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Indoor activities for 12–18 months

11 simple play ideas for little ones aged 12–18 months.

Always supervise play. These are play ideas, not developmental or medical advice.

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Bubble chase

  • 6–36 months
  • 10 min
  • Outdoors
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Blow bubbles for your little one to watch, reach and pop.

  • Moving
  • Senses

You’ll need

  • Bubbles
How to play
  1. Blow a few bubbles above your baby.
  2. Let them reach, clap or chase.
  3. Count the pops together.

Play safely: Keep the bubble mix out of reach.

Cup stacking towers

  • 9–30 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Build towers, knock them down, repeat.

  • Hands
  • Puzzling it out

You’ll need

  • Plastic cups
How to play
  1. Stack two or three cups and let them knock it down.
  2. Build again, one cup at a time.
  3. Older toddlers can try nesting cups by size.

Name that sound

  • 12–36 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Outdoors
  • Low mess

Listen for sounds and guess what made them.

  • Words & sounds

You’ll need

Nothing but you

How to play
  1. Sit quietly for a moment together.
  2. Ask “What can you hear?”
  3. Name the sounds: birds, cars, the kettle, footsteps.

Pots and pans band

  • 6–24 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Some mess

A loud, happy drum session with kitchen basics.

  • Senses
  • Hands

You’ll need

  • Pot and wooden spoon
How to play
  1. Turn a pot upside down on the floor.
  2. Hand over a wooden spoon and show how to tap.
  3. Try loud and quiet, fast and slow.

Roll the ball

  • 6–18 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Rolling a ball back and forth is an early taking-turns game.

  • Moving
  • Together time

You’ll need

  • Soft ball
How to play
  1. Sit facing each other with legs apart.
  2. Roll the ball gently towards your baby.
  3. Cheer when it comes back — even by accident.

Shape sorting

  • 10–30 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Match shapes to holes — or just enjoy dropping things in.

  • Puzzling it out
  • Hands

You’ll need

Nothing but you

How to play
  1. Start with one or two easy shapes.
  2. Show how a shape fits, then let them try.
  3. Praise the trying, not just the getting it right.

Story time snuggle

  • 0–36 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Share a board book — chewing it counts too.

  • Words & sounds

You’ll need

  • Board books
How to play
  1. Snuggle up with a board book.
  2. Point to pictures and name them.
  3. Let your baby turn the pages, even if it’s out of order.

Walker parade

  • 9–24 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Cruise around the living room behind a push toy.

  • Moving

You’ll need

  • Music to play
How to play
  1. Clear a path across the room.
  2. Put on marching music.
  3. Walk alongside as they push and steer.

Play safely: Keep stairs gated and the path clear.

Cardboard box tunnel

  • 8–24 months
  • 15 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

An open-ended box becomes a tunnel to crawl through.

  • Moving
  • Puzzling it out

You’ll need

  • Cardboard box
How to play
  1. Open both ends of a large box and lay it on its side.
  2. Peek through from the other end and call your baby.
  3. Celebrate when they make it through.

Play safely: Remove staples and tape before play.

First crayon scribbles

  • 15–36 months
  • 15 min
  • Indoors
  • Some mess

Big paper, chunky crayons, no rules.

  • Hands

You’ll need

  • Paper
  • Chunky crayons
How to play
  1. Tape a large sheet of paper to the table or floor.
  2. Offer one or two chunky crayons.
  3. Talk about the colours and shapes they make.

Play safely: Choose non-toxic crayons and stay close.

Splashy water play

  • 6–36 months
  • 15 min
  • Indoors
  • Outdoors
  • Messy

Pouring and splashing with a few cups in shallow water.

  • Senses
  • Hands

You’ll need

  • Tub or bowl of water
  • Plastic cups
How to play
  1. Put a few centimetres of water in a tub or bowl.
  2. Add cups for pouring and scooping.
  3. Show how to fill and pour, then let them explore.

Play safely: Stay within arm’s reach around any water, and empty the tub straight after.

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