Ideas for indoor play and physical activities recommended for 1-year-olds
Around age one, children become much more physically active—walking, running, and greatly expanding their range of movement.
Their curiosity also blossoms, and you’ll see major developmental changes: they begin to speak, express themselves, and assert their opinions.
For teachers wondering, “What should we play today?” with these energetic one-year-olds, this is a must-read!
Here are some recommended play ideas for one-year-olds.
You’ll find plenty of options—from activities like eurhythmics and mat play that let kids move their bodies to the fullest even indoors, to imaginative role-play, sensory play that uses their fingertips, and simple crafts that spark excitement.
Find the perfect activities for your children and have fun together!
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- Ideas for indoor play, physical activities, and games suited to the development of 2-year-olds
Indoor play and exercise activity ideas recommended for 1-year-olds (11–20)
Phone Game
Let’s make a phone and play with our curious one-year-olds.
Cut cardboard into a size that’s easy for children to hold, paste colored paper on it, and cover it with clear tape.
Then let them decorate it with their favorite stickers.
Having number stickers ready will make it feel more like a real phone.
It’s also a great idea to prepare animal pictures or similar so the children can color them and stick them on, helping them recognize which phone is theirs.
It’ll be fun to see what kinds of play the children come up with as they say “Hello?” to each other.
Balloon Basketball
Basketball with fluffy balloons!? Here’s a balloon-basketball idea.
When you think of balloons, you probably imagine them popping up and then drifting down slowly.
But apparently, with just a simple wrap of something, a balloon can transform into a ball.
All you need is a balloon, vinyl tape, and a pool noodle.
Inflate the balloon and wrap it with vinyl tape, and your ball is ready! Cut a pool noodle in half to make a hoop, and you can enjoy basketball at home.
It’s a fun idea that even infants can play with!
Cardboard play
What does it look like? Ever-changing and versatile! Here’s a fun way to play with cardboard.
All you need is cardboard and tape.
Adapt the play freely to match children’s interests and curiosity.
Let their imaginations grow as they explore activities like playing shop, pretending it’s a pool, or a train.
To make it safer, protect the cardboard edges with tape to prevent cuts.
You can also put newspaper or other materials inside the cardboard to create steps and enjoy active, movement-based play.
In that case, make sure a teacher or guardian holds the child’s hand and watches carefully to prevent falls.
Have fun at home with plenty of room, even in a rental!
@rita_babylove The merch is saving me 🫰🏻❣️
♬ Athletic Meet “Heaven and Hell” (No Introduction) – Shinonome
Noise complaints and the difficulty of restoring a rental to its original condition are surprisingly common.
But asking kids to be quiet and not draw on the walls is tough, isn’t it? And of course, we still want them to have as much fun as possible indoors.
So this time, we’re introducing activities that kids can fully enjoy even in a rental.
It’s packed with handy items and eye-opening ideas, so feel free to use it as a reference.
Cushion-style trampolines and wall-mounted whiteboards can be found at online shops.
Play Park Together
In the interactive exercise “Let’s Play Park Together,” parents and children can try all kinds of movements: holding hands and jumping, cradling the children like treasures, playing bowling, and more.
Since you can switch roles in the bowling activity, if the parent plays the pins and does some funny moves, it might bring out smiles from the kids.
Finish by lifting the children up high for a grand finale! It’s sure to make a wonderful photo opportunity.
It may look difficult, but there’s actually not much dancing involved, so even one-year-olds should be able to enjoy it fully.
Smiley woof-woof
A one-year-old who loves being held.
How about some activities they can do while being cuddled by their parents or guardians? Support the children’s bodies with your arms and gently rock them—like an elephant’s trunk swaying.
You could also try a game where, like a crane, you lift the children and have them grab a stuffed toy.
Another recommendation is to sit with the child on your lap and move your bodies to the song “Riding the Bus.” Through these activities, you’ll not only enjoy the games but also create warm moments of connection with the children.
Indoor play and physical activity ideas recommended for 1-year-olds (21–30)
Let’s become various animals!
Animal role-play is a recommended activity that lets even one-year-olds move their bodies a lot.
If they pretend to be frogs, they can imitate hopping around, and if they pretend to be rabbits, they’ll put their hands up like ears and do cute little jumps.
It’s heartwarming to see children use their bodies to express the image of each animal.
It’s great that no preparation is needed, and another nice point is that this play lets you see a wide range of expressions on the children’s faces.