The best activity for an active 2 year old in my opinion is sidewalk chalk!!! Brilliant for teaching them to write, increase fine motor skills & a LOT of fun. They start by using their shoulders, then the skill moves to elbow, then hand then fingers. You can draw shapes, they can jump in the shapes. I used to play for HOURS with the two little ones - can you jump into the pink circle, now hop in the green square. etc.

Activities in the house:

finger painting

gluing pieces of tissue paper on a piece of construction paper

making handprints

making crowns

making jello

stiring - great for fine motor skills

lacing games - where they lace large thick shoe lace around a teddy bear

puzzles

playdoh - SOOOO much fun, you can make snakes, animals, handprints etc

reading - A two year old I nannied for used to sit and be read to for
3-4 hours at a stretch, others can only take 15 minute sessions a few
times a day.

music - listen to music there are some very engaging and interractive children’s CD’s.

tracing her body on large brown paper and letting her decorate herself

a feelings book - cut out magazine picutres and glue them into a paper book you make with feelings

a food is fun book - same as above but cut out pictures of food and label them

washing fruit and veggies together (you may end up doing this just for fun)

making bubbles from scratch - very easy to do

baby massage

songs with finger motions - like 2 little birdies or this little piggy

folding tea towels and wash clothes- 2 and 3 year olds LOVE learning this skill - very proud of themselves, great for fine motor

Bathtub paints - brilliant way to spend 30 -45 minutes in the tub

Playdates - invite children S’s age over to play, at this age short playdates are good - 1-2 hours

Get a glokenspeal (sp?) and some cheap children’s instruments - play together to music or make your own music!

Garden:

Side walk chalk

blowing bubbles

obstacle course - brilliant for toddlers - put empty boxes on lawn and they go through them

a treasure hunt (we used to do this 1x a week)

plant flowers - get cheap things like pansies, brilliant for teaching about bring gentle, caring for things etc

watering plants

foot print in paint - making messy pictures

sing, sing, sing, dance, dance, dance

Outside of home:
A music class or gymnastics class -  The music classes are simply brilliant and help with
concentration.

Swim - swim, swim, swim- brilliant for bonding.

walk - go on a nature walk or a long 1-2 hr walk at the weekends, during the week go for a 30 minute walk when you are home from work/daycare.

Go to a local small plane airport and watch the planes - absolutely fascinating, fun, take a bagel and some strawberries and water and have a picnic watching them take off and land

Go to the train station and watch the trains

Go to the library - I believe you are never too young to go to the library - it’s free, it’s a great way to meet other mum’s with young kids and instil a love of reading. Often there are reading, singing programs too.