Butterfly nets? Check. Shoebox with holes in the top? Check. Beach buckets and shovels? Check. Obnoxiously large kid’s magnifying glass? Check. My two girls and their two friends ready for a bug hunt in the back yard (while the moms supervise and chat)? Check. Check. Check. Check. Two hours and a snack later, the playdate group reluctantly released their newfound “pets,” and the moms made plans for the next get-together.
I’m not a fan of bugs, but during the preschool years, I was a fan of simple, themed playdate ideas, even if they involved little creatures with tiny legs. (And I’m not talking about my 2-year-old. ) Playdates don’t need to be complicated to be memorable. Your home most likely already includes the elements for an elevated playdate. Find inspiration with these 19 playdate ideas for toddlers and preschoolers.
Indoor Playdate Ideas
1. Box ‘Em In – Save up your delivery boxes for this one! Provide cardboard boxes, tubes, and other recyclable materials for kids to build their own forts, castles, or spaceships.
2. Summer Camp – It’s always warm and dry inside! So, pitch a tent indoors and toss in flashlights, cozy blankets, and stuffed animals. Serve oven-baked s’mores for a snack.
3. Under Construction – Blocks, LEGOs, Lincoln Logs. Bring all the building toys out and let the kids build something together or create structures independently.
4. At the Movies – This is one of the easiest playdate ideas to pull off. Invite your child’s friends over to watch a favorite movie. Pop the corn and offer candy just like at the theater. Invite kids to dress like one of the characters or bring along a stuffed animal to watch, too.
Messy (Controlled) Mayhem
5. Rollin’ With My Lil Homies – Roll out butcher paper over a plastic tablecloth. Add globs of washable paint in different colors and put cars and other small toys on the paper. Then let the kids play in the paint with the toys. These other art activities would be fun playdate ideas, too!
6. Moldable Masterpieces – Set out various colors, along with rolling pins and cookie cutters. Let kids create works of art.
7. Contained Excitement – Add potting soil to several large plastic containers with lids. Add toy dinosaurs, action figures, shovels, cups, etc.
8. You’ve Been Slimed. – Provide ingredients for making slime. Unlike some of the other playdate ideas, little ones might need extra supervision for this one.
Pretend Play Ideas
9. It’s Coronation Day! – Or is it the Queen’s Ball? Either way, pull out the fancy costumes and crowns because everyone will need to dress the part.
10. Ahoy, There Cowboy! – Rope in your little ones to play cowboys or pirates (or both!). Set out eye patches, cowboy hats, and red bandanas. No costumes? No problem. Action figures or playsets work just as well, too. Serve up a pirate snack or one of these other cool snacks for kids, too.
11. What’s Up, Doc? – Open a vet clinic for the morning. Invite all children to bring a stuffed animal that doesn’t feel well. Then provide bandages and a toy doctor or vet kit for the little veterinarians.
12. 3-2-1 Blastoff – Nope. That’s not a blanket fort in the den. It’s a rocket ship headed to Mars. Or wait. It’s a supersonic jet just for superheroes flying in to save the day!
Backyard Playdate Ideas
13. Dinosaur Dig – Bury toy dinosaurs in a sandbox or in the yard and let the kids excavate them using toy shovels and paint brushes.
14. Toddler Pool Party – Your child and his friends will love a kiddie pool full of bath toys, bubbles, and each other. Throw in a hula hoop and see if they can make giant bubbles! This playdate will need extra adult supervision because of the water involved.
15. Outdoor Restaurant – Bring out the toy kitchen cookware or use disposable plates, bowls, and utensils, and invite the kids to make mudpies, grass salads, or some other pretend meal based on what they find in nature.
16. Rock On – Send kids on a backyard rock hunt. Give each child a bucket for all the rock treasures they find. Extend the playdate by painting some of the rocks found.
On the Driveway
17. Chalk the Course – Grab sidewalk chalk. Then, on your driveway, draw curvy roads, loop-de-loop roads, or straight paths to the mountains (or beach)! Then dump out the toy cars and let the kids drive around.
18. Cone-y Island – Pull out the little orange cones and create a driving course for those tricycles, scooters, or Big Wheels. Use chalk to make a few parking spots and destinations, such as the playground, a fast food restaurant, or an amusement park.
19. Portrait Mode – Invite each child to lie down on their backs so moms can use chalk to trace the outline of their bodies. Then, pass the chalk to the kids and let them color in the details.
What are your favorite playdate ideas that your kids love?
