Cheap and easy activities for kids to do at home using Painter’s tape!

As mom of a very busy toddler, I am always on the look out for fun and creative activities or crafts to keep my kids entertained, especially during playdates. One of my favorite materials to use for these activities is good ol’ masking tape. You most likely already have it at home, it’s inexpensive, and provides endless possibilities for fun and imagination play.

What’s the difference between masking tape and painter’s tape?

They are very similar and can both be used for these activities, but in general, painter’s tape is less likely to leave a sticky residue and is much easier to remove. It also comes in a variety of colors at your local stores such as blue, yellow or green. However, because we live in a world with just about every product imaginable, you can buy easy-to-remove masking tape in every color of the rainbow on Amazon.

On to the tape ideas… 😁

When you’re sitting at home trying to keep your toddlers or preschoolers entertained and learning on a budget, here you go! Break out the tape, because you’re about to have a lot of fun with your little munchkins.

1. Chore Sweep

My toddler loves to be involved when I’m trying to clean the house. As soon as I break out my broom, he’s there trying to take over. I’ve found a simple way to keep him busy using masking tape, pom poms, and a broom. Your children can be entertained and taught to sweep at the same time! If you don’t have pom poms, cotton balls are also a budget friendly choice. Simply instruct them to sweep in-between the lines.

Chore Sweep | A fun and easy activity for toddlers using painters or masking tape! Let them sweep pom poms into shapes you make on the floor with tape. So easy and fun! Plus, your little ones feel like they are involved with the chores. — You can make several size boxes or circles for your kids to sweep into to make this more challenging. You could even color code them with different tape colors and point values to help them learn their numbers and colors. By the way, the broom he’s using is from this toddler cleaning set.

2. Animal Rescue

This fun and simple idea is not only great for fine motor skills, it is also a creative way for small children to learn their animals and colors at the same time. Tape the animals to a table, floor, or your sliding glass door, and then sit back and watch as they try to release them from their captivity.

Are you looking for fun playdate ideas for your toddlers? Try using masking tape! This cheap and easy idea is great for busy stay at home moms on a budget. — This is a great way to get toddlers to focus for long periods of time. Get creative and tape small toys to walls, windows, cookie sheets, cardboard, or even the floor.

3. Ball Reach

If you have a ball pit at home, try this unique way of repurposing those balls! Simply tape them to the wall and quiz your kids on their colors. For instance, have them go grab all of the blue balls, and then red, yellow, green, etc. You can find these balls on Amazon, but I’ve also seen them at Walmart and Target. There are endless activities you can do with them, making them totally worth the investment.

4. Masking Tape Roads

Use painter’s tape or colorful masking tape to create roads on the floor all around the house. This will keep your kids busy on rainy days for hours, and to be honest, it was a lot of fun for me to make the roads and obstacles. Try to create challenging spaces for them to try to maneuver and fit their cars, trucks and tractors such as parking spaces, roundabouts, medians, buildings, etc.

5. Obstacle Course

Create an obstacle course in the hallway or in your living room using masking tape to mark boundaries. Encourage your children to crawl under, jump over, roll, and dodge around the obstacles. This is a great activity for improving coordination and gross motor skills. You’re going to see lots of giggles and smiles along the way!

6. Tape Mural

How’s the weather out there? Most of the activities listed above are great for rainy days, but this tape mural is a fun way to get creative and do something outside with the kids when the sun is shining. Using one of the many Amazon boxes you have lying around, create a mural using masking or painter’s tape. Tape up the broken down box to a fence and let your littles use their imagination at becoming the next Picasso. You can also do this on a smaller scale with card stock, small canvases, or even marble painting.

7. Indoor Hopscotch

Get your little ones running, jumping and hopping with the classic game of hopscotch! Not only is a fun way to keep them active indoors, it helps with improving their body control, coordination, strength, flexibility, and counting skills.

Indoor hopscotch using masking tape! A fun and easy way to keep toddlers and preschoolers active inside. — When making your hopscotch squares, consider the size of your child and try to make them age appropriate. 2 year olds can only hop so far!

8. DIY Ball Toss Game

A thrilling indoor game made with masking tape and paper plates! Your preschoolers are going to love this simple yet exciting activity. It kept my 3 year old and his older brother busy playing for hours. DIY Ball Toss Game Tutorial

Easy masking tape and paper plate craft to make a fun indoor activity for kids to play. A ball toss challenge! — Full Instructions: Homemade Ball Toss Game

Masking tape is a versatile and fun material for kids to use for so many activities and projects at home— the possibilities for imaginative play are endless! Whether you’re looking for a way to entertain your children on playdates, or just looking for a fun activity to do at home when your kids are bored, these cheap and easy ideas are sure to provide hours of entertainment for your busy toddlers and preschoolers.