I've discovered how to entertain a 2-year-old at home by rotating these simple ideas throughout the day.​

How to entertain a 2-year-old at home: At a glance

1. Play interactive screen games

2. Music and dance parties

3. Sensory bins

4. Water play at the sink or tub

5. Indoor obstacle course

6. Sticker walls and dot markers

7. Simple scavenger hunts

8. Pretend play and dress-up

9. Reading piles of picture books

10. Playdough and Playdough “invitations”

11. Simple art and coloring

12. Helping with “real” chores

13. Building with blocks and magnets

14. Quiet solo play baskets

15. Reset with outdoor breaks when possible

1. Play interactive screen games

TV time for a 2-year-old works best when it is short, supervised, and interactive, with lots of singing, talking, and movement.

I treat certain shows or games as joint activities instead of “babysitters.” It allows me to stay close so my toddler can copy the motions, repeat words, and stay engaged.​

One of my favorite options here is CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ on the Volley Games app (LG, Samsung, Fire TV).

It turns familiar songs into mini games that ask kids to sing, move, and respond with their voices. I put it up on the Samsung Smart TV, and we join JJ inside interactive stories, sing classics like BINGO, and explore look-and-find scenes together.

My toddler loves it and remains active the entire time instead of passively watching.​

2. Music and dance parties

Toddlers naturally respond to music, so putting on a short playlist and dancing together is one of the fastest ways I know to reset a grumpy mood. I layer in actions like jumping, spinning, clapping, and freezing when the music stops. This builds coordination and listening skills without feeling like “work.”

When I want to lean into sing-alongs, I turn on CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ in the Volley Games app. My toddler follows along with Wheels on the Bus, acting out the spinning wheels, opening doors, and beeping the horn as he sings and moves along.

3. Sensory bins

A basic sensory bin (like dry rice, pasta, or water with a few cups and spoons) can hold a 2-year-old’s attention far longer than it looks like it should.

I keep mine as low-mess as possible with a big plastic bin on a towel. I let my toddler scoop, pour, and bury small toys while we talk about “full, empty, big, small,” and different textures.​

4. Water play at the sink or tub

On days when nothing works, letting my toddler “wash” plastic dishes or toys in a small tub or at the sink feels like magic. I add a tiny bit of soap, a sponge, and a towel on the floor and stay close so we can name bubbles, count cups, and talk about hot versus cold in a safe, supervised way.​

5. Indoor obstacle course

A simple obstacle course gives 2-year-olds a way to burn energy indoors. I typically build one out of couch cushions, a taped “balance beam” line, and a laundry basket to keep it something they can jump in and out of.

I like to turn it into a silly story, asking my toddler to pretend we are hopping over “lava” and crawling through “tunnels” to rescue stuffed animals at the end.​ My 4-year-old loves this stuff too.

6. Sticker walls and dot markers

If I tape a big sheet of paper to the wall and set out stickers or dot markers, my toddler suddenly has a vertical canvas to fill. I sit beside them and ask them to “find the red dot” or “put a sticker on the circle,” which sneaks in color and shape practice while their hands stay busy.​

7. Simple scavenger hunts

Scavenger hunts do not need fancy printables at this age. A quick list like “find something blue, something soft, something that makes noise” is often enough.

Make your home feel like a place they want to explore.​ I walk around the house with my toddler, celebrate every find, and sometimes draw little pictures of objects for them to match so they can “read” their list.​

8. Pretend play and dress-up

At 2 years old, pretend play really starts to come alive, so I keep 1 small bin of dress-up pieces, hats, and simple props like a toy doctor kit or play food.

I follow my toddler’s lead, pretending to be the patient, the customer, or the baby, and I notice that role play opens up new words and funny little stories.​

9. Reading piles of picture books

When I need both of us to slow down, I grab a stack of picture books and let my toddler choose which one comes next. Sometimes we read the words, and sometimes I just talk about the pictures, ask, “Where is the dog?” or let them turn pages as fast or as slowly as they want.​

10. Playdough and Playdough “invitations”

Playdough is an easy win, especially when I pair it with a few tools like cookie cutters, a plastic knife, or animal toys to make footprints. I like to set out a simple “invitation” on a tray, such as rolling “snakes” or hiding small objects inside for them to find and squish out.​​

11. Simple art and coloring

For art time, I keep it very simple:

• Chunky crayons
• Washable markers
• Big paper

Sometimes, I'll swap out big paper for a roll of paper on the floor that my toddler can walk along while coloring.

