What to Do on a Playdate: 70+ Play Ideas for 1- to 4-Year-Olds

"What do I play with?" "I'm bored!" "Mom, what are we doing today?" These are all phrases that parents have heard many times before. And playdates can be the best way to alleviate boredom and provide some much-needed playtime for children of any age. In this blog post, we will talk about playdate activities for 1-4-year-olds.

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Playdate activities for 1 year olds

Frankly, 1 year olds do not need any playdates. But for a mom of a 1 year old baby, playdates are essential. So how do you prepare an ideal date so that your little one is happy and giving his or her mother some time to talk?

Rules are simple:

• nothing dangerous (like choking hazards, sharp objects, chemicals) within thier reach,
• nothing too messy for mom to clean after the playdate,
• check the weather beforehand if playing outdoors,
• prepare small snacks for children and moms to be on hand when needed.
  

Indoor play ideas for 1 year olds

For indoor playdate, choose a room where children will play and make it the most enchanting space possible. Keep all dangerous items outside of the designated area so that little ones can have unmitigated fun and not be afraid to explore every inch! You can put some toys on shelves where they are easily accessible.

1. Open-and-close basket: Fill the basket with lids, nesting toys, empty boxes and a variety of different loose parts. This will be great for your 1 year old playmates as it is sure to keep them occupied for quite some time!
2. A treasure bag with objects like big keys, toy animals, wooden solids of different shapes and sizes. It's better if those items in the treasure bag are made from various materials to give children a rich sensory experience!
3. Let your little one use their creative mind with some play-doh, jumbo crayons or even finger paints! These are great art materials that will keep them entertained for hours. They're not just a toy - they can help teach color recognition and hand eye coordination too!
4. The soft zones are wonderful to make babies move. It is a great way for them to explore on their own while feeling safe and secure with you nearby.
5. Spooning is one of the best activities for 1 year olds. Even though spooning usually requires adult supervision, some edible materials are perfect for playdates when adult attention distributes among children. For example, you can use polenta or instant oats as a spooning material to avoid any choking accidents. Another great decision would be to have them at special tables like Ikea's Trofast where they'll enjoy messy play without making any messes in your home.
6. Toddlers love to play with a toy kitchen. One year olds will explore all the doors, take out all the dishes, and try their best to mimic what mommy or daddy does in real life when they cook dinner for family. Just imagine how much fun it would be if your toddler could enjoy playing around an interactive toy10 that makes sounds like cooking food while also having a lot of kitchenware and toy food inside! 
7. Musical instruments delight 1 year olds. Get several music toys, like piano, keyboard, tambourines and create rhythms with your little playmates. You can sing songs and dance together or let them enjoy these toys on their own
8. A dry pool with balls is so much fun for 1 year olds! Get it for your playdate, and be sure to have a blast. You can also hook up a basketball hoop and show the kids how to throw balls into the basket.

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Outdoor ideas for 1 year olds

1. If you have a backyard, let toddlers walk around or play outside. You can't beat the excitement of outdoor play! Toddlers should be supervised when they explore their surroundings because there may not always be safe items in your yard like an open pool, lawnmower, and gardening tools. If this is the case don't worry; simply designate an area where they can walk, crawl-even run to keep things contained with baby gates or fences placed strategically for safety purposes
2. Sandbox: what's not to love about it? One-year-olds are captivated by the experience and can play for hours while relaxing.
3. During the hot summer days, toddlers can spend hours in an inflatable baby pool. Just grab some water toys and let your toddlers enjoy life!
4. Chalk art is a great way to spend time with the little ones. Have them paint their masterpiece on your driveway or sidewalk, but don't forget to use a chalk holder!
5. Balls are a toddler's best friend! They love them of all sizes. You can catch, roll and bounce different balls to the kids for hours - it doesn't get any more entertaining than that! This is great because they're developing their motor skills while having fun with you!
6. Velcro darts hone motor skills and dexterity in toddlers. And doing it together motivates children and keeps them engaged.
7. If you have a bubble-making machine, make use of it! Make sure to turn on the bubbles and allow your one-year old to chase after them. They will be instantly excited - so much fun for kids this age who really eager to move around with their own two feet.
8. Schedule a playdate at the park on an age-appropriate playground to make this date as exciting and safe for your baby.
9. The zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, and beach are excellent places for toddlers. A quick trip to one of these locations is sure to be a hit with your little ones because they love animals and plants! Just make sure that you choose an activity where their time at each location will not exceed 30-45 minutes so that it's both enriching as well as exciting. It also helps keep them from getting cranky at the end.
10. There's no better way to keep kids occupied on a hot summer day than with water play. All you need is some sponges, buckets of clean water and watch your little ones have fun all afternoon long!

