Activities for 1 Year Olds: Essential for Growth and Learning

At the 12-month age point, your baby is making progress in standing on their own, walking a little, and speaking some words or phrases. They are growing quickly, ready to take on new experiences and play more engaging games. To keep up with their curiosity and vibrancy, you’ll need to find some fun activities that are just right for them. In this article, we’ll cover exciting activities for 1 year olds that combine educational and recreational purposes.

Introduction to Engaging Learning Opportunities for 1-Year-Olds

In only a year, your baby has grown from a helpless infant to an independent little person. At this time, they undergo drastic changes that manifest in many milestones. Your 12-month-old baby starts to gain skills that allow them to attain some freedom, and you’ll likely begin to notice their personality develop. During this important stage, your task as a parent is to provide the opportunity to explore this world. The best way to do it is by introducing fun activities for 1 year olds.

Understanding the Developmental Needs of 1-Year-Olds

At age one, toddlers are growing and changing every day. They are looking for new experiences and crave freedom of movement. It’s important not to deprive your baby of exploring new things (maintaining their safety at the same time) and to give them enough space to get familiar with the environment. 

As your 12-month-old explores, they become good at crawling, standing, and grabbing objects. That shows their level of mobility and hand coordination. It’s a perfect time to introduce them to learning activities for 1 year, which can help them gain the necessary knowledge appropriate for their age.

In their little minds, they’re starting to understand how things work. For instance, they might figure out that pushing a button makes a toy make noise. And they’re starting to get the hang of simple words and gestures, which sets the stage for learning to talk.

On the emotional level, babies at this age start to deal with their feelings and show what they want. Occasionally, they might get upset when they’re away from their parents. However, they also start to be inclined to do some things independently.

All in all, knowing how to promote good behavior, assist your baby in exploring their surroundings, and allow them to be a bit dirty can help you enjoy this transitioning period to toddlerhood.

Educational Baby Games for One Year Olds

Your kid is eager to know, touch, and try everything. As a parent, you need to focus on stimulating their developing senses and motor skills while fostering curiosity and learning. In this case, choosing an age-appropriate educational plan is important. Adopting activities for a one year old baby in their daily routine is extremely beneficial.

Educational exercises for kids of this age should stimulate their growing senses and motor abilities, while encouraging a thirst for knowledge. Games that include identifying objects or animals from picture books can promote language comprehension and vocabulary expansion. In addition, musical toys and exercises, like clapping along to songs, encourage rhythm awareness and auditory discernment. 

Playtime can have features of learning activities for 1 year olds. Hide toys or other baby-safe materials beneath a towel or blanket. Ask your kid to find it and assist them if they need it by taking it out and saying, “Here it is!” Basically, this teaches your toddler that even if they can’t see something, they shouldn’t assume it’s gone forever.

When your baby shows you that they want some toy or another object, answer them by picking it out and discussing it. For instance, if they point to a doll, you may respond, “Do you want your doll? Here’s your doll!” By identifying things your baby is interested in, you help them develop their cognitive abilities.

Fine Motor Skill Activities for One Year Olds

Between the ages of one and two, your kid improves their ability to stack items and control them with both hands. Fine motor exercises can help strengthen a child’s finger and hand muscles. These training sessions are vital because they develop the abilities that will later be needed to button clothes, tie shoes, and write with pencils.

Simple Sorting Games

When choosing play activities for 1 year old, it’s better to start with the basics. The following simple sorting games help your kid be engaged and process and learn how to navigate their little hands and fingers:

• Color. The easiest categorization task is to divide two colors into two piles. For instance, encourage your toddler to sit at the table and ask them to sort out red and blue blocks, laying them on the corresponding papers.
• Quantity. Mark the sorting container with numbers and ask your baby to insert the right amount of little balls in each spot.
• Size. One simple method to get started is to arrange a small and big box on the floor. Ask your child to put anything that doesn’t fit in the tiny box into the large box.

Learning for 1 year olds with these basic sorting games benefits your kid in a number of ways. First, by holding and positioning items, they hone their abilities in controlled movements. They also help children learn how to identify and categorize things based on their similarities. These games can also contribute to hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills as well. As a result, your child receives a fun learning experience that helps them develop and be engaged.

Grasping and Manipulating

There are many things to do with 1 year old for promoting fine motor skills. To help your one-year-old develop hand skills, it’s great to engage them with various toys that have different textures, sizes, and shapes. Soft blocks or building blocks are fantastic options that can be easily handled and stacked. 

To let your kid explore new sensations, introduce toys with interesting textures. Don’t forget about nesting cups or containers. They are good for engaging in filling and emptying activities while promoting hand-eye coordination. Make sure to keep an eye on your child for safety and enjoyment as they dive into playtime.

Fun Things to Do with a 1 Year Old Baby: Creative Arts and Crafts

Babies at this age are super curious to gain new experiences with unfamiliar materials. It’s a perfect time to show your little one the miracle of combining different colors, painting, and creating beautiful artwork by hand.

Homemade Play Dough Fun

How to entertain a 1 year old and encourage them to learn? Make modeling clay or salt dough. With this activity, your child will use a fresh and creative way to explore shape changes under hand pressure. As an added benefit, play dough promotes your kid’s fine motor and skill development.

To keep it safe, think about making edible play dough. As your toddler explores new textures and forms, they’ll undoubtedly learn a lot. By creating things yourself and letting them realize the potential of this medium, you may encourage their creativity.

Finger Painting

One of the popular things to do with a 1 year old is finger painting. Understandably, this may get messy and somewhat disturbing (for parents, huh). However, your kid will be super excited to leave colorful fingertips on the paper.

The important note here is to grab some safe, kid-friendly paint and a shirt you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. While your little one might need a bit of practice to master this craft, taking precautions like covering your painting area can help avoid any mishaps. 

Show your kid how to use the paint and encourage them to enjoy the fun. It’s not just about creating art. You also offer a fantastic way for your child to engage their senses and explore different colors and textures.

Educational Content for the Most Little Ones: Keiki App

What to do with a 1 year old to promote fun and interest in learning? The Keiki App offers an engaging and educational program perfect for the needs of 12-month-old children. The creator recommends 30 minutes daily to give you peace of mind about your kid’s screen time. Each session will be full of knowledge gaining. The app features various at home activities for 1 year olds:

• Counting basics. Introduce your little one to the world of math with a playful counting program.
• Creativity corner. Spark your child’s imagination with a creativity boost pack.
• Thematic learning materials. They include specific topics for 1-year-olds with Dino Learning and Logic & Problem-Solving packs.
• Speech development starter program. Give your child a head start on language skills with this basic course.

Beyond these core activities for 1 year old, Keiki World offers various puzzle games to keep your little ones engaged. You can choose different options, like fill-in-the-blanks or rotate and match. The difficulty can be adjusted to match your child’s age, progress, and skill level, ensuring a perfect challenge for every play session.

Let your babies explore the fascinating world of joyous learning. Developed with a dedication to creating age-appropriate programs, Keiki App will keep your child entertained while nurturing their cognitive and physical development.

Conclusion

By introducing learning and fun activities to do with 1 year old, you’re not just having a blast together. You also help them learn all sorts of important skills they’ll need as they grow up in our world. It’s a great way to keep them engaged and curious while setting them up for a lifetime of enriching knowledge.