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When it comes to finding activities for toddlers, 1-year-olds can be tough. While it's fascinating to see their minds developing as they interact with the world more and more, it's hard to find fun, easy, engaging activities that hit that sweet spot between what they want to do and what they can do. And while it may be tempting to buy into the hype that you need expensive toys to get a leg-up on their cognitive and physical development, the truth is there's plenty to be done that just require some simple household materials. These great activities for 1-year-olds will occupy their minds and get them working on their developmental skills — all without expensive materials (or, heaven forbid, screens).
What should a 1-year-old be learning?
The good news is that 1-year-olds are sponges, and nearly everything you do with them is a "learning activity," since they're still just exploring the worlds around them. But, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the skills that 1-year-olds are working on include imitating the adults around them (like babbling into a pretend phone), finding hidden objects, working on the all-important pincer grasp (picking up objects between a thumb and forefinger), walking on their own and eventually, sorting by shape or color, puling a toy behind them and running. Activities that help them work on their fine motor skills or gross motor skills, or anything that gives those brains a boost, is a boon.
How do you entertain a 1-year-old all day?
That's the million-dollar question, because 12-month olds aren't going to stick with an activity if they find it too challenging or boring — and they'll let you know how you feel. But there are plenty of simple crafts, games that get their bodies moving, easy indoor activities and sensory experiences to try and grab their attention.
What safety concerns should I keep in mind when doing activities with a 1-year-old?
Of course, 1-year-olds can't play unsupervised. (You know that already, but we have to say it.) Keep a watchful eye out for anything small that can be a choking hazard, because they will put everything in their mouths. And activities that involve water also demand undivided attention, since little ones can drown in a water bin or bucket.
But, with you helping them out, these activities will be fun, engaging and educational, which leads to happy toddlers.
Sensory Bin
The idea is simple: Fill a bin with some kind of compound, like sand or rice, and then hide toys or other objects in it. Then give kids scoopers, tweezers and other tools and let them go digging, scooping and pouring! The idea of a sensory bin is to get them exposed to different textures and sensations, so it's good if they stick their hands in there, too.
This bin is filled with rice (and it could be even cooler if made with DIY rainbow rice), but you can also fill it with dry beans, Kinetic sand, rocks, water beads, or shaving cream. If you think letting them dig through a rice bin would be too messy (it will involve sweeping up after), you can always fill an empty, clear water or soda bottle with rice and other small objects, seal it up tightly and make an "I Spy" game with it. Just be sure that, no matter how you do it, you supervise closely and make sure the items aren't choking hazards.
Get the tutorial at The Best Ideas for Kids »
RELATED: 13 DIY Sensory Bin Ideas to Get Kids Used to New Textures
Peek-a-Boo Board
Recycle the lids to baby-wipe containers for a project that gets them investigating different textures. Glue down different materials under each lid — dry pasta, felt, pom poms, etc. — and watch the look of surprise as they open and feel each one.
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Jumbo Puzzle
This activity is actually a two-for-one: First, once you outline a picture in thick, black lines, you can get your toddler to color it in. Then, cut it in two to make a puzzle perfect for toddler hands and minds.
Fabric Mystery Box
Another thing you can do with an empty wipes box is fill it with scraps of fabric that are both long and short, rough and smooth, and different colors and patterns. Your tot will be delighted to reach in, pull out, and investigate each one, which helps with fine motor coordination.
RELATED: The Best Toys for 1-Year-Olds Growing Out of Their Baby Gifts
Rubber Duck Painting
Let their creativity go wild with this art activity: Simply get an ink pad and use a rubber duck as a stamper. (It gives them an extra thrill if the duck squeaks.) If you really want to be ambitious, you can cutout and glue different cardboard shapes to the bottom of different ducks, but the duck bottom works well enough on its own.
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Busy Board
Did you ever notice that, even though there's a room full of toys, 1-year-olds always wind up fiddling with doorknobs or drawer pulls? Give them what they want: Attach locks, knobs, buttons, bells, flaps, zippers and any other hardware to a board you can keep at kid level.
DIY Coin Box
It seems so simple: Just cut a slot into the lid of a jar, and then offer some colored tokens to put in and take out. And yet fitting the coins into the slot, hearing the satisfying clunk when they hit the bottom and then digging them all out again is endlessly amusing and it helps practice fine motor coordination.
Duplo Wash Sensory Bin
If toddlers could, they'd play in the bath all day. When that's not feasible, get scoops, a few bubbles, a brush and some Duplo bricks and throw them all in a bin of water. (Keep towels on hand.) Then watch as they wash, pour and scrub their toys!
Get the tutorial at Mama Papa Bubba »
RELATED: Fun Toddler Activities That Give Their Bodies and Brains a Boost
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Play Dough
You can buy Play-Doh or make your own modeling dough. Either way, working the dough will exercise the muscles in kids' hands, and if you can get them to roll a ball with their pointer and their thumb, you can also work on that pincer grasp.
DIY Felt Board
Like the Colorforms of yore, a DIY felt board lets toddlers take basic shapes and combine and re-combine them to make patterns and pictures. As they get older, you can add more advanced shapes with letters and numbers.
Pipe Cleaner Lacing
Take a bunch of pipe cleaners (make sure the ends aren't sharp) and thread them through a kitchen colander. Your toddler will love pulling the pipe cleaners out and trying to lace them through again, which helps strengthen hands and work on the pincer grasp. You can also do this activity by poking holes in an old egg carton.
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Sound Sensory Jars
Fill old jars and containers with different materials — coins, popcorn kernels, rice, cereal, etc. — seal them up good, then let toddlers shake away and hear how each one makes a different sound. As they get older, you can fill up the jars in pairs and challenge your kiddo to find the matches.
Contact Paper Collage
Tape a piece of clear contact paper to the wall, sticky side out. Then give your toddler construction paper shapes, pom poms and other doo dads. Pretty soon you'll have a collage that doesn't require any school glue.
Ball Scoop
A bin, some ball-pit balls, and a sieve — and endless scooping fun. Challenge your toddler to scoop only red balls, or try and get two in one go, and get him practicing his gross motor coordination.
Get the tutorial at The Train Driver's Wife »
RELATED: The Best Learning Activities for Toddlers to Get Them Ready for Kindergarten
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No-Mess Finger Painting
Finger painting gets those little hands working, and lets them have fun with colors and textures. Tip: Squeeze out some paint and put it in a plastic bag with paper to avoid making a mess. If you want to go the extra mile, making it a "tummy time" activity gets more of those muscles working while they create.
Pom Pom Drop
Use painter's tape to attach cardboard tubes of different sizes to a wall. Then, give your toddler bunch of pom poms to drop into tubes; she'll be amazed to see how they fall out of the other end again. Make sure you put some tubes where your toddler has to reach to get to them — standing up tall, and then squatting down to pick up the pom poms again, will help strengthen the leg muscles they need for walking.
Rainbow Spaghetti
Another cool sensation for 1-year-olds? Sticking their hands (or feet!) in wet spaghetti. You can even hide toys under the strands and have them dig for them.
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DIY Shakers
Save those cardboard paper towel tubes! With a few quick adjustments, you have yourself a shaker so your toddler can practice percussion. Try filling a few with different materials — dried rice, beans, etc. — and let your 1-year-olds experiment with the different sounds they make. They can even help decorate the tube!
Spray Bottle
Toddlers are fascinated with cleaning and pretending to clean. (If only they kept up that interest in their teenage years!) Go with it: Let them spray water with a spray bottle — it helps strengthen their hands.
