For 1-year-olds! Indoor play ideas that make rainy days fun
Curious and full of energy, one-year-olds are always on the move.
On rainy days or when you can’t go outside, many teachers might find themselves wondering, “What can we play indoors with the children?”
So this time, we’re sharing plenty of ideas for activities that will captivate one-year-olds and keep them happily engaged indoors.
From energetic gross-motor play and eurhythmics to activities that make the most of different textures and ones that encourage lots of finger movement, we’ve gathered a wide range of play ideas that stimulate all five senses.
We’ve also included some activities that require no preparation, so you can start right away.
Find the perfect activities for your children and have fun together!
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For 1-year-olds! Indoor play ideas that make rainy days fun (1–10)
playing with a ball
Let’s play with palm-sized colored balls with one-year-olds.
You can try color-sorting by sticking each ball onto a spot of the same color, or play “basketball” by tossing balls into a cardboard box—there are many ways to play depending on your ideas.
It’s best to interact while respecting the child’s feelings of “I want to try” and “I want to do it this way.” If possible, secure enough space so children can move between their favorite activity corners.
Even indoors, let’s get plenty of movement and have fun playing.
Balloon play
A play activity using balloons, which are often used to decorate indoor parties and events.
Children can enjoy the feel of lightly floating balloons by touching or tossing them, while also encouraging their free imagination.
It’s a good idea to make some preparations to prevent balloons from popping, such as placing them in pre-inflated bags.
There are many ways to play, like touching suspended balloons or playing peekaboo.
Why not incorporate these items, which can brighten up a rainy day indoors, into your childcare setting?
Newspaper play
When it comes to items that liven up indoor play on rainy days, nothing beats newspaper.
You can enjoy a variety of activities tailored to children’s developmental stages.
For example, have them crouch while holding a crumpled ball of newspaper, then jump and open the newspaper at the same time, or let them experience the motions and sounds of tearing newspaper.
There are also races where children try to reach the goal without letting a sheet of newspaper stuck to their belly fall off, and races where they carry a sheet of newspaper balanced on a stick.
Try using a wide range of ideas—like a game where teachers or parents hold a basket for a ball-toss, and the children chase after it—to make playtime fun.
For 1-year-olds! Indoor play ideas that are fun even on rainy days (11–20)
Playing strawberry picking
For a strawberry-picking pretend play with one-year-olds, start by enjoying a strawberry craft together.
Crumple up red tissue paper and stuff it into a plastic bag.
As you work, describe and mimic the sounds and textures of the tissue paper for the children.
Once the bag is full, seal the opening and stick on black dot stickers to look like seeds.
Clip the finished strawberries around the room with clothespins and let the children enjoy “picking” them.
They’ll smile at the strawberries they picked themselves.
Have a wonderful time together.
Playing musical instruments
This is an activity where children can experience how musical instruments make sounds.
Prepare instruments that produce sound with simple actions, such as tambourines and castanets.
It’s also recommended to play along to songs based on nursery rhymes and keep the rhythm with the instruments.
You can include elements of eurhythmics and incorporate movement activities set to music.
This activity helps children become interested in making sounds and conveys the joy of expressing together as a group.
Showcase the teacher’s piano or guitar performance as well, and liven up indoor time on rainy days.
Let’s put on a sticker
Sticker play—little kids love it, don’t they? Even with simple round stickers, you can pretend the red ones are fruit and stick them on a tree illustration, or use red, blue, and yellow to make a traffic light.
It’s fun to just keep sticking them on, even if the stickers themselves are nothing special.
It’s okay if they’re not stuck on perfectly! There are also sticker books you can stick and peel over and over again.
hand play
When working with one-year-olds, it’s great to actively include fingerplay activities.
Songs like “Open and Shut Them” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” have simple rhythms and melodies, making them easy for children to imitate.
You’ll be soothed by the adorable sight of children expressing themselves with their little hands moving energetically.
Create an environment that helps them focus on the fingerplay—have them sit along the wall, for example.
As you introduce many fingerplay songs, the children may find a favorite tune.