Fun activities to keep your toddler active and happy this Easter!

Lucy Upton, Specialist Paediatric Dietitian and Nutritionist

 

Encouraging toddlers to keep physically active will help them to develop movement skills, stay a healthy weight and keep a healthy heart. No matter the weather, we have fun activities which will keep your toddler active and entertained this Easter!

Easter egg decorating
Decorating Easter eggs is a great way to keep your toddler busy and spark their creative side, it may also help improve dexterity. Messy play that involves putting their hands in different textures, such as glitter or paint, can help toddlers who are fussy about the foods they eat.

Musical statues
Toddlers can play this in small or large groups and should have fun hopping around until the music stops.

Pin the tail on the Easter Bunny
This game is inspired by the familiar childhood game ‘pin the tail on the donkey’. Toddlers can have fun trying to find the correct place to stick the tail on the Easter Bunny!

Egg and spoon race
With the weather hopefully getting sunnier and warmer, this is a fun activity to play outside, where your toddler can run around and play in the garden or at the park.

Easter treasure hunt
Why not create some colourful rabbit paw prints and place them around the house or garden for your toddler to find, leading them to their chocolate treat. Toddlers should only be offered small amounts of sweet foods occasionally and should not be a regular part of a toddler’s everyday food. View our portion sizes table for our recommendations on how much to give.

Going to the park
April showers shouldn’t prevent you from heading outside – wellies and waterproofs are perfect companions for a walk to the park. With spring in the air, why not try to count the number of tulips or daffodils you see on the way.

Rest and relax
Make sure your toddler gets plenty of sleep after active days! We recommend toddlers having about 12 hours sleep in each 24 hours, and they usually sleep better after lots of activity.

We hope you and your toddler enjoy these fun activities! Be sure to share with your friends! If you want more indoor and outdoor activity ideas, click here!

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Further Reading

  • By Melanie Pilcher and Dr. Gillian Harris Establishing bedtime routines for toddlers and young children
  • By Dr. Gillian Harris, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Applied Developmental Psychology at the University of Birmingham and ITF member Most parents will struggle at some point to get their toddlers to eat certain foods. Is toddler food refusal a sign of an eating disorder. or is it merely a phase? In the run up to Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Gill Harris provides practical advice to help parents tackle fussy eating in toddlers.  
  • By Lucy Upton, on behalf of the Infant and Toddler Forum On behalf of the members of the Infant and Toddler Forum, I am proud to announce the launch of a new infant feeding educational programme, which includes practical resources for frontline healthcare professionals (HCPs) working with parents and infants.