Recently a reader asked me for some ideas for play activities for a 1 year old.
My plan was to give her the link to one of my articles, and then I realized that I haven’t actually written anything specific about this topic.
I do have an article called The Best Learning Toys For Babies To Encourage Language Development, which is geared to 6–24 month old’s, but it is specific to toys that will help with your child’s development.
So, I decided it was time to write a more specific article geared towards play and a 1 year old because if one person is looking for fun ways to play with their 1 year old then I am sure others are looking for this information as well.
Luckily 1 year olds are easily entertained! By the end of this article you may be saying to yourself “wow, these ideas are so simple, why didn’t I think of that”.
Some of these activities will require your involvement while others can be done by your little one independently.
It is good to encourage independent play from a young age so that your child can build problem solving skills, reasoning and independence.
For the activities that require your involvement make sure to provide your little one with a language rich experience.
Talk about what you are doing and label the objects you are using!
A child’s vocabulary and early language skills are one of the best indicators of future success.
Simple Play Activities For A 1 Year Old!
Fun With A Cardboard Box
Cardboard Crumple and Toss
- Find a cardboard box that is open at the top.
- Get some tissue paper and crumple it into balls. Have your little one do this with you.
- Then start throwing the crumpled tissue paper into the box.
- Talk about what you are doing “throw it IN the box” “let’s take it OUT of the box”.
Cardboard Car
- Let your child sit in a large box and push them around the house making sounds.
- Talk about driving and crash gently into a wall: “uh oh!”
- Hand over some crayons and let them decorate.
- No box? Use a laundry basket!
Cardboard Hide and Seek
- Turn a cardboard box upside down.
- Hide a toy under it and ask “uh oh, where did _____ go?”
- Let your child demonstrate object permanence.
Cardboard Car Ramp
- Create a ramp with cardboard.
- Let your child push toy cars down.
- Talk about “up the ramp” and “down the ramp”.
Ball Pit
- Let them sit and giggle in a ball pit.
- Or use a pack n play and throw in balls.
- Help clean up and name colors.
- Practice getting balls into a basket.
Finger Plays
- Sing “This Little Piggy”, “5 Little Ducks”, etc.
- Let your child follow actions.
- Helps build language, motor skills, memory.
Fun With A Muffin Tin
- Use a muffin tin and plastic balls.
- Shake, dump, gather, and repeat.
- Repetition builds learning.
Cookie Sheet and Shaving Cream
- Use shaving cream on a tray under supervision.
- Let them draw with fingers.
- If not comfortable, use mousse or pureed food.
Finger Painting With Food
- Use baby food or purée.
- Put on paper and let them paint.
- Narrate textures and colors.
- Great for picky eaters!
Read Together
- Not quite play, but loved by 1 year olds.
- Wait for calm moments.
- Build language and bond.
- Use repetitive books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
Talk about the pictures in the books.
Label simple words such as animal names and common objects.
Ask your child questions that you feel she can answer through pointing or words.
For example “where is the cat?” Your child can either point to the cat or say “there” or “cat” while pointing.
If you are using a book with repetitive words and it’s a book your child is familiar with, pause before saying one of the words that is frequently repeated.
See if your child will try to say the word herself.
Make sure to check out the Indestructible book series.
These books can be pulled, chewed and drooled on and they will survive.
Many of the books in the series have only pictures (no words) so you can tell your child new stories each time you “read” these books together.
Disappearing Act
This is similar to the cardboard box turned upside down but you use a clear container instead.
It needs to be a container that is fairly wide at the top because you want to cover the bottom half of the container with paper so that you can only see in through the top half.
Place a pompom or any other small object into the container and then put the lid back on.
Watch as your young child is amazed as the pompom “disappears” into the bottom of the container and then reappears when he turns the container around.
For full instructions with pictures, click here.
Salad Spinner Frenzy
play activities for a 1 year old salad spinner
I have to admit that when my children were around 7 and 9 they pulled the salad spinner out themselves and got pretty creative with it!
So a one year old should be fascinated for quite some time.
All you need is a salad spinner and some items to go in it (small toys, cotton balls, play food, pompoms, ball pit balls, etc.)
Model placing items into the salad spinner.
Name each item that you are putting in, assuming they are toys and not cotton balls or pompoms, although you could label these as “ball”.
Then put the lid on top and show your little one how to either spin the handle or push it down (depending on the type you have).
Say “push” and “spin” during this activity.
Keep repeating it with different items.
Activities for One Year Old’s Do Not Need To Be Complicated!
As you can see, there are so many simple activities that will amuse a young child.
Most of the ones I discussed can be quickly put together with household items, so you can put your wallet away!
I am sure based on this list you will be able to come up with even more ideas on your own.
Remember, what may seem simplistic and boring to an adult is a great learning experience for a baby and toddler!
