These are a few activities that my toddler has been loving lately and have let me get some work done!

Toys in Rice

Although there are some variations to this activity, the essential idea is that you have a pan, you put rice in it, and get some toys to play with. I’ll be honest and say rice gets all over the floors. However, I have my robot vacuum clean the floor once he’s done playing, so it’s an easy cleanup. 

Here are some variations:

Puzzle Hide and Seek

I hide (or my son helps me hide) pieces for block puzzles in the rice, and then he finds them and puts them on the board.

Cars

My son likes to drive cars through the rice and bury them underneath.

Containers

Sometimes I’ll give him a few random bowls or sauce containers as well as a spoon or a toy shovel. He has fun filling the containers up and dumping them out again.

Play-Doh 

This is an obvious one, but I bought him a couple of stamps and plastic scissors that make this activity even better now that he’s a little older.

Water Pen Color Books

Love these. I hide them for a couple of weeks and then pull them out again so they stay a novelty. He will easily spend 30 minutes coloring with the water pen a few times a day.

Hidden Picture Books

A new obsession of my son’s. He loves hidden picture books and will read them during every meal.

Puzzle Table

My son has always been into puzzles (we even used new puzzles as prizes during potty training), and I have recently started setting up a puzzle station for him. He loves having a table his height and an easy place to do puzzles (especially somewhere the dog won’t step on them!). I will place a few puzzle boxes on top, and it keeps him entertained. I love doing this when I need to have meetings in my office. I also don’t do this every day, so it doesn’t become old. 

Toy Totes

Though this started as a way to organize his toys, it has since turned into a great idea. We cleaned out a closet upstairs so that all of his toys will fit in it. Every morning, I pull out a random tote, and he has fun taking everything out and finding stuff to play with. It’s a great way to do a toy rotation without needing extra space to hide the extra toys.

Opening Boxes with a Plastic Knife

Not so much a game but a good time consumer nonetheless. My son loves opening the Amazon boxes we receive with his plastic (not sharp) knife. Keeps him entertained for a while, and he feels like he is helping. 

Pom Poms / Random Craft Supplies 

I literally gave him a bag of pom poms you would use for a craft, and he found different ways to play with them. Did they end up all over my office? Yes, they did. But did I have an undisturbed 20 minutes? Yes, I did. Never underestimate random crafting supplies and a toddler’s imagination.

Hide and Seek with Stuffies

Just what the title says. Hide their stuffies around the family room and have your child find them. A variation to this would be to turn off the lights and give them a flashlight to “help” them find their stuffed animals.

Art Station

I have written about this before, and I still love it. It has been updated as my son has gotten older, but I have a drawer in my kitchen with crayons, coloring pencils, watercolor paint, Play-Doh, paper, coloring books, you get the idea. He can access it anytime and create some art.

Inside Slide

We bought our son an inside slide for Christmas, and it has been a hit. He loves going down it, and he also loves putting toys down it: cars, stuffies, pom poms, etc. It’s a good way to get his energy out.

Hope these help give you some ideas to keep your toddler occupied while you work!