
50 family evening activities with toddlers: Ideas for all budgets + energy levels
The evening is a great time to bond with your toddler. They love spending time with their family, feeling special, and having fun. The only question is: what to do? We’ve got you covered with some easy and practical family evening activities for toddlers that you can do together, both in the home and outside.
- Why family evening activities matter for toddlers
- 30 at-home family evening ideas for toddlers
- 20 family-night-out ideas for toddlers
- Tips for making family evening activities easier
Why family evening activities matter for toddlers
As the World Health Organization notes, “young children require mental stimulation and close, loving interaction with those around them – starting from birth.” Kids deeply feel the need to belong and feel safe, loved, and special. And when your family comes together to play, create, and communicate, the sense of security and joy grows—and so does your family’s bond.
Even small, simple evening activities can make an impact and they don’t need to be expensive or complicated. These activities can take place inside, outside, and even away from your home. And they lay the basis for a relaxed and happy sleep. Plus, fun activities with toddlers can help build motor skills and coordination, build their feelings of trust, strengthen the parent-child bond, and encourage communication and teamwork.
30 at-home family evening ideas for toddlers
Having a list of at-home ideas up your sleeve can help make evenings enjoyable for the whole family. Pick from our list of 30 indoor activities for a fun family night.
Low-energy activities
- Simple board games or toddler-friendly card games:
- First Orchard
- Hi Ho! Cherry-O
- Snug as a Bug in a Rug
- Go Fish
- Candy Land
- Uno Junior
- Interactive games:
- Simon Says
- Charades
- Magic Mirror
- Fort-building
Set up somewhere in the house, like your living room, and use blankets and cushions to make a cozy and fun spot for reading or imaginative play. Try play furniture that comes apart and can be put together in as many shapes as you and your child can imagine.
- Sensory activities:
- Kinetic sand
- Play-Doh
- Water beads
- Rain sticks
- Arts and crafts:
- Finger painting
- Drawing a picture
- Sticker books
- Crayola Colour and Erase Mat (a reusable drawing surface that’s large enough for several colourers to use at one time!)
- Reading
Snuggle up with books from Goodreads’ All-Time Best Books for Toddlers list. You can also check out this great list of 10 books for babies and toddlers that encourage movement.
- Tea party
Before or after dinner, set up a table for two or more, bring out your finest (and kid-friendly) dinnerware, and enjoy a pretend cuppa with your toddler.
- Stuffie conversations
Collect your toddlers’ stuffies and have a chat. You never know what your toddler’s teddies and unicorns might just have to discuss!
- Yoga
Yoga is a great activity to do with your kids. Teach them some simple poses and do them together. You can even rename the poses to something they might find hilarious! Want some ideas for doing yoga with your toddler? Try these six poses.
- Family photos
Pull out photo albums and videos of your family. Point out their grandparents, cousins, and other family members so your toddler gets the sense that they’re a part of a special group.

Moderate-energy activities
- Balancing
Work on your child’s (and your own!) balance by making a balance beam on the floor with painter’s tape. Can you and your toddler walk across the beam? Forwards? Backwards?
- Colour scavenger hunt
Provide your child with a sheet with several colours on it. Walk around your home and see if they can spot items of each of the colours. They can then cross the colour out as they find.
- Stuffies hide and seek
Take turns hiding a favourite stuffed animal (or two) and see how quickly you can find them. Be sure to praise your child for their creative hiding spots!
- Build and smash
Take turns building towers from blocks (or something similar, like empty tubs) and then take turns being the one to knock them down. Laughs will abound!
- Cook and bake together
With your toddler using a sturdy step stool or sitting at a table, have them add ingredients into a bowl, wash foods, use cookie cutters, stir mixtures, or roll out pastry. Want a great recipe to try making with your toddler? These moist pumpkin muffins are a fan favourite!
- Balloon keep up
Barrels of laughs always abound when you and your child work together to keep a balloon in the air. Don’t let it touch the ground!
- Toy wash
Fill a sink or container with water and scrub some of your toddler’s toys together. Don’t forget to add some bubbles for extra fun.
- Action songs
Action songs let you sing AND play with your toddler. “Wheels on the Bus,” “I’m a Little Teapot,” “Hokey Pokey,” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider” are always popular.
- Animal pretend
Animals make sounds and actions you and your toddler can imitate together. Can you both hiss and slither like a snake? Hop like a kangaroo? Howl like a wolf?
- Laundry
Spend time together and check items off of your to-do list? Win-win! You and your toddler can sort laundry into colours and sort clean clothes into piles of whose clothes belong to who. You can also have them help match socks, measure out laundry detergent, press buttons, and close washer and dryer doors.
High-energy activities
- Family dance party
Get your groove on with your toddlers. Teach them some funny dance moves, hold their hands while you’re dancing, and sing along to toddler-friendly music. You can use ribbons or scarves to make the experience even more fun. Here’s a list of song ideas we put together to get you started. Or you can try one of these great YouTube channels:
- Indoor skating
Indoor skating with your toddler? Absolutely! Place two face cloths or felt squares on a non-carpeted floor in your home for each skater. Have each skater place each foot on their square and show your toddlers how to push off and slide themselves across the “ice.”
- Musical band
Gather toy musical instruments or household items that can make sound and start up the concert. These items could include pots, spoons, muffin tins, tin cans, elastic bands, and more.
- Monster chase
Kids love being chased by someone they know and trust. It’s fun, it’s safe, and it’s a laugh-inducing game when you pretend to be a monster trying to scare your toddler.
- Transformers
Your toddler can transform—just like toys that change from being robots to cars. Take turns calling out the directions and acting out the actions of each item. “You’re a train!” means you can chug chug along a pretend track. “Now you’re an airplane!” means you can zoom across the room with your wings spread.
- DIY obstacle courses
Make a fun obstacle courses with items right in your own home. Can you and your toddler run around a chair? Crawl under a table? Jump over a bowl? Hop in and out of a hula hoop three times?
- Bean bag toss
Set up targets, such as bull’s eyes, on a door made out of painter’s tape or a laundry hamper. See how far back you and your toddler can stand and throw bean bags on target.
- Bubble wrap jump
Bubble wrap is SO fun to jump on. Save bubble wrap from deliveries you get to your home, then roll it out and you and your toddler can stomp to your heart’s content!
- Bowling
Set up toy bowling pins or household items such as water bottles, paper towel rolls, or empty yogurt containers. Using a small ball, how many pins can your child knock over on each roll?
- Stuffie bounce
Pull out some stuffies and place them on a blanket or towel. Have your child take one corner of the blanket while you and other family members take the others. Shake the sheet up and down and watch as their stuffies get a bouncy ride.