Playdate activities for 2 year olds

Under the age of three, the best idea for a playdate would be lots of physical activities and/or sensory play.

Indoor play ideas for 2 year olds

1. Play dough is one of the best play materials for children. It helps to develop creativity and fine motor skills, as well as helping them become more relaxed when they get too excited or overwhelmed on a playdate with friends. Children can help make their own play dough by choosing colors and scents that are soothing to them!
2. Messy play with finger paints, crayons, kinetic sand, slime is a great way to entertain 2 year olds. Materials for messy play are all relatively inexpensive and easy to find. However, not everyone is ready for a toddler's messy play. It might be worth designating a play area and asking children to keep their play there.
3. Water play for two year olds includes games like "catch the fish," "water bubbles," or a simple play with water toys and props. For "catch the fish," fill a baby pool, bowl, or any other dish you like with about 1-2 inches of water and place "fish" at various points around it. Players are then given nets to scoop up the fish. As fish, you can use any floating objects that are safe for 2 year olds. You can even use tablespoons instead of nets to catch fish. Other ideas would be to prepare soapy water and give children toy animals, cars, etc. Offer them to wash the toys. Kids will love this activity!
4. Sing and dance party: toddlers love rhythms, so dancing to favorite songs will warm up even the shiest kids.
5. An indoor playset, play gym, or monkey bars are good choices for rainy days where children can release their energy without destroying the house.
6. An indoor swing will be a hit at a 2 year old's playdate. Toddlers can spend hours swinging; you'll just need to regulate turn-taking.
7. Looking through books together: you can either read the story to children or have them look at the pictures and tell you about what's happening in the book.
8. First board games like "Sneaky Snacky Squirell" are ideal for toddlers' playdates. Such games are straightforward but highly engaging.
9. Arrange some blocks on their little table to create an exciting construction site for kids. You can also make it more challenging by adding shapes like circles, triangles. There is an amazing must-read article on how to encourage block play by The Workspace For Children. We highly advise you to read it!
10. Set up a themed small world to excite the children. Choose a hot topic that both your child and a playmate are into, and watch what they can come up with. You'll be surprised with their play as they will definitely play in a different way than you planned for them.

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Outdoor play ideas for 2 year olds

1. The ring toss game promotes gross motor skills in 2 year olds and is an entertaining activity for a playdate. To play, mark the place for children to stand, place the stake a few feet away and have children toss the rings on a stake. Whoever toss the most rings on the stake wins.
2. Sensory activities: play in a sandbox, play with a water hose or sprinkler.
3. Ball games help to improve motor skills and eye-hand coordination and are always exciting outdoor activities. A basketball hoop can be a life-saver if you do not know any outdoor ball games. More ideas on ball games you can read here
4. Hopscotch is an easy and fun game for 2 year olds. Draw a pattern of squares on the ground, then have players throw a stone or any other object into these squares without stepping on the lines; this goal can be reached by hopping through them! Playing hopscotch develops motor skills, balance, hand-eye coordination and various cognitive processes in children.
5. Trampoline play can help children with balance and motor skills. You can choose to jump over the lines or you could even do "tag" on a trampoline - just make sure they have a break every 15 minutes of jumping, otherwise their nervous system will be overexcited which leads to fatigue. 
6. A short forest walk is a fabulous recharge for kids. Combine it with a scavenger hunt, and children will enjoy your walk even more-especially if you find pinecones, trees, squirrels or birds! The forest walk is a fun and language-boosting activity.
7. A farm field trip, where children can watch and interact with animals in a real environment, is an excellent way to teach 2 year olds. They will learn about the animal's names, characteristics or smells while having fun at the same time! For such little kids this type of experience is very emotional.
8. In the summer, you can take 2 year olds to pick your own raspberries, blackberries, or even apples on the field. Kids will be fascinated to see how their favorite berries and fruits grow up close. Be careful with strawberries though-they require a lot of washing in order not too gross out little tummies! So stock up on water to wash strawberries and explain to kids the hygiene rules.

Playdate activities for 3 year olds

You and your 3 year old will have a blast with these play date activities! With age come more complex motor skills, but also an increase in the cognitive capabilities. This means that you can now do so much more than just stacking blocks or playing pat-a-cake - it's time to start doing things like catching balls, puzzles (matching shapes), drawing pictures on paper plates with crayons, making pull string dolls out of socks and yarn for friends!

