Toddler activities with an unbreakable mirror
4 activities in the library use an unbreakable mirror, for toddlers aged 15 to 30 months: 2 starting 12–17 months and 2 starting 18–23 months. A shatterproof mirror lets a toddler watch their own face and body, which makes it a natural place for feelings faces, body-part games, peekaboo and copying your expressions.
Updated
Unbreakable mirror: 4 activities to try
Safety: Use a shatterproof acrylic mirror, never glass, and fix it securely low on the wall or furniture.
4 activities
- Nose-to-Nose Mirror Game 15–26 months · 3–7 min · Indoors · Calm In front of a mirror you touch and name one body part, pause, and let your child find it on their own face, then on yours.
- Mirror Feelings Faces 17–28 months · 3–6 min · Indoors · Calm At a mirror you make one feelings face at a time, name it and pause, so your child can copy the expression and link it to a word.
- Big Kid Leads the Mirror Dance 18–30 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Active An older sibling, cousin or neighbor leads simple dance moves in front of a mirror, and your toddler watches and copies another child rather than an adult.
- Sticky Note Body Spots 19–30 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Calm Press a sticky note onto your child's knee, hand or shoulder, name the spot together and let them peel it off, then swap roles in the mirror.
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Unbreakable Mirror at a glance
| Activities | 4, 2 on the low-prep menu |
|---|---|
| Ages covered (corrected) | 15–30 months |
| Focus time | 3–10 minutes |
| Main domains | 2 language and 2 social-emotional |
| Where they happen | 4 indoors |
| Quickest start | Mirror Feelings Faces, 3–6 minutes |
Every activity with an unbreakable mirror
Sorted by the first month each one fits (corrected age for children born early). Quick picks: for a calm moment, Nose-to-Nose Mirror Game; to burn energy, Big Kid Leads the Mirror Dance; with no prep at all, Mirror Feelings Faces.
| Activity | Ages | Minutes | Domain | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nose-to-Nose Mirror Game | 15–26 months | 3–7 | Language | None |
| Mirror Feelings Faces | 17–28 months | 3–6 | Social-emotional | None |
| Big Kid Leads the Mirror Dance | 18–30 months | 5–10 | Social-emotional | None |
| Sticky Note Body Spots | 19–30 months | 5–10 | Language | 2 min |
How each activity uses an unbreakable mirror
- Nose-to-Nose Mirror Game (body parts, 3–7 minutes): Sit with your child in front of a mirror so you can both see your faces.
- Mirror Feelings Faces (naming feelings, 3–6 minutes): Sit with your child in front of the mirror at a calm, happy time, never in the middle of a meltdown.
- Big Kid Leads the Mirror Dance (copying other children, 5–10 minutes): Stand both children side by side facing the mirror and start singing a familiar song.
- Sticky Note Body Spots (body parts, 5–10 minutes): Sit in front of a mirror and press a sticky note on your child's knee.
By age
12–17 months: 2 activities, 3–7 minutes. 18–23 months: 2 activities, 5–10 minutes.
Starting 12–17 months
Starting 18–23 months
Words that come up
Across these activities you will model “nose”, “eyes”, “where's your...?”, “there it is!”, “happy”, “sad”, “surprised”, “face”, “clap”, “stomp”, “spin” and “stop”. Say one at the moment it happens, then pause for your child's turn.
Safety with an unbreakable mirror
- Use a shatterproof acrylic mirror, never glass, and fix it securely low on the wall or furniture.
- Check that there are no loose suction cups or small parts at the back.
Prep tips
- Hang or prop the mirror at your child's eye level when sitting on the floor.
- Sit behind your child so you both appear in the mirror together.
No unbreakable mirror? Use instead
- The reflection in a dark window at night.
- A shiny stainless-steel pot lid.
- Family photos of faces.
Combine it with
An unbreakable mirror is most often paired with sticky notes (1 activity). The skills practised most: imitating actions (3), body parts (2) and action songs (1).
Often combined with
Skills practised
Frequently asked questions
What can a toddler do with an unbreakable mirror?
4 activities here use it, for example Nose-to-Nose Mirror Game (15–26 months), Mirror Feelings Faces (17–28 months) and Big Kid Leads the Mirror Dance (18–30 months). 2 are on the low-prep menu: no prep and 10 minutes or less.
Is an unbreakable mirror safe for toddlers?
Use it only with an adult close by. Use a shatterproof acrylic mirror, never glass, and fix it securely low on the wall or furniture. Check that there are no loose suction cups or small parts at the back.
What can I use instead of an unbreakable mirror?
The reflection in a dark window at night, a shiny stainless-steel pot lid or family photos of faces can stand in for most of these activities.
What ages are activities with an unbreakable mirror for?
They cover 15–30 months of corrected age: 2 starting 12–17 months and 2 starting 18–23 months.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.