuring cups to play with.

6. Bake banana bread

Banana bread is, hands down, one of the easiest baked goods to make. Many recipes don’t even call for a mixer—just a wooden spoon is enough to stir the batter.

Your toddler will enjoy smashing bananas, pouring ingredients, and stirring the batter. Best of all, you now have an after-dinner treat on hand. That said, while the prep only takes 15-20 minutes, expect it to bake for an hour in the oven.

7. Do chores together

You can still get things done with a toddler by encouraging him to “help” with chores! Evenings lend themselves well to having him spray and wipe, sweep, sort laundry, or put toys away. Even something as simple as helping you hold the vacuum can be new and intriguing.

He learns valuable life skills that promote self-sufficiency, competence, and responsibility. You’re also spending time together, and yes, getting things done.

8. Water plants

Watering plants can be a fun activity for your toddler to do. So simple, but so intriguing nonetheless, and can turn into a regular chore he can do.

Stick to low, floor plants, or move the plants within his reach. Or head outside to water the yard and garden. We have this small watering can perfect for toddler hands.

9. Read books

I go to the library every week, so the afternoons when I bring books home turn into reading sessions. I’ve long since learned the long term benefits of reading to children and made it a daily habit with mine.

Incorporate reading into your evening routine. You might snuggle on the couch with a book to wind down from the day or read a bedtime book right before tucking your toddler in bed.

10. Coloring books

Pick up a few coloring books suitable for your toddler, then let him go to town with the pages! If you’re like me, you also like to color alongside him, making it a fun activity for both of you to do in the evenings.

Don’t worry if he doesn’t color within the lines or even hold the crayons correctly yet—he will, in time. This activity helps him develop his fine motor skills, identify colors, and learn shapes, letters, and numbers.

11. Do a craft

Arts and crafts at this age is less about a finished product and more about encouraging creativity. I’m a fan of supplying kids with art supplies and letting their imaginations run wild. The best crafting I’ve found are the ones where we let them determine how their art will turn out.

Stock up on art supplies, from paper to crayons and paint, and show your toddler a few basic techniques. For instance, show her how to dip the brush into the paint and onto the paper. But otherwise, allow her to design and create her own art and enjoy the process.

12. Play a board game

Board games are fun, even for toddlers! You just have to be flexible with the rules or how you play. For instance, if you’re playing Jenga, your child can tinker and build the blocks instead of playing the “real” rules of the game. Or find games for 2 year olds or younger that are catered to their age.

13. Kick a ball

Does your toddler love to kick a ball? Whether outside at the park or even indoors, let him kick a ball around, sticking to a soft ball if you’re at home. Kick the ball to each other, or encourage him to “dribble” it with his feet from one end of the living room to the other.

So simple but so fun, plus a great way to burn all that extra energy before bed.

14. Play in the backyard or patio

When my kids were toddlers, our patio allowed them to enjoy outdoor time while still keeping them home. Even without a yard, they spent plenty of time kicking the ball around or tending to our potted plants in the evenings.

Even now that they’re older and we’ve since moved, our backyard is a constant go-to place for them after we get home for the day.

Encourage outdoor time at home by introducing toys suitable for the patio or backyard. You might hand your toddler a few balls, simple gardening tools, or sidewalk chalk to use. Or you could lay out a blanket and enjoy an early dinner or snacks on the grass.

15. Walk around the block

One of the easiest evening activities you can do with your toddler is to walk around the block. Encourage him to pick leaves, flowers, and pine cones (you can even turn it into a scavenger hunt). He might push sprinklers down, find stairs to climb, or fountains to watch.

You can also turn the evening stroll into a workout for yourself. Strap him into the stroller and push him around the neighborhood for a brisk walk or job.

16. Visit your local park

One of my go-to activities was visiting the local park, especially after dinner.

You might walk to a nearby park, making it a quick enough visit to squeeze in either before or after dinner, depending on how quickly the evenings get dark. Or make a list of local city parks, visiting each one on different evenings to explore new playgrounds you might have missed.

Park activities are a great way to burn off excess energy your toddler has accumulated by the evening.

17. Ride the train at the mall

Going to the mall to run an errand in the evening? Bring your toddler and stop by the kiddie train ride, which many malls offer. The rides are usually quick and, for a few bucks, give him something new and fun to do outside the home.

If not the train ride, stop by the children’s play area, usually at the food court, especially if you were planning on ordering food for the night.

18. Go to the library

Many libraries host early evening activities like read aloud bedtime stories. Even without these events, going to the library after work, daycare, or preschool can be a fun activity instead of heading straight home.

For instance, read books and let your toddler play with the library toys. Select a few to borrow and read later that night. The library can be a welcome change to your evening routine.

You can even make an evening out of books by borrowing those from the same author. For instance, you might have a Julia Donaldson night or a Sandra Boynton night.

And don’t forget to scout various local libraries besides your usual ones. Many offer a variety of activities on different evenings.

19. Ride scooters and cars

Grab a scooter and ride along the sidewalk or to the park. Three-wheel scooters and tricycles let your toddler practice while staying on balance.

You can also push him in a toy car, allowing him to enjoy an evening out in the neighborhood from a different view than his usual stroller.

20. Your hobbies

One mistake we parents make is to assume our lives should always revolve around the kids. Not true at all! You can still balance parenthood with your hobbies. Think about activities you enjoy—which ones can you do with him after work?

If you like gardening, invite him to help and play outdoors in the backyard. Like exercising? Do yoga or fitness moves together. Miss knitting? Cut a few strands of yarn for him to play with while you start on a knitted hat.

Conclusion

Weekday evenings—especially after work—can feel stressful for any parent. Thankfully, now you have several ideas to make those evenings enjoyable for both you and your toddler. Even with limited hours and competing priorities, your evenings can be enjoyable once again.

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