Indoor play ideas for 3 year olds

1. If you're looking for a fun way to empower your child and help them overcome their fear of the dark, building a fort out of improvised means can be an excellent solution. Their imagination will run wild with all sorts of possibilities! Add some pillows or lights to make the fort fancy-they'll love it either way as long as they get to play in this new space together.
2. Create a fashion show with scarfs or play silks, or prepare some dress up costumes for kids. Such pretend play will boost the imagination of all 3-6 year olds!
3. Board games are fantastic ice-breakers; you can find a full review of board games for 3 year olds in our previous blog post.
4. Play shadow theater with 3 year olds or teach them how to create shadows on the walls using their fingers. This activity is perfect for boosting motor planning skills and overcoming a fear of darkness in toddlers!
5. Make pottery together using air-dry clay, which is the best option for small kids as you can leave their crafts for a few hours to harden without any baking.
6. Set up a play area with blocks for children to build. Help them create more complex structures or let them have fun on their own. Building with blocks is an excellent opportunity for toddlers and young kids alike to learn cooperation, teamwork, and problem-solving skills through this exciting activity!
7. Sensory materials like kinetic sand or jello fascinate 3 year olds. You can add some construction vehicles and create a small, epic construction site to dig, build roads for your cars or trucks with real JELLO!
8. Grocery store and toy kitchen are the number one props that engage children in focused pretend play.  These two toys are so familiar that they can spend hours playing without even needing you!
9. Building with boxes: Use larger boxes to make a car, boat, igloo, or fort. Build houses for dolls and animals out of smaller ones. Or build rocket ships and airplanes! Go on an imaginary ride in your own train or build rockets that will blast off into space!
10. Jumping on an indoor trampoline is a great way to keep kids entertained for hours. They can't get enough of the bouncy surface, but it's important not to have them jump more than 30 minutes at one time!

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Outdoor play ideas for 3 year olds

1. Why not take your little one on a hike? It can be an educational and fun experience! You'll get to explore the forest while teaching them about trees, leaves, pinecones. Plus you could introduce some science lessons along the way too - like tree bark rubbings or leaf collections.
2. Go on a balance bike or scooter ride: Choose parks with flat roads without many elevations, so that you can relax and not push them uphill.
3. Throw a playdate party with classics like tag, hide and seek, or catch. With these games everyone will be sure to have an amazing time!
4. Have a picnic in the backyard or park. You will get an opportunity to have your children try new foods that they might not be used to eating inside, and there is a good chance that these healthy snacks may become their favorite!
5. You'll be the most fun parent in town if you create a small muddy world for your little one to explore and play with! Let them play with water, sand, mud, natural materials like sticks or rocks in addition to toy cars and animals. For example, show them how they can build stick houses for their animal friends or play with mud kitchen if you have it.
6. Mini golf is perfect for 3 year olds and helps them to hone their gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, spatial perception and turn taking. That means mini golf will help your child get better at making friends in school by giving him or her the opportunity to develop the important social skills!
7. Sprinkler play is probably the best activity on a hot summer day. It's also one of the easiest to set up!
8. Rock painting: find some big and small rocks or buy pebbles at the store (near the garden section). They should be large enough so that you can paint them without bending over too much but small enough not to present choking hazards. Also, make sure there are markers for rock painting or acrylic paints on hand! In this activity, children will create new characters for their playtime stories - from toys to story stones!

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Playdate activities for 4 year olds

All these playdate ideas for toddlers aged 2 to 3 will be fun and exciting, but with the growing imagination of 4 year olds they are ready to start playing more cooperative games.

