Look around the room. You’re tired. It’s raining. The toys that cost you $50 are gathering dust in the corner, and your child is vibrating with energy that needs to go somewhere.
You don’t need a trip to the store, and you certainly don’t need craft glue. You need a laundry basket.
It is the unsung hero of indoor games for toddlers using household items. It’s a boat, a shell, a target, and a cage (for legal reasons, we’ll call it a “fort”). If you have an empty basket and a floor, you have an adventure park.
Here are 10 no prep toddler games you can deploy right now using the single most versatile object in your house.
1. The Carpet Sled
The Gist: If you have carpet, you have a luge track. This is laundry basket sledding at its finest.
The Setup: An empty laundry basket and a carpeted area (hallways work best).
How to Play: Have your child sit inside the basket, holding onto the rim. Push them fast down the hallway or spin them in circles.
Pro Tip: Save your lower back—tie a rope or a belt to the handle so you can pull them like a sled dog instead of hunching over.
2. The Heavy Hauler
The Gist: A “heavy work” game designed to calm chaos and burn energy quickly.
The Setup: Fill the basket with heavy items (books, jugs of water, or a sibling).
How to Play: Challenge your child to push the heavy basket from one wall to the other. Tell them they are a bulldozer clearing a landslide.
Pro Tip: Use this for laundry basket sensory play by asking them to push it “Slow like a turtle” and then “Fast like a racecar.”
3. Sock Ball Hoops
The Gist: Turn laundry day into the NBA finals with some laundry basket target practice.
The Setup: Place the basket on a chair or the floor. gather 5 pairs of rolled-up socks.
How to Play: Set a starting line using a pillow. The child tries to toss the socks into the basket.
Pro Tip: Too easy? Turn it into a moving target game where you hold the basket and run around the room while they try to score.
4. The High-Seas Drifter
The Gist: Imaginary play ideas come to life. The floor is shark-infested custard; the basket is the only safety.
The Setup: Child sits in the basket. Give them a broom or cardboard tube as a “paddle.”
How to Play: They must “row” their boat across the room without any body part touching the “water” (floor).
Pro Tip: Act as the Weather God. Yell “Storm coming!” and shake the basket gently to simulate high waves.
5. The Turtle Shell
The Gist: One of the funniest simple indoor games to watch.
The Setup: Flip the basket upside down.
The Mission: Have the child get on hands and knees with the basket over their back (like a shell). They must crawl to a destination without the shell falling off.
Pro Tip: Place a “treat” (a toy or snack) at the finish line to motivate the slow crawl.
6. The Spider Web Weave
The Gist: A quiet, fine-motor skill builder for when you need a break.
The Setup: You need a basket with holes in the sides and a long piece of yarn, ribbon, or a shoelace.
How to Play: Tie one end of the string to the basket. Challenge your child to thread the string through as many holes as possible to create a “web.”
Pro Tip: Wrap a small piece of tape around the end of the yarn to make a stiff “needle” so it’s easier for small hands to thread.
7. The Mystery Box
The Gist: A sensory excavation game that builds tactile skills.
The Setup: Fill the basket with blankets, pillows, or towels. Hide 3 distinct toys inside (e.g., a car, a block, a spoon).
How to Play: The child must reach in and find the specific object you call out using only their hands—no peeking!
Pro Tip: For older kids, blindfold them and ask them to guess what object they just pulled out.
8. The Mountain Pass
The Gist: The centerpiece of any laundry basket obstacle course.
The Setup: Flip the basket upside down in the middle of the room.
How to Play: This is a checkpoint. They must jump over it, crawl under it (if propped up), or run circles around it 3 times before moving to the next couch cushion.
Pro Tip: Combine this with “The Floor is Lava” rules—the basket is a safe rock they can stand on.
9. The Mouse Trap
The Gist: A game of suspense and reflexes. One of the best household item games for giggles.
The Setup: Prop one side of the upside-down basket up with a stick (or wooden spoon). Tie a string to the stick and hold the other end. Place a toy “bait” under the basket.
How to Play: The child tries to grab the bait before you pull the string and the basket “traps” their hand.
Pro Tip: Let them take a turn trapping you. Fake fear for maximum effect.
10. The Fortress of Solitude
The Gist: The ultimate laundry basket fort for a quiet reset.
The Setup: Flip the basket upside down. Drape a thick blanket over it so it’s dark inside.
How to Play: Hand them a flashlight or a glow stick and send them in for “cave exploration.”
Pro Tip: This is great for de-escalating a tantrum. It’s a calm, sensory-deprived space where they can reset their emotions.
Stop Scrolling. Start Playing.
You just learned 10 ways to use a piece of plastic to save your afternoon.
FunDad uses Computer Vision to scan your room and instantly generate games like these based on the objects you already have. No planning. No shopping. Just instant fun.
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