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15 Activities For 1 Year Olds At Home

 

The best part about being a 1 year old is that you can be entertained by some of the simplest things in life. If you're looking for some fun activities for your 1 year olds that are educational and great for development, look no further! You won't need to buy any fancy gadgets or supplies to create one-of-a-kind experiences and lasting memories with your little one.

 

Here are 15 fun things you can do with your one year old at home. Some are old favorites, like reading and playing with blocks, while others may be new to you, like reading books and playing games. The best part is that they cost almost nothing and will keep your one year old engaged and happy. Enjoy!

 

Splash!

Another great way to have fun with your 1-year-old is a splash party. You'll need a bathtub or pool, as well as some water toys like plastic cups, buckets, and spoons. A towel for drying off afterward is also crucial. You can go the traditional route and play "Splish Splash," or you can use music to get your little one moving in the bathtub! This is an activity that requires two hands (and two feet), so if your child isn't walking yet, it might be best not to do this activity until she does. As always with any child's safety: check on them frequently—it's hard for even the smallest of children not to slip under water if they're not being watched!

If you don't have access to a pool or bath tub but still want some fun in the sun? Try creating your own Slip 'N Slide by laying down sheets along a grassy area and sprinkling them with water from buckets! Be sure there are no trees overhead so branches do not fall onto the slide while someone slides down it; also make sure that there aren't any rocks or sticks on either side of where people will be sliding into traffic areas (sidewalks).

Play telephone.

It's a classic game for a reason: It lets you set up your own playdates with friends or family members, and it teaches your child that words don't always have to be said out loud for them to convey meaning. For example, if your toddler asks you for an apple, instead of saying "no" (which might lead him to believe that he can't have any apples), try playing along by saying something like "He's so hungry! Here's an apple." Your little one will understand that even though you didn't say the word "no," he still knows what it means because you're letting him know how much food he needs after playing outside all morning.

Read a book.

• Read to your child every day.

• Read in a calm and soothing voice.

• Read in a quiet place with no distractions.

• Use books with lots of pictures.

Play dress-up.

There's no better time than now to start your child on the path toward dressing up as a grown-up. But don't let the name fool you; this activity isn't just for kids who are going to be living the high life in a few years. It can help with self-expression, creative play, and practice using different types of clothing items.

There are many ways you can dress up your child at home: You may have an entire room devoted to costume play that they're allowed access to only when they're dressed up in their favorite attire from The Nutcracker or The Sound of Music (these are actual costumes I've seen in my neighborhood). If this isn't feasible for your space or budget, simply find some hats, scarves and other accessories around the house—perhaps even some purses—and encourage them to put them on!

Make your own book.

You can make your own book from a magazine or photo album.

• Use an old, discarded magazine to make a book about your child's favorite things or people, such as his favorite food or animal.

• Cut out pictures of the items and paste them onto the pages of a blank book with glue stick (you can also use tape). Write captions underneath each picture if desired, then cut off excess paper around each picture so they're not hanging off the edge of their page too much—this will make it easier for you and your child to turn pages later on!

• When you're done making this first "book", take another look at what other magazines might work well for future books—for example, maybe they have lots of pictures related to airplanes? Or trains? And so on...

                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                    

Water painting.

This activity is very similar to finger painting, except that the paint is thicker and dries more quickly on the page. The best way to do this is with a plastic bowl and watercolor paint. You can use a paintbrush or sponge to apply color, or use your fingers as well!

If you want to get super fancy with it, get yourself some watercolor paper and take advantage of its larger size!

Dance!

Dance!

This one is so simple, yet so effective. Turn on some music and let your child dance to it. Or if you know how to play an instrument (and have kids who are too young for piano lessons), make up songs that incorporate fun words and rhymes for the little ones to repeat over and over again.

Hide and seek with flashlights.

1-year-olds love to play hide and seek. They also love flashlights. Put two and two together, and you've got a fun way to keep your little one entertained for hours!

• Hide in a dark room with a flashlight.

• Hide in a dark room with a blanket over your head so they can't see where you are.

Bring out the blocks.

Blocks are a great way to teach your child about size and shape, so they're a natural fit for your one-year-old. You can use the blocks to create a house or castle, as well as encourage your child to stack them up in different orders and patterns.

You may have heard it said that you need to keep an eye on younger children who play with blocks because they could choke on them. That's true if you don't supervise closely, but it's not an issue if you do watch them closely.

Finger painting.

Finger painting is a fun activity for 1 year olds. It's also a great way to help kids learn how to hold a crayon the right way and develop their fine motor skills.

You'll just need some paper, paint, and your child's favorite finger (or thumb) paints!

Stomp on shaving cream.

Stomping on shaving cream is a fun activity for 1 year olds. Shaving cream is a good sensory activity because it's soft and squishy and easy to clean up. It's also inexpensive and available at most grocery stores.

Bubble wrap art.

This is one of my all-time favorite activities with my toddler, and it's one of the few things that can keep him occupied for more than 10 minutes at a time. He loves to pop the bubbles and then use them for various art projects. You can use them to create shapes or pictures, words or animals, faces—you name it! We've even used this as part of his bath time routine: we draw a picture on some paper beforehand (he loves tracing) then let him fill in the bubbles with water once he's done drawing. The only downside? It takes longer than expected to clean up afterwards because there are so many little pieces everywhere!

"Bubble wrap" play time.

• Take some bubble wrap from the toy box, and put it in a low-sided bowl or basket.

• Encourage your child to pop the bubbles with their hands (and feet). This is another great activity for little ones who enjoy making noise!

Outside sidewalk chalk play.

When it comes to outdoor play, sidewalk chalk is your best friend. Not only is it easy to make yourself (you just need white, brown and black paint), but you can use it on any surface. The great thing about sidewalk chalk is that the colors are usually very vibrant and the kids will be able to see the pictures better than if you were using markers or crayons.

When you’re done drawing pictures outside with your toddler there are still many fun ways for them to play. Here are some ideas:

• Hopscotch – hop on one foot from one square to another

• Tic Tac Toe – draw a grid on a sidewalk or cement driveway with chalk and let your child play tic tac toe against themselves

• Tag - draw numbers 1-10 in addition with dots along one edge of a driveway or sidewalk

There are lots of really fun activities for 1 year olds that you can do using simple supplies and materials from around the house!

It's important to keep things simple as you plan these activities for your toddler. You can make them do this activity at home with a few materials and supplies from around the house.

For example, if you have some old cardboard boxes, you can use them to create a play kitchen for your little one! If you have an old dresser that doesn't match the décor in your bedroom anymore, consider turning it into a pretend garage for kids (just like I did). If your little one loves playing with cars and trucks then creating their own driveway or street will be fun! They'll love helping other people park their vehicles safely on their streets while also learning how to share items with others.

We hope you've enjoyed these activities for 1 year olds and had a great time playing with your little one! Remember that play is very important for children at this age and there's no need to stress about doing "the right" thing or following a specific curriculum. The most important thing is to have fun together!