Indoor play ideas for 4 year olds

1. Set up an invitation to play: neatly prepared art area, natural materials corner, or gorgeously displayed open-ended toys fascinate children of all ages. When they see such an invitation, they want to engage in play immediately. You can create small worlds for them, e.g., toy dinosaurs around a live sand volcano, traces of toy animals on the play dough. You can find numerous ideas on Pinterest for this exciting activity. Be sure that your 4 year olds will be thrilled with it.
2. Pretend play: toy kitchen is a favorite. You can also set up your own grocery store at home, or even make pretend post office! Four-year-olds are ready to dive deep into pretend play; setting up the scene for pretend play will help kids develop and promote creativity.
3. Dress-ups are another great way to enrich the play of 4 year olds. When they dress up, children start playing a particular role that inspires them and boosts their imagination! Preschoolers love pretending and will surely appreciate costumes or even pieces of materials you have prepared for them.
4. Loose parts and playdoh, or glue and paper - such an unstructured activity, where children can create whatever comes to their mind, boosts creativity and deep focus. Children love playing with loose parts, and frankly adults too.
5. Play with oobleck or slime: these sensory materials are mesmerizing for kids of all ages. Even 1 -3 year olds would love to play with slime. Still, it requires a lot of attention from adults. Usually, four-year-olds are mature enough not to put these materials into their mouth so you can let them play with peace of mind.
6. Blocks should be the #1 toy for children under 5. Block play is universal, both boys and girls love building with blocks, and it promotes many cognitive skills.
7. Cooking: even though many parents are afraid of this messy activity, children's knives and simple recipes can entertain even the youngest kids. You can make apple doughnuts with 4 year olds. For these, you will need apples, soft cheese (Philadelphia-style or Mascarpone), a bit of honey, and sprinkles. Help children cut apple rings, and then they can spread cheese on these rings, top it with honey (or not, if you do not allow sugar at home), and some sprinkles. Cooking is great to calm down and get some snacks in peace.
8. Make a kind thing together. In our previous article, we wrote about the importance of empathy and compassion for kids. Doing good together will unite children and give them warm memories. You can think of some simple things for 4 year olds, like giving a walk to an old neighbor's dog, baking some cookies for other children, going grocery shopping for a person in need, etc. But children should be active participants in this endeavor. Such activity is the most valuable from the list and can be performed even with younger kids. Being kind to others is the #1 skill that you can teach your children, and doing it together with friends will be even more effective.
9. Board games are a fantastic pastime for 4 year olds. Although not everyone knows it, 4 year olds are capable of playing a whole bunch of board games. And they love playing together. This activity can be so much fun that you should try it on your next pay date. The best board games for 4 year olds you can find in one of our previous blog posts.

RELATED: The Best Board Games for 4 Year Olds: Top 10 Family-Friendly Options

Outdoor play ideas for 4 year olds

1. Scavenger hunt to make a nature soup: have children look for flowers, seeds, berries, wood pieces, etc., in a park. Then, let them put all their finds in the bucket filled with water and have them make "soup," which they can stir and serve in bowls or dishes.
2. Scavenger hunt with a photoshoot, when children take photos of all their finds instead of picking them up. They will remember much more from your walk thanks to these photos.
3. Have the children build obstacle courses or roads for their cars or trucks out of loose parts like cardboard pieces, wooden planks, bricks, etc. Then start the real race, where children's cars can compete against each other. You can even videotape the race to determine the winner if it is not clear at the end.
4. Making business together is fantastic to teach children cooperation, working towards one goal, and making money, of course. They can think of things to sell on their pop-up market stand or a classic lemonade stand. What is a better way to teach children about money? This activity will be especially beneficial for shy kids who would have never do it on their own. But with a friend, it is so much easier!
5. Throw a disco party in the backyard. Ask children about their favorite disco songs, play music games like Musical Statues, Animal Dance, or even Musical Limbo! The best thing is that you can go crazy too!
6. Play a cornhole toss game. The Cornhole is easy to play and safe for all play dates. All you need are two boards and bean bags. The boards can be made from plywood or other material, but make sure they are no more than 2 feet wide and 3 feet long, so they are easier for little hands to throw the bean bags into the hole on the board.
7. An outdoor art station: use glass, plexiglass, cardboard, rocks, and other materials for children to make their crafts on. Provide them with paints suitable for the surface of your choice, e.g., window paints for glass/plexiglass, acrylic or water paints for cardboards, etc. Children adore this activity. You can also add some natural materials, like pine cones, pebbles, tree bark, or simple wooden blocks together with well-adhesive glue. Craft Ideas for the outdoor station are countless, and all the art mess is much easier to clean up in the garden than in the house.
8. DIY a peanut butter bird feeder with 4 year olds. For this, you'll need a large pinecone, 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of birdseed, string, or thin ribbon. The string should be long enough to wrap around the pinecone. Mix the bird seeds and peanut butter, ensuring that it's thoroughly mixed and there are no chunks. Roll this into a ball, then flatten it out onto wax paper and pop it into the fridge for about 10 minutes so that it gets nice and cold. Next, take the pinecone to thread it with your string or ribbon. Then, spread your peanut butter/birdseed mixture on the pinecone. Finally, once you've put the peanut butter and birdseed on the pinecone, place them in a well-lit area for birds to come feast.
9. Trace and decorate a shadow: have children trace each other shadows with chalk and then have them decorate their shadows with leaves, twigs, pebbles, pinecones, flowers, and all other outdoor materials they can find.

Afterword

We hope you’ve found these playdate activities for 1-4 year olds helpful! Whether it’s a scheduled day of fun with friends and family or just playing in the backyard, there are plenty of ways to keep your toddler occupied. If not, we want to hear about what does work for you when boredom strikes - let us know in the comments below!

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