I talk about lines, circles, and colors, and I do not worry about finished projects. The goal is letting them explore, scribble, and make their own “masterpieces.”

12. Helping with “real” chores

Letting a 2-year-old help with real tasks like putting laundry in the basket or transferring socks from the washer to the dryer makes them feel important. I frame it as a game, saying, “Can you find all the tiny socks?” which turns chores into connection time instead of one more thing on my to-do list.​

13. Building with blocks and magnets

Blocks, chunky puzzles, and magnetic tiles are perfect for short building bursts. I join in by saying, “Let’s build a tall tower and see if it falls” or “Can you match this shape?” I love watching my toddler experiment with stacking, sorting, and knocking things down over and over.​

14. Quiet solo play baskets

When I want to encourage independent play, I put together small baskets with 2 or 3 items:

• Some board books
• Simple puzzle
• Small car and people set
• Fat crayons and a small notepad
• Set of animal figures
• Mini block or magnet tile set
• Soft toy with a blanket to “put to bed”

I sit nearby but do not lead, and over time, my toddler learns to dive into those baskets on their own when they need a little quiet time.​

15. Reset with outdoor breaks when possible

Even on homebody days, stepping outside for 10 to 15 minutes to collect leaves or stomp in puddles makes a huge difference in my toddler’s mood.

I think of it as a reset button. After we run around or explore the yard, it is much easier to come back inside and settle into quieter activities again.​

Why simple, rotating activities work

At the age of 2, kids learn through repetition, sensory input, and short, focused bursts of play. This often makes a big, complicated setup turn out worse than a simple bin or song you can repeat.

Rotating a few favorite activities throughout the day keeps things feeling fresh without forcing you to be a full-time cruise director.​

When deciding how to entertain a 2-year-old, start with what you can set up in 5 minutes or less, and build a small “toolkit” of ideas you know your child loves. On tough days, I lean on my easiest wins, and when we both have more energy, I add in pretend games.

Volley Games’ answer to entertaining a 2-year-old

Our advice on how to entertain a 2-year-old is to check out CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ on the Volley Games app for smart TVs.

It's a voice-powered TV game that gets little ones singing, clapping, and moving along to favorites like Wheels on the Bus, BINGO, and more, right from your living room.

Each mini game mixes active play and learning, so your toddler practices rhythm, words, and listening while you sing and act out songs together.

The Volley Games app is not limited to games for 2-year-olds. We have an entire growing catalog of trivia and party games ready to go for all ages:

• Jeopardy! for classic quiz-show-style questions you can shout out from the couch
• Song Quiz for fast music trivia that lets everyone race to name the tune
• Wheel of Fortune on Roku for high-energy word puzzles you can solve together
• Karaoke on Roku for turning the living room into a sing-along stage for family performances

Download the Volley Games app to start your 7-day free trial on Fire TV or Roku, or power it up on Samsung and LG smart TVs so your whole family can join in.

FAQs

What is the best activity to entertain my 2-year-old?

In my experience, the best way to entertain your 2-year-old is to switch between simple, hands-on play and a short interactive screen session using the Volley Games app. CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ (Fire TV, Samsung, LG) is my favorite because it turns beloved songs into active sing-alongs instead of passive watching.

How can I download the Volley Games app on my smart TV?

You can download the Volley Games app on your smart TV (Fire TV, LG, Samsung) by opening the TV’s app store, searching for “Volley,” and installing the app. After installing, I like to pin it to my home screen so starting CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ or Jeopardy! is as easy as grabbing the remote.

What about 2-year-olds with short attention spans?

If you worry about a 2-year-old with a short attention span, the most helpful approach is to plan for frequent activity switches rather than fighting it. I rotate quick ideas like sensory bins, books, and a CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ song or two. Remember to stop when your toddler is still happy, so they're excited to come back later.

Is TV use safe for a 2-year-old?

Whether TV consumption is safe for a 2-year-old depends on how you use it, so I treat it as a shared activity. You should keep sessions short and choose interactive options like CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ on Volley. It allows for singing, moving, and talking together instead of just staring at the screen.