Toddler Table Time Activities
Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.
-Fred Rogers
If your littles are home during the day, it can be difficult to keep them engaged in play and learning all day long.
They may have all the toys and books in their reach, mealtimes and quiet time to break up the day, and maybe some screen time to keep them entertained, but often this just isn’t enough.
Children need variety and different ways to challenge their imagination and creativity. They learn different things through different types of play.
Adding a simple yet intentional table time will do just that!
Stick around, in this post I’ll be sharing:
Table of Contents
The purpose of an intentional table time
How to implement a table time activity into your day
Easy table time activities (that are mostly mess free)
Ideas for organizing and storing table time activities
Learn how to add a table time activity to your day with ease. We’re talking no guilt, no hassle, little to no mess, just simple engaged learning for your little one!
If you want to skip ahead at any point, feel free to click one of the links above to the topic that interests you most!
The purpose of an intentional table time
1. It teaches your child how to focus on one activity for a period of time.
2. Encourages them to explore and enjoy learning from what they are playing with.
3. It gives you an opportunity to teach them something new from these moments.
4. This can be used as a time to bond with your child.
How to implement a table time activity into your day
Okay, this really is so simple to add to your routine! I started by gathering all our toys and activities that are more hands on, focus based, learning, or things we typically do at a table like painting. I put them each into these individual zipper pouches to keep them organized and all pieces where they belong. I chose a basket to place them in and a location to store them. All of that was the “hard” part.
Now that it is set up, organized, and easily accessible, all that’s left is for the kiddos to pick what they want to play with each day. They love having a choice and being a part of the process.
Once they’ve chosen an activity, I pull it from the basket, and we move to the table. I don’t have a set amount of time that they have to stay at the table, but the activities typically last around 30 minutes. If I see that they are becoming easily distracted or uninterested, I try and encourage them to dive deeper and explore more by asking open ended questions or explaining something to their level. If they choose to be done, that is perfectly fine. Some days may only last 5-10 minutes, others could be an hour.
The great part about this is that you can implement it however you want. I have had seasons where I just needed a break and time to get ready by myself so my children would do table time independently. I have also had seasons where we sit down every day to play and learn together. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Do what feels best for the season you’re in.
This is simply a way to keep your child engaged and learning in a different way throughout the day, however that may look.
Easy table time activities (that are mostly mess free)
The options are endless! Here is a list of a lot of my favorites that we include in our table time baskets. Click the photos below for the link to each product, happy shopping!
Ideas for organizing and storing table time activities
As I mentioned before, I place my table time activities in individual zipper pouches and then store them in baskets to keep it all organized and easily accessible. Below you can find some ideas for storing your table time activities. Click each photo for the link to the product.
I also want to include a link to the laminator and sheets I use to simplify the process for you if needed.
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