Fostering Independence: 8 Engaging Activities for Your 2-Year-Old While You Work from Home

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As a Teachers Pay Teachers author, I appreciate the ability to be able to work from home. I am able to work while also keeping my children home with me. Balancing work and parenting requires creativity and a bit of planning. Here are eight creative ways to keep your little one engaged and happy while you focus on your tasks.

1. Set Up a Kiddie Workspace:

Children love to imitate grown-ups. Designate a small corner with a mini desk and some crayons, papers, and play dough. While you work, your child can "work" alongside you, fostering a sense of independence and creativity.

I have a table similar to this one for my little ones: 

2. Sticker Play:

Offer a stack of stickers and a blank notebook. Your child can enjoy sticking stickers onto the pages, fostering their artistic expression and fine motor skills. Just be prepared for a sticker-covered masterpiece!

This set has over 1300 stickers to last for months (or weeks if your toddler is like mine) 

If you don't want stickers all over your furniture (which happens at our house), I recommend this set! The pieces are made of a static cling material, so they aren’t actually sticky. My son has one of the books from this set. It has a spot to match the animals, so there is a place to put them in the book for storage. 

3. Indoor Obstacle Course:

Set up a safe obstacle course using pillows, cushions, and furniture. Crawling, climbing, and balancing activities will not only entertain your child but also contribute to their motor skill development.

This folding slide would be a great addition to the obstacle course. We have a different style from the same company, and my son loves it! It’s a great way to get him moving around without me having to go outside and watch him on the playground.

We also have some stepping stones similar to these that my 2 year old and 4 year old enjoy (as well as my 11 year old).

4. Duplo Building:

Invest in large, toddler-friendly building blocks like Duplo. These blocks are easier for small hands to manipulate, and your child can enjoy constructing towers, houses, and imaginative structures independently.

My son is almost 26 months and just now getting into Duplos. Sometimes he gets frustrated when the blocks fall apart, but it does give me a little time to work. This set has an added benefit of a reusable storage case!

5. Playdoh Fun:

Give them playdough and some cookie cutters or plastic utensils for imaginative play.

This is one of my son’s favorite activities! We have quite a few different sets of Playdoh tools. This set is great because it offers a variety of different tools and has some storage space too.

6. Drawing Time:

Having a kid's drawing easel at home offers numerous benefits for your child's development and creativity. It provides a dedicated space for them to explore their artistic talents, fostering self-expression and imagination. The easel encourages fine motor skills as children manipulate drawing tools, aiding in their hand-eye coordination.

We have this easel and it gets a lot of use in our house! My toddler still puts things in his mouth, so I did have to take away a lot of the magnets since they were too small. 

I also switched out the markers for these.

7. Indoor Sports:

My son doesn’t always want to do a sitting activity. He loves being active. We have a few different sport activities that he can play with. He hasn’t quite learned the correct way to play with these yet because we haven’t taken too much time teaching him. Some of the sport toys we have are the Little Tikes T-Ball Set, Melissa & Doug Bowling Game, and a toddler golf set. 

8. Busy Bins:

Prepare a few "busy bins" filled with safe and age-appropriate toys like cars, Water Wow books, magna-tiles, etc. I plan on making a separate post with some of the activities we keep in ours. I use plastic shoe bins and they stay in the hallway where my son can't get to them so he doesn’t pull them all out at the same time. 

Remember, safety is paramount. Ensure that any activities you provide are age-appropriate and do not pose choking hazards. Additionally, always supervise your child's play, especially when small objects are involved. While these activities can offer you some focused work time, remember to take breaks and engage with your child intermittently to provide emotional connection and reassurance.

Independence is a valuable trait to cultivate in young children, and these activities can help nurture their sense of self-reliance while allowing you to fulfill your work responsibilities from home effectively.