As parents, we all want to provide our children with the best experiences possible, but entertaining toddlers can be expensive. From toys to outings, the costs can quickly add up. But with a little creativity and some help from Dollar Tree, you can provide your toddlers with fun and educational activities without breaking the bank. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of using Dollar Tree Toddler Activities as a resource and share 20 fun and affordable Dollar Tree toddler activities to try today.
Why Dollar Tree is a Great Resource for Toddler Activities
Dollar Tree is a great resource for toddler activities for several reasons. First and foremost, the cost of products is unbeatable. With most items priced at just $1, you can purchase multiple items for the same cost as one item at a more expensive store. Additionally, Dollar Tree offers a wide variety of products that can be repurposed for toddler activities. From arts and crafts supplies to sensory toys, you’ll be surprised at the number of products that can be used for fun and educational activities.
20 Dollar Tree Toddler Activities
Read and enjoy 20 dollar tree toddler activities to keep them entertained for hours
Sensory Bottles
Sensory bottles are a fun and calming activity that can be made using only a few items from Dollar Tree. Fill an empty plastic water bottle with water and add glitter and small toys or objects. Seal the top of the water bottle with hot glue and shake it up for a fun and calming sensory experience.
Painted Rocks
Painted rocks are a versatile activity that can be used for various activities such as counting, sorting, and stacking. All you need is acrylic paint, paintbrushes, and rocks from Dollar Tree. Place the rocks on top of newspaper or cardboard to protect your work surface. Use the paintbrushes and acrylic paint to paint the rocks in different colors and patterns. Allow the paint to dry completely before using the painted rocks for various activities.
Homemade Playdough
Homemade playdough is a fun and affordable activity that can be made using only a few items from Dollar Tree. Mix together 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of salt, and 1/2 cup of water in a mixing bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring to the mixture and stir until the color is evenly distributed. Knead the mixture with your hands until it forms a smooth and pliable dough. Store the playdough in an airtight container when not in use.
Pipe Cleaner Animals
Pipe cleaner animals are a fun and imaginative activity that can be made using only pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and glue from Dollar Tree. Bend the pipe cleaners into various animal shapes such as dogs, cats, and birds. Use the glue to attach googly eyes to the pipe cleaner animals. Encourage your toddler to create their own pipe cleaner animals and use them for imaginative play.
Sticky Wall
A sticky wall is a fun and interactive activity that can be made using only contact paper and small toys or objects from Dollar Tree. Cut out various shapes from the contact paper and stick them to a wall with the sticky side facing out. Give your toddler small toys or objects to stick to the shapes on the wall for a fun and interactive activity.
Paper Plate Tambourines
Paper plate tambourines are a fun and musical activity that can be made using only paper plates, beans or rice, and glue from Dollar Tree. Glue two paper plates together, leaving a small opening. Fill the opening with beans or rice to create a musical instrument. Optional: Decorate the paper plates with paint or markers.
Foam Bath Letters
Foam bath letters are a fun and educational activity that can be used during bath time. Dollar Tree offers a variety of foam bath letters that can be used for letter recognition and spelling. Place the foam bath letters in the bathtub during bath time and encourage your toddler to practice letter recognition and spelling by identifying and arranging the letters.
Alphabet Scavenger Hunt
An alphabet scavenger hunt is a fun and educational activity that can be played both indoors and outdoors. All you need is foam letters from Dollar Tree and a hide and seek location. Hide foam letters around the house or backyard and encourage your toddler to find the letters and identify them. Once all the letters are found, encourage your toddler to arrange them in alphabetical order.
Sensory Bins
Sensory bins are a fun and calming activity that can be made using only plastic containers, rice, beans, or water beads, and small toys or objects from Dollar Tree. Fill a plastic container with rice, beans, or water beads and add small toys or objects for your toddler to explore and discover. This activity can be used to improve fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and sensory exploration.
Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt
A nature walk scavenger hunt is a fun and educational activity that can be played during a walk in the park or backyard. Create a list of nature items such as leaves, flowers, and rocks and encourage your toddler to find the items on the list. This activity can be used to promote outdoor exploration, nature appreciation, and physical activity.
Popsicle Stick Puzzles
Create simple puzzles using popsicle sticks and pictures or drawings from coloring books. Use hot glue to attach the sticks to the back of the picture and then cut the picture into puzzle pieces. Encourage your toddler to put the puzzle pieces together to complete the picture.
Felt Board Storytelling
Create a felt board by gluing a large piece of felt onto a cardboard box. Cut out various shapes and objects from different colored felt to use as characters and props. Use the felt board and objects to tell stories and encourage your toddler to create their own stories using the objects.
Paper Plate Masks
Use paper plates, paint, markers, and glue to create fun and imaginative masks. Cut out eye holes and decorate the masks with various colors and patterns. Encourage your toddler to wear the masks and use them for imaginative play.
Colored Rice Bin
Fill a plastic container with white rice and add a few drops of food coloring to create colored rice. Mix the rice and food coloring together until the color is evenly distributed. Add small toys or objects from Dollar Tree to the colored rice bin for sensory exploration and imaginative play.
Indoor Bowling
Use plastic cups from Dollar Tree and a ball to create an indoor bowling game. Set up the cups in a triangle formation and encourage your toddler to roll the ball to knock down the cups. This activity can be used to improve gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Cookie Cutter Painting
Use cookie cutters and paint to create fun and colorful paintings. Dip the cookie cutters into paint and then press them onto paper to create different shapes and patterns. Encourage your toddler to explore the different shapes and colors and create their own artwork.
Balloon Tennis
Use paper plates and popsicle sticks to create a tennis racket. Blow up a balloon and use the tennis racket to hit the balloon back and forth. This activity can be used to improve gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Water Bead Sensory Bin
Fill a plastic container with water beads and add small toys or objects from Dollar Tree for sensory exploration and imaginative play. Water beads are a fun and calming activity that can be used to improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Muffin Tin Counting
Use a muffin tin and small objects such as pom poms or beads to create a counting game. Place a certain number of objects in each muffin cup and encourage your toddler to count the objects and match them to the corresponding number.
Magnetic Fishing
Last one among dollar tree toddler activities is to use a magnetic fishing pole and small toys or objects with magnets to create a fishing game. Place the toys or objects in a container filled with water and encourage your toddler to use the magnetic fishing pole to “catch” the toys or objects. This activity can be used to improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Tips for Shopping at Dollar Tree for Toddler Activities
- When shopping for Dollar Tree toddler activities, keep these tips in mind to get the most out of your shopping trip:
- Look for products that can be repurposed for toddler activities, such as arts and crafts supplies, sensory toys, and household items.
- Check for items that can be combined to create a fun and educational activity.
- Take advantage of seasonal items, such as holiday decorations and summer toys, to create new and exciting activities.
- Don’t forget to stock up on everyday items such as glue, paper, and markers.
Providing fun and educational activities for your toddlers doesn’t have to be expensive. With a little creativity and some help from Dollar Tree, you can keep your toddlers entertained on a budget. By using Dollar Tree toddler activities, you can stretch your dollar further and provide your children with memorable experiences. Try out these 20 Dollar Tree toddler Activities today!
Yumna is the lead author. She is a mom to two young children and have always been passionate about finding fun and educational activities for them. With her background in early childhood education, she strive to create engaging and age-appropriate activities that promote learning and development in toddlers.
