When you’re not able to get out and do things, you have to have indoor activities ready… especially when there are twin toddler involved!
I am a goer and doer. I love getting out of the house, going on fun adventures, and any and all outdoor activities. Even when we are in the baby stage, I love to get out and about and see other moms and kids.
However, now that our 5 year old, Theo, is in preschool 5 days a week, and I only have our toddler twins home with me, the going and doing is hard. Especially in the dead of winter, when taking a walk or going to the park isn’t even an option. Preschool hour is 8:25-11:10. That gives us not even 3-hours to go and do something!
Half of the time, my twin girls, Josie and Margo, are still in pajamas when we drop Theo off. Honestly, sometimes I’m in sweatpants myself. Zero shame. Zero. By the time we get home and get dressed, there is no time to go and do something.
This doesn’t mean that we never get out and about. I just have to plan it in advance and make sure we’re all ready to go. This also means that we stay home a LOT and I’ve found ways to make it fun, even when it’s too cold or a rainy day and we can’t go outside. Here are my favorite indoor activities to do with my twin toddlers!
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Activities for Twin Toddlers at Home
I have a list of ideas that’s scribbled down on paper. Having the list really helps because each morning I can choose something from the list.
We do something together the 3 of us, and then the girls have independent playtime. (You can read more about independent playtime here.) and before we know it, it’s time to pick up our little dude!
When the weather gets warmer, be sure to check out my list of the best outdoor toys for toddlers!
Music Activities for Twin Toddlers
I have a degree in music, so this is kind of my specialty. You don’t have to have a degree in music though, it’s super simple. I have them sit in across from me. If I’m excited about it, they’re excited about it. We have rhythm sticks and jingle bells that we use, but you can really use anything. They make for such fun activities for kids!
Sing-Alongs and Instruments
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
- Baa, Baa Black Sheep
- The Alphabet Song
- Old MacDonald
- Hot Cross Buns
- Three Little Kittens
Sing some nursery rhymes together. As we sing, we do different things with our instruments. We tap our sticks together, on the floor, we hammer them, rub them together. We shake our jingles way up high, down low, behind our backs, under the table, on our toes, etc.
This is a fantastic way to teach body parts and descriptive words such as over, under, high, low.
Finger Plays
- The Wheels on the Bus
- The Itsy Bitsy Spider
- 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe
- I’m a Little Teapot
Whole Body Movement
Whole body movement songs are usually a favorite.
- Dance Party: There are several songs we like to listen to on youtube to have a dance party. Some favorites are Freeze Dance, Color Freeze, and Tooty Ta.
- Classical Dance: Put on classical music and give your toddlers some scarves to dance around the room with.
- Going on a Bear Hunt
- Jack and Jill
- Ring Around the Rosy
- Here We Go Loopty Loo
- Airplane (this is literally when I just lie on the ground with my feet in the air and have them ride on my feet. It’s the best.)
- Simon Says (two year olds might not fully get this concept, but it’s still fun!)
Related: Best Toys for Toddler Twins or Siblings to Promote Sharing
Art Activities for Twin Toddlers
Well, if music is my specialty, art is my nonspecialty. Ha. It’s just not my favorite, plus there’s clean up involved, BUT it’s so fun for kids and important for their development, so we make it happen. We tend to keep our more complex art activities for the weekend when daddy is home though.
Coloring
We keep it simple. Crayons and coloring books! My twins sit at this table to color, but there is a double easel that is perfect for twins.
Stickers
One of our favorite activities is to decorate a box with stickers. I give them stickers and an Amazon box and let them go to town. Easy and fun!
We also adore these reusable sticker pads. We got a few for Christmas several years ago, and to my surprise, they are still in excellent condition and still entertain the kids for a good chunk of time.
Play Dough
We have many fun play-doh molds. I have them sit in their high chairs to play with play-doh, because I do NOT need that mess all over my house! I also have them choose only 2 colors at once. This is just a rule my husband made one day, and we’ve kept that rule.
Related: Fun Games for Kids
Fine Motor Skills for Toddlers
There are tons of things you can do to build fine motor skills. Here are our favorites!
Pom Poms
My children call pom poms balls, and it’s quite cute how much they love playing with them. It’s practically the best day ever when I get down a jar of pom poms and let them go to town.
You can tape empty paper towel roles to the wall and let them place the pom poms into them. It’s always a huge hit!
Color Sorting Activities
There are so many ways to do color sorting activities! You can fill a basket with an assortment of colored items and lay down sheets of colored construction paper. Have them empty the baskets onto the sheets of paper. For twins or siblings, give them each a basket and have them see who can empty it first!
You can also hang sheets of colored paper on the walls and give them colored stickers. Have them place the stickers on the correct colored paper.
You can also give a muffin tin or ice cube tray and have them sort things that way.
Seriously the possibilities for sorting are endless and boys and girls of all ages love sorting.
Sick of your toddler twins fighting? <– Here’s how we handle it.
Sensory Bins
Sensory bins are always a hit. Fill a tub with something such as rice, corn kernels, etc, and then let your toddlers play in them. My kiddos like to take animal figures and bury them.
My friend Kim has an awesome Rainbow Sensory Bin that’s so bright and colorful and fun!
Clean
Fill a spray bottle with water and have them ‘clean’ the windows, walls, baseboards, etc. Depending on your toddler, this may require a bit of supervision. Pro tip: make sure the spray bottle doesn’t have a stream setting.
Puzzles
If I choose puzzles as our morning activity, I get a bunch out and place them on the floor. I take turns helping the girls if they need it, and it’s a great way for them to practice taking turns with the different puzzles.
Magnets
I will admit that magnets aren’t my favorite, because I find them everywhere. However, we have those big, old fashioned radiators with white metal covers, and they are perfect for putting magnets on. It’s a great way to practice our alphabet! Always supervise toddler with magnets because they can be dangerous if ingested!
These are our favorite, wooden, nontoxic magnets.
What are your favorite indoor activities for kids? We’re always looking for new ideas!
Speaking of, head over and follow me on Pinterest to see more fun ideas!
