Toddler activities with a muffin tin
4 activities in the library use a muffin tin, for toddlers aged 13 to 36 months: 2 starting 12–17 months and 2 starting from 24 months. Its row of cups is ready-made for sorting, counting, hiding and matching. It is heavy enough to stay put and easy to wipe clean.
Updated
Muffin tin: 4 activities to try
Safety: Check that the edges are smooth, not bent or sharp.
4 activities
- One Sock Ball per Cup 13–22 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Calm Your toddler drops rolled-up adult socks into the cups of a muffin tin, one per cup, hearing 'one', 'another' and 'full' as the tin fills.
- Muffin Tin Snack Hunt 16–26 months · 5–12 min · Indoors · Calm At a seated snack, pieces of soft food hide under covers in a muffin tin; your child lifts the covers to find them, mixing search with self-feeding.
- Melting Color Ice Pucks 27–36 months · 8–15 min · Indoors or out · Calm Colored ice pucks frozen in a muffin tin melt on a baking sheet while your toddler pushes them around, watching colors spread, mix and shrink.
- Spoon, Sponge or Colander? 28–36 months · 8–15 min · Outdoors · Calm Your child tries to move water into a muffin tin with a spoon, a sponge and a colander, and discovers which tools carry water and which do not.
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Muffin Tin at a glance
| Activities | 4 |
|---|---|
| Ages covered (corrected) | 13–36 months |
| Focus time | 5–15 minutes |
| Main domains | 2 cognitive and 2 early concepts |
| Where they happen | 2 indoors, 1 indoors or outdoors and 1 outdoors |
| Quickest start | One Sock Ball per Cup, 5–10 minutes |
Every activity with a muffin tin
Sorted by the first month each one fits (corrected age for children born early).
| Activity | Ages | Minutes | Domain | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Sock Ball per Cup | 13–22 months | 5–10 | Early concepts | 2 min |
| Muffin Tin Snack Hunt | 16–26 months | 5–12 | Cognitive | 2 min |
| Melting Color Ice Pucks | 27–36 months | 8–15 | Early concepts | 5 min |
| Spoon, Sponge or Colander? | 28–36 months | 8–15 | Cognitive | 5 min |
How each activity uses a muffin tin
- One Sock Ball per Cup (counting, 5–10 minutes): Roll adult socks into tight balls and set the muffin tin on the floor.
- Muffin Tin Snack Hunt (finding hidden objects, 5–12 minutes): Seat your child at the table and put a few soft snack pieces in two or three cups of a muffin tin.
- Melting Color Ice Pucks (colors and shapes, 8–15 minutes): The night before, half-fill muffin cups with water, add a drop of blue or yellow food coloring to each, and freeze.
- Spoon, Sponge or Colander? (using objects the right way, 8–15 minutes): Set a shallow basin of water beside an empty muffin tin and stay within arm's reach.
By age
12–17 months: 2 activities, 5–12 minutes. From 24 months: 2 activities, 8–15 minutes.
Starting 12–17 months
Starting from 24 months
Words that come up
Across these activities you will model “one”, “another”, “full”, “all done”, “where?”, “empty”, “more”, “found it!”, “cold”, “melting”, “blue” and “green”. Say one at the moment it happens, then pause for your child's turn.
Safety with a muffin tin
- Check that the edges are smooth, not bent or sharp.
- Keep any items in the cups larger than a toilet-paper tube opening.
Prep tips
- Put a sock or ball in some cups and leave others empty for hiding games.
- Use a silicone muffin tray if you want something lighter and quieter.
No muffin tin? Use instead
- An egg carton.
- An ice cube tray for bigger pieces.
- A few small bowls in a row.
Combine it with
A muffin tin is most often paired with baking sheet (1 activity), colander (1 activity) and plastic food containers (1 activity). The skills practised most: cause and effect (1), colors and shapes (1) and counting (1).
Often combined with
Skills practised
Frequently asked questions
What can a toddler do with a muffin tin?
4 activities here use it, for example One Sock Ball per Cup (13–22 months), Muffin Tin Snack Hunt (16–26 months) and Melting Color Ice Pucks (27–36 months).
Is a muffin tin safe for toddlers?
Use it only with an adult close by. Check that the edges are smooth, not bent or sharp. Keep any items in the cups larger than a toilet-paper tube opening.
What can I use instead of a muffin tin?
An egg carton, an ice cube tray for bigger pieces or a few small bowls in a row can stand in for most of these activities.
What ages are activities with a muffin tin for?
They cover 13–36 months of corrected age: 2 starting 12–17 months and 2 starting from 24 months.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.