Toddler activities with a tote bag
7 activities in the library use a tote bag, for toddlers aged 12 to 36 months: 5 starting 12–17 months, 1 starting 18–23 months and 1 starting from 24 months. A cloth bag for carrying, hiding and unpacking groceries or toys. It turns errands and outings into helping and naming games.
Updated
Tote bag: 7 activities to try
Safety: Keep handles short and never let a child put a strap around their neck.
7 activities
- Blanket Picnic Finger Lunch 12–22 months · 10–20 min · Outdoors · Calm Unpack a simple lunch from a tote bag onto a blanket outdoors so your child can sit, choose and finger-feed somewhere other than the high chair.
- Blanket Picnic Playdate 15–26 months · 10–20 min · Indoors or out · Calm Two toddlers share a picnic blanket, each with their own small bag of toys, then a seated snack, so playing near another child feels calm and safe.
- Grocery Tote Unpack 16–26 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Active Your child lifts soft, unbreakable groceries out of a tote bag one at a time and carries each to a low cupboard as you name it.
- Nature Tote Treasure Walk 16–28 months · 10–20 min · Outdoors · Active On a slow outdoor walk your child carries a tote bag, collects large safe finds and stops to show them to you, while you name each treasure.
- Tote Bag Fetch Mission 17–28 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Active You hold out a tote bag and ask for one familiar object at a time, without pointing, so your child practices following a simple spoken direction.
- Unpack the Shopping Tote 20–28 months · 5–12 min · Indoors or out · Active After an errand, your child helps unpack a cloth tote, showing what each safe item is for and carrying it to where it belongs.
- Mystery Tote Bag Guess 26–36 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Calm Hide familiar objects in a tote bag, let your child feel one and guess, then name it together as it comes out and swap roles.
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Tote Bag at a glance
| Activities | 7 |
|---|---|
| Ages covered (corrected) | 12–36 months |
| Focus time | 5–20 minutes |
| Main domains | 3 language, 2 practical life, 1 cognitive and 1 social-emotional |
| Where they happen | 3 indoors, 2 indoors or outdoors and 2 outdoors |
| Quickest start | Grocery Tote Unpack, 5–10 minutes |
Every activity with a tote bag
Sorted by the first month each one fits (corrected age for children born early). Quick picks: for a calm moment, Blanket Picnic Finger Lunch; to burn energy, Grocery Tote Unpack; with no prep at all, Unpack the Shopping Tote.
| Activity | Ages | Minutes | Domain | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blanket Picnic Finger Lunch | 12–22 months | 10–20 | Practical life | 5 min |
| Blanket Picnic Playdate | 15–26 months | 10–20 | Social-emotional | 5 min |
| Grocery Tote Unpack | 16–26 months | 5–10 | Practical life | 2 min |
| Nature Tote Treasure Walk | 16–28 months | 10–20 | Language | 2 min |
| Tote Bag Fetch Mission | 17–28 months | 5–10 | Language | 2 min |
| Unpack the Shopping Tote | 20–28 months | 5–12 | Cognitive | None |
| Mystery Tote Bag Guess | 26–36 months | 5–10 | Language | 2 min |
How each activity uses a tote bag
- Blanket Picnic Finger Lunch (finger feeding, 10–20 minutes): Lift the containers out of the tote one at a time, naming each: "Cheese. Pasta."
- Blanket Picnic Playdate (playing alongside others, 10–20 minutes): Spread the blanket in the shade and give each child their own bag with the same book and ball.
- Grocery Tote Unpack (household helping, 5–10 minutes): Take out anything heavy, glass, sharp or cold first, then set the tote on the floor.
- Nature Tote Treasure Walk (pointing to show, 10–20 minutes): Give your child a small tote bag and walk slowly at their pace somewhere green.
- Tote Bag Fetch Mission (following one-step directions, 5–10 minutes): Hold the tote bag open and say "Put the ball in the bag," keeping your hands still.
- Unpack the Shopping Tote (using objects the right way, 5–12 minutes): Hand them the bag and wait while they reach in and pull something out.
- Mystery Tote Bag Guess (naming things, 5–10 minutes): While your child watches, drop 4-5 familiar objects into a tote bag.
By age
12–17 months: 5 activities, 5–20 minutes. 18–23 months: 1 activity, 5–12 minutes. From 24 months: 1 activity, 5–10 minutes.
Starting 12–17 months
Starting 18–23 months
Starting from 24 months
Words that come up
Across these activities you will model “picnic”, “open”, “all gone”, “more”, “mine”, “yours”, “both”, “friend”, “bag”, “out”, “put away” and “heavy”. Say one at the moment it happens, then pause for your child's turn.
Safety with a tote bag
- Keep handles short and never let a child put a strap around their neck.
- Keep the load light.
Prep tips
- Put a few familiar objects inside for a guessing game.
- Let your child carry a light item home from the shop.
No tote bag? Use instead
- A small basket with a handle.
- A paper bag.
- A backpack.
Combine it with
A tote bag is most often paired with blanket (2 activities), plastic food containers (2 activities) and soft ball (2 activities). The skills practised most: naming things (4), household helping (3) and following one-step directions (2).
Often combined with
Skills practised
Frequently asked questions
What can a toddler do with a tote bag?
7 activities here use it, for example Blanket Picnic Finger Lunch (12–22 months), Blanket Picnic Playdate (15–26 months) and Grocery Tote Unpack (16–26 months).
Is a tote bag safe for toddlers?
Use it only with an adult close by. Keep handles short and never let a child put a strap around their neck. Keep the load light.
What can I use instead of a tote bag?
A small basket with a handle, a paper bag or a backpack can stand in for most of these activities.
What ages are activities with a tote bag for?
They cover 12–36 months of corrected age: 5 starting 12–17 months, 1 starting 18–23 months and 1 starting from 24 months.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.