20 family night ideas with toddlers outside
Getting outside together might take a lot of effort at the end of a long work day but fresh air, a new environment, and movement can work wonders for everyone’s happiness levels. They also offer the opportunity for expanding your child’s knowledge and vocabulary. Outings are a great change of pace for family time and can take place in your backyard, your local park, your neighbourhood, or further afield. From no- to low- to higher-spending options, we’ve got you covered with a range of ideas.
Budget-friendly outings
- Evening walks
Take a spin around the block or go even further. It’s not only a chance to stretch your legs and possibly take in new sights, it’s also a chance to chat with your toddler about their day and anything else they’d like to bounce off of you. If you’re heading outdoors when it’s dark, bring a flashlight or glow sticks, or wear reflective clothing for safety.
- Free community events
Check your local newspaper, community Facebook page, or library boards for free events such as outdoor concerts, street fairs, or library storytime.
- Pet store
Watch fish swim ’round and ’round, gerbils on exercise wheels, or cats being cuddled by volunteers at your local pet store.
- Grocery store
The grocery store can be more than a place to pick up a bunch of bananas! Walk up and down the aisles with your toddler and see if they can find items with different numbers or colours on them.
- Sidewalk chalk games
Sidewalk chalk is a versatile and low-cost toy that you and your toddler can use for so many games. You and your toddler can also use chalk to draw squiggles, letters, and any other items their heart desires. Want to learn about different ways you can play with sidewalk chalk? Here are eight active and fun games.
- Trains, planes, and automobiles
Watching planes taking off and landing is fascinating for toddlers (and for adults too!). Alternatively, you can head to a safe spot to watch trains or a local lake or river to watch boats.
- Neighbourhood scavenger hunt
Print out a list of things to look for around your neighbourhood or actions to perform as you walk and let your toddler cross the item off the list. You can make up your own list or use one of the free printable lists we have on our site.

- Store windows
No matter the type of store, there’s almost always something to look at in the windows. Whether it’s shoes, books, furniture, or flowers, toddlers will be fascinated by items they won’t always see at home. Holiday displays are especially fun!
- Stargazing
If the sun is going down early enough, pull out some towels or loungers and lie on your backs to see the wonders of the night sky. Still light out? Look at clouds and ask your child if they can see any shapes or pictures in them.
- Local sports
Find a local rink or baseball diamond where kids’ teams are playing and watch some exciting games.
Mid-budget outings
- Trampoline parks
Some parks offer discounts for kids under a certain age so keep your eyes out for good deals on bouncy fun!
- Casual family dinners at kid-friendly restaurants
Find a restaurant where kids feel comfortable and have a meal that you don’t have to make! If the restaurant has a play area where your kids can hang out while they wait for their food to arrive, even better.
- Indoor playgrounds
Indoor playgrounds are a wonderful place to let kids climb, crawl, slide, and bounce under one roof.
- Museums
Museums provide a wealth of knowledge for toddlers and often offer discounted evening tickets. There are some fun interactive museums in Canada as well as some really cool children’s museums.
- Take a train or bus ride
Watching vehicles is fun but riding on them can sometimes be even more fun!
Splurge-worthy outings
- Parent-toddler classes
From art to yoga to music, there are a number of options offered for classes that you and your child can attend together.
- Booking a private family swim session at an indoor pool
Want to develop your toddler’s comfort in the water or play games together as a family? Many indoor pools allow you to book private sessions.
- Mini golf
Mini golf doesn’t have to be a competitive game, especially with a toddler. Let them take a few tries to use a club before moving on to the next hole. If your child wants to pick up the ball and put it in the hole now and then, let them—it’s all fun and games!
- Movies
Family movies at the theatre can be a really fun experience for all, especially since many movies for children often include jokes only adults will get.
- Aquarium
Experiencing the wonders under the water is a joy for kids. (Bonus points if you can get your toddler to pronounce “anemone” correctly!)

Tips for making family evening activities with toddlers easier
To make your evenings with your toddler as fun and enjoyable as possible, it’s good to keep some tips in mind.
- Prepare in advance: Keep a small stash of materials and games ready.
- Keep it short: Activities can be 15-30 minutes and still be fun.
- Follow your toddler’s lead: Be flexible and adapt activities to their mood and interest.
- Involve your toddler in choosing activities from a pre-approved list.
- Use this free printable planner to help your child plan upcoming activities.
Always have family evening activities for toddlers at the ready!
Spending time together as a family is a great opportunity to have fun and to remind your toddler how loved and safe they are. The connection, along with time for movement, learning, and joy, are the greatest benefits of family evening activities with toddlers. Keep this list handy and try one or two (or more!) a week.
Do you have evening activities you enjoy doing with your toddler that you’d like to share?