Two-year-olds love to learn, and they learn best through play and exploration. In this post, I’ve rounded up some of the best learning activities for 2-year-olds from across the web.
These simple activities will help your toddler develop the skills needed for preschool and beyond—skills like fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language development, early math skills and social-emotional skills.
Just before we get into all of the learning activities, I have a freebie for you! These printable Quiet Time Play Mats let your little one become immersed in small world play (and give you a bit of peace and quiet!). Grab your copy right here:
Learning Activities for 2-Year-Olds
Your two year old will love doing these learning activities as they develop fine motor and gross motor skills, learn by exploring the senses and develop vocabulary, social and emotional skills through play.
Fine Motor Learning Activities for 2-Year-Olds
DIY Twist-Top Board by Busy Blooming Joy – This simple activity is great for developing a two year old’s fine motor skills and practical life skills. All you need are some twist caps of various sizes, hot glue and an old cutting board.
Pom Pom Transfer Fine Motor Activity by Mombrite – Simple activities are great for two year olds. This fine motor activity only uses a muffin tin, a bowl of pompoms and a spoon.
Threading Station by Busy Toddler – This fun threading station is a great way for two year olds to practice fine motor skills. You will need cut-up straws and pipe cleaners for this activity. It also makes for a great quiet time activity!
Basic Cereal Threading Activity by Hands On As We Grow – Here’s a simple fine motor activity that is perfect for two year olds. All you need is some play dough, spaghetti and o-shaped cereal. Toddlers will stay busy threading that cereal onto the spaghetti!
Clothespin Pull Toddler Fine Motor Activity by Days with Grey – This fine motor activity is perfect for two year olds. You will need clothespins and paper tubes. Then your toddler can explore pulling them off and clipping them back on again.
Gross Motor Learning Activities for 2-Year-Olds
3 Ways to Learn with a Bouncy Ball – Bouncy balls are fun for everyone, but especially two year olds! This post has some fun ways for little kids and big kids to play and learn together with bouncy balls.
Bubble Wrap Runway by Hands On As We Grow – Setting up bubble wrap on the floor is a great way to encourage gross motor development for two year olds! They can walk, run, crawl, and push trucks across it to their hearts content!
Jungle Vine Gross Motor Activity by What We Can Do With Paper & Glue – Creating a jungle for your two year old to crawl through is a fun way for them to get in some gross motor movement. All you need is a roll of green streamers and tape.
6 Creative Movement Activities Using Streamers by The Inspired Treehouse – Streamers, whether paper or ribbon, are a versatile tool for encouraging gross motor movement in two year olds. This posts give 6 different ideas for how to play with them.
Throw and Roll a Ball to Improve Gross Motor Skills by Moms Have Questions Too – All two year olds love balls! This simple activity is a great way to help your two year old improve their gross motor skills using a ball.
Sensory Learning Activities for 2-Year-Olds
Simple Nature Sensory Bin – Two year olds can learn so much from a simple nature sensory bin. They can learn to recognize different textures, scents and all about nature!
Bubble Sensory Play for Toddlers – Bubble play is a fascinating activity for two year olds. Bubbles are also an excellent learning activity that encourages fine motor skills, visual tracking, and oral motor skills for speech, plus they are just plain fun!
Woolly Sheep Sensory Play for Toddlers – This adorable Woolly Sheep craft really engages the senses for toddlers! It is also an excellent activity for working those fine motor muscles.
Simple Pour and Scoop Sensory Bin by Laughing Kids Learn – Two year olds can learn valuable practical life skills with this simple pour and scoop sensory bin. All you need is a bin of peas and lentils with cups and scoops in various sizes.
Easy Water Sensory Bin for Toddlers by My Bored Toddler – Toddlers will learn so much from this easy water sensory bin. All you need is a bin of water and various containers and tools for your two year old to experiment with.
Vocabulary Learning Activities for 2-Year-Olds
5 Natural Language Development Activities for Toddlers – Development of language and vocabulary is very important for toddlers and two year olds. This post contains 5 wonderful activities to help develop oral language in the natural world.
Learning Body Parts Activity for Toddlers by Activity Mom – This is a fun way to teach your two year old the names of the body parts. You will need a picture of your toddler, sticky contact paper and little pompoms.
Position Words: The Over Under Game by Busy Toddler – This simple game is a fun way to teach your two year old position words like over and under. All you need is a toy and a cup making it the perfect game to play while on the go.
What’s In The Bag? A Fun Early Language Activity by The SLT Scrapbook – This simple early language activity is a fun way to get your two year old talking. All you need is a bag full of small toys to get your toddler interested in talking.
Imaginative Play Learning Activities for 2-Year-Olds
Play-Doh Faces Invitation to Play by Busy Toddler – This creative activity is the perfect way for two year olds to play using their imaginations. All you need is some colorful playdough and a variety of craft supplies.
An Invitation to Play: Cardboard Cookie Shop by My Baba – This activity invites toddlers to play creatively by making cardboard cookies. For this simple, imaginative activity you’ll need cardboard circle cutouts, shaving cream and sprinkles.
Giant Nail Salon for Kids by Happy Toddler Playtime – Your two year old will have so much fun painting these giant fingernails! All you need is some cardboard, markers, washable paints and paintbrushes.
Shaving Cream Sensory Play to Decorate the Cake by Days with Grey – What would be more fun and creative for a two year old than decorating a birthday cake! For this imaginative play activity, you’ll need a cardboard box, shaving cream and decorations.
Loose Parts Learning Activities for 2-Year-Olds
Fall Play Dough Tree by Stir the Wonder – Loose parts can be combined with play dough as a fun, fine motor activity for two year olds. This is an excellent activity for toddlers to explore colors, textures and themes.
Construction Site Play Dough Invitation by Fantastic Fun and Learning – What two year old doesn’t love construction vehicles? This loose parts and play dough activity is sure to be a hit among toddlers!
Light Table Free Play with Loose Parts by Where Imagination Grows – Adding loose parts to a light table is a great way to capture the imagination of a two year old. This type of play lends itself well to developing fine motor and early math skills.
Mirror Play and Loose Parts by Little Bins for Little Hands – Including a mirror with loose parts is another way to add some excitement to loose parts play. This is a great way for two year olds to explore reflections and symmetry.
So there you have it, 27 amazing learning activities for two year olds! I hope these activities inspire you to help your two year old learn through play and exploration.
And if you love these ideas, have I got something you will adore!
Play into Kindergarten Readiness is my program for 2 and 3 year olds. ONE activity per day, twenty minutes a day, with ALL core skills covered. Everything is step-by-step with no prep needed. Check it out here: Play into Kindergarten Readiness
xo
Sarah
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