Let’s play at home with a one-year-old! Activity ideas using things you already have at home
On rainy days or when your child isn’t feeling well and you’re staying home, you might find yourself wondering, “What should we play today?” As children reach around one year old, they start walking, their horizons expand, and their curiosity about the things around them grows even stronger.
As they can do more, the range of play widens too, so let’s stimulate their five senses by incorporating a variety of activities.
In this article, we’ll introduce ideas for at-home play recommended for one-year-olds.
From active play and bonding games to sensory play and simple crafts, we’ve gathered activities that one-year-olds will be completely absorbed in! Best of all, they’re all things you can do with items you already have at home—so please use this as a reference.
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Let’s Play at Home with Your 1-Year-Old! Play Ideas Using Things You Have at Home (21–30)
Secret Base Dome
https://www.tiktok.com/@mami_asobi/video/7397396632746183944Let’s secretly play in your very own room! Here are some ideas for a secret-base dome.
For children, a secret base is a special place that sparks their sense of adventure and imagination.
It’s an appealing space they can use freely—as their personal hideout or a place to invite trusted friends to play together.
This time, let’s make a secret-base dome using materials you already have at home.
You’ll need newspaper, plastic bags, and duct tape.
After making the walls and roof with the newspaper and plastic bags, blow air in through the entrance using a fan.
It will puff up softly and it’s really fun!
Let’s play Bento Bus
Would you like to enjoy “Bento Bus Pretend Play” with one-year-olds who are starting to show interest in food? First, prepare bus-shaped sheets—one per child—and also prepare the bento ingredients, again one set per child.
Have the children stick the ingredients onto their buses.
Once their very own bento buses are complete, have them sit on chairs, hold the steering wheel, and off they go! Let them steer along to the “Bento Bus” song.
You can also assign the children to play the roles of the ingredients that appear in the song.
Let’s have a fun time together.
circuit play
Even on days when you can’t go outside, circuit play is a fun indoor option! By connecting various items to create a course like a circuit, children can use their whole bodies and keep playing without getting bored.
If you want an easy setup, you can link towels or handkerchiefs together, or use crepe paper tape.
Another benefit is how easy it is to adjust the difficulty level to match children’s ages and developmental stages.
sheet swing
Let’s have some fun with a swing using a bed sheet.
Place one child at a time on the sheet, and have two adults firmly hold the ends.
Then slowly lift and gently sway side to side.
Even children who are too young to sit on a regular swing can easily experience the sensation of swinging this way.
Be careful not to swing too much, as it can be dangerous.
If the child seems scared, slow down a little.
If you don’t have a sheet, try using a large towel instead.
smooch smooch cluck cluck
“Chuchu-Kokko” is a game where you sway a soft cloth like a scarf up and down to the rhythm of a song, then toss it up at the end and try to catch it.
Will the children be able to catch the gently floating cloth? They can throw it themselves and play, or they can catch a scarf tossed by an adult—either is fine.
It might be fun for preschoolers to increase the number of scarves and try catching two at once.
For infants, lightly draping the scarf over their head so it floats down softly will likely delight them.
Janjan GuruguruTsubasa Suzuki · Hitomi Kudo
Let’s have fun with various movements to a bright, tropical-sounding song.
Although the activity involves pairing up and holding hands, one-year-olds can’t yet control their strength and it could lead to unexpected accidents, so let’s have them enjoy it individually.
Teachers, please demonstrate the movements as a model for the children.
It’s a lively activity that will have the kids cheering.
Once they get used to it, adding your own original elements is recommended.
It also provides a full-body workout, so why not try it on days when outdoor activities aren’t possible?
Towel play
Actions like tracking a towel with their eyes or trying to grab it are perfectly valid play for one-year-olds.
A compact, long towel like a sports towel works well.
Also, placing towels on the floor for free play can be dangerous because they might wrap around a child’s body, so make sure a teacher is always the one handling the towels.
Kids are thrilled if you put a towel on them like a cape! If possible, try to gather towels in various colors and patterns.