Calm Down Activities for Toddlers

Point at each animal in a board book, make the sound, and wait for baby to try.

Echo your baby's babbles and extend them into real words — a conversation that builds language from the very first sounds.

Copy every sound your baby makes and add a word — the simplest way to teach turn-taking and early speech.

Siblings sit back to back and describe what they're drawing for the other to copy — building listening, communication, and giggly cooperation.

Sit facing each other and roll a ball back and forth.

Mash, mix, and pour together to make a simple banana bread — a slow baking activity that builds patience and fine motor skills.

Let your toddler mash bananas in a bowl with a fork for a tasty snack.

Float foam letters in the bath and fish them out with a sieve or cup, naming each letter as it is caught.

Turn washing into a naming game — 'Can you wash your knees?' — learning body parts while getting clean.

Drop food colouring into bath water and swirl the colours together — a mesmerising water science experiment at bath time.

Use bath toys as characters in a simple story you narrate together — turning bath time into an imaginative adventure.

Draw on bath tiles with bath crayons or soap — a mess-free creative session that washes straight off.