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)
Tambourine made from everyday items
Here are some ideas for making a tambourine from everyday items.
A tambourine is an instrument with bells or small cymbals attached around a metal rim, with skin stretched over one side.
How about making a tambourine using familiar materials found at home or in a preschool? You can substitute the skin with plastic sheeting or construction paper, and use a ring toss hoop or a cut-out paper plate for the rim.
If you brainstorm with the children, you’ll likely come up with lots of fun ideas! Give it a try.
sensory toy play
Fun for all ages! Here are some sensory toy play ideas.
You’ll need: food storage bags, colored water, oil, adzuki beans, erasers, toy goldfish, beads, bells, hair gel, and tape.
Put the materials you prepared into the bag along with the hair gel! Changing up the colors and textures makes the feel different and more interesting.
Sensory toys are recommended not only for infants but also for preschoolers—they’re engaging to look at and touch, and kids will be totally absorbed.
Play at Home with Your 1-Year-Old! Activity Ideas Using Things You Already Have at Home (31–40)
Making a phone out of cardboard
Let’s make a play telephone so you can enjoy chatting with friends or parents by saying “Hello!” Cover a piece of cardboard with paper in your favorite color, then add number stickers and drawings to act as the screen.
A smartphone-style phone works too, but a flip phone or cordless-handset style is recommended because the numbers are always visible, giving your child more chances to interact with numbers.
You can explain the number layout as you build it, or just let them work freely without worrying about placement.
Have lots of fun chatting with your own cute, original phone!
In conclusion
We introduced recommended at-home activities for one-year-olds. There were plenty of fun ideas that spark children’s curiosity, from activities that encourage focused concentration to ones that let them move their bodies to the fullest. Since one-year-olds are at a stage where their range of movement increases dramatically, make sure to put safety measures in place to prevent injuries or accidental swallowing before playing at home. It would be great to enjoy time together while incorporating activities suited to your child’s physical and mental development.