If you are looking for independent play ideas for your toddler, you have come to THE place! I tell you, quiet time activities for toddlers and independent play activities for 2 year olds are the name of the game here right now.

With my littlest just settling in to her daily quiet time (and I use the term “settling in” very (very) loosely), my mind is filled with ideas and activities that might be fun and engaging for her to do independently.

Quiet time is definitely not new in our home. We have been huge quiet time proponents for 6 years now! I have written ebooks about it, have a Quiet Time club, and a complete Quiet Time Mastery Series.

Yet, starting this once again from square one I am reminded how tough it is at first! I will absolutely power through and make this special time of day feel special for my littlest. I know the power of quiet time and want her to have all of the amazing benefits that come along with this time of day: increased independence, concentration, problem solving, and creativity. I also know quiet time is essential for her to be at her best (and DITTO over here!)

Currently I am at the stage where if I find ONE activity she seems to like and engage with independently for even just 5 minutes it is deemed a success!

I then take this activity and look at it from every angle, trying to really play up this quiet time success! And with that, I bring you the 3 different, independent play ideas for toddlers using 1 puzzle!

Little Norah is loving this puzzle right now. Here are 3 fun ways we are using it at quiet time:

Want to see them in action? Here is my toddler exploring these 3 puzzle play ideas independently:

And here are the instructions, tips, and tricks! 

1. Wrap those pieces up in tinfoil

This simple idea is probably Norah’s most favourite right now. Each little one she unwraps is like a Christmas present! And if you have recently had Christmas, you might recall just how long it takes those little ones to unwrap. I mean, this bin laaaassssttts.

I loosely wrapped each puzzle piece in a piece of tinfoil and placed them all in a quiet bin. Norah then chose one out, meticulously unwrapped it, and popped it into her puzzle before choosing her next ‘gift’ to unwrap.

2. Tape those pieces to the table

This one is a fabulous one for building those fine motor skills. Take each puzzle piece and tape it to the floor or a small table. I like to use masking tape or painter’s tape for this one. Tape them down using a big X of tape so little fingers need to peel up the edges to free their puzzle pieces. Toddlers love to peel up tape – making this an ideal independent quiet time play idea for those 2 year olds. 

3. Puzzle Scavenger Hunt

Finally, I popped the puzzle pieces all around our family room in rather obvious places. Because my toddler is very young I wanted these pieces to be easily seen and not really ‘hidden’. She then walked around and found each piece popping them into her puzzle.

And guess what? It made for 3 separate quiet time successes! Three separate times for my little one to settle into independent play, build her self-confidence, and get one step closer to being a quiet time champ.

I also wanted to share with you another Quiet Time activity that is worth it’s weight in gold – even though it’s free – these Quiet Time Play Mats! Pop on over to grab your free printable PDFs right here: My Quiet Time Play Mats

 

The road to quiet time is certainly a journey – but goodness, it is so worth it. If you would like a little support on this journey, you are in luck! My quiet time mega bundle is currently on it’s annual HUGE sale. You receive over 197 quiet time activities, just like the 3 in this post, as well as my step-by-step guide for guaranteed quiet time success! Grab your bundle right HERE!

This Quiet Time Made Easy as 1-2-3 Bundle is regularly $112 – but right now it is 80% OFF! Receive the entire bundle for $28!

Read more about this bundle HERE

Thank you so much for reading, sweet friend.

xo

Sarah