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11 Fun 1 Year Old Activities To Support Development

Super fun activities that truly engage toddlers

1 year old activities to support development

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Wondering what activities you can do with your toddler? Here are 11 fun and engaging 1 year old activities that will surely help develop your child’s skills.

As a Montessori Guide and a mother of a 1 year old, I am always creating activities that will help my child improve her overall development. 

These activities have helped my child improve her cognitive, fine, and gross motor skills and I know your child will also benefit from these simple yet effective activities.

MAIN BENEFITS OF THESE ACTIVITIES:

From 12 to 24 months, children are learning so much, and these activities can help improve the following skills:

  • Social and emotional skills: your children will learn how to regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
  • Cognitive skills: your child will be able to reason and think outside the box to create solutions to common problems.
  • Language and communication skills: your child will learn how to communicate, using sounds and words.
  • Gross and fine motor skills: your child will use their small and large muscles to accomplish challenging tasks.

To encourage your child to continue learning, try these fun 1 year old activities to support their overall development.

Let’s dive right in!

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11 fun 1 year old activities to support your child’s development

Here is a list of some of our favorite activities we do with our child. We are sure that your child will also enjoy doing these developmental activities for 1 year olds and will gain a plethora of skills.

1. Walk the line

walking on the line montessori activity

How to make this activity:

  1. Create a straight line using painter’s tape on the floor.
  2. Show your child how to walk along the line, one foot in front of the other.
  3. Encourage your child to walk along the line, praising them for their effort and progress.
  4. Make the activity more challenging by adding curves, zigzags, or loops to the line.

 

The benefits:

This is one of the many 1 year old activities that can help your child develop their gross motor skills, balance, ability to concentrate, and follow instructions. 

Your child will improve their spatial awareness and learn how to control their body movements when they walk on the line. 

As you make this activity more challenging, you will see your child’s cognitive skills develop as they learn to problem-solve and adapt to changes in the line’s shape. 

I love this activity because, in addition to the benefits I mentioned, your child will build their confidence and self-esteem as they complete each new challenge!

2. DIY felt board

How to make this activity:

  1. Cut a piece of cardboard or foam board, about 12 inches by 12 inches.
  2. Cover the board with felt, gluing the edges of the felt to the back of the board.
  3. Cut out felt shapes in various colors and sizes, such as shapes, letters, or numbers.
  4. Show your child how to place the felt shapes on the board, and encourage them to explore and play with the shapes.
  5. To make this activity more challenging, place some shapes on the board and have your child match the shape.

 

The benefits:

We can get very creative with this activity! What I like about this developmental activity for 1 year olds is that it helps my child develop her fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as she manipulates and places the felt shapes on the board. 

It also fosters creativity and imagination as my child explores the different shapes and colors. When you do this activity with your 1 year old, you will see that they begin to identify colors, shapes, letters, and numbers.

Invite some friends to make this activity extra fun! Your child and friends will learn how to work together and improve their social and emotional skills. 

3. Complete pincer grasp puzzles

Steps for this activity:

  1. Choose age-appropriate puzzles with knobs on each puzzle piece.
  2. Remove all pieces from the puzzle.
  3. Sit with your child and show them how to pick up the puzzle pieces using their thumb and index finger (pincer grasp).
  4. Show your child how to match the puzzle pieces to the corresponding spaces on the puzzle board.
  5. Start with simple puzzles with only a few pieces and gradually increase the complexity as your child becomes more comfortable and skilled.

 

The benefits:

At 1 year of age, your child is improving their pincer grasp. Many wooden puzzles have a small knob on each piece, which helps improve this skill. One of our favorite ones is the Pincer Grasp Development Set by Monti Kids. 

The pincer grasp is essential for holding and manipulating small objects. Your child can also improve their cognitive and problem-solving skills as they work to match the pieces to the correct spots on the puzzle. 

Talk about the shapes of each piece, and discuss colors, and the objects in each puzzle to make this activity more engaging for you and your child and to promote language development.

4. Outdoor exploration

fun outdoor activities for one year old

To make this activity safe and engaging:

  1. Choose a safe and suitable location for a nature walk, such as a local park or nature reserve.
  2. Prepare your child for the walk, providing them with suitable clothing, footwear, and a sun hat or sunblock if necessary.
  3. During the walk, encourage your child to observe and explore the natural environment around them, pointing out interesting plants, insects, birds, and other animals.
  4. Engage your child in conversation, encouraging them to ask questions and share their observations.

 

The benefits:

This is one of our favorite things to do: hiking, soaking up the sun in the river, or simply spending time outside. Nature walks foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination in children as they explore and investigate their surroundings. 

Nature walks also provide opportunities for language and communication development as your child engages in conversations about what they observe.

So let your child walk, run, or climb in a natural environment and help them learn about the natural world and the different creatures that live in it!

5. Color-matching cards

Steps to make this activity fun:

  1. Create a set of color-matching cards of different colors, such as red, blue, green, and yellow. You can make your own using construction paper of various colors.
  2. Sit with your child and give them a set of cards, while you place the second set spread out on a table.
  3. Show them each card, naming the color, and have your child match each card.
  4. You can also place the cards in a pile and encourage your child to match each card to a corresponding object in the room.
  5. To make this card more challenging, cut out cards of different shapes, sizes, and textures, and have your child match each card.

 

The benefits:

This is one of the simplest and most fun activities for 1 year olds you can do with your little one. Your child will develop their color recognition skills and cognitive development as they learn to identify and match colors. 

Talk about the color of each card to help promote language and communication skills in your child as you and your child discuss each card. 

Color matching cards also help to develop fine motor skills as your child grasps and manipulates the cards to match them with corresponding objects. 

To make this activity more engaging, you can make cards of different sizes, shapes, and textures, and have your child match the cards to objects of similar size or texture.

6. Free play with building blocks

How to do this activity:

  1. Provide a selection of building blocks that are safe and age-appropriate for your child.
  2. Encourage your child to explore the blocks freely, building towers, walls, or other structures as they see fit.
  3. Engage in play alongside your child, offering verbal encouragement as they create their designs.
  4. Allow your child to take the lead in the play, but provide guidance if needed to ensure their safety.

 

The benefits:

One of the key benefits of free play with building blocks is that it is an open-ended activity where there is no predetermined outcome or set of instructions to follow. 

This allows your child to use their imagination and creativity as they explore the blocks and construct different designs. 

Open-ended play also encourages your child to experiment with different combinations and arrangements of the blocks, which helps to develop spatial awareness and fine motor skills.

Since there is no right or wrong way to play with building blocks, this activity fosters a sense of autonomy and independence, which helps to build confidence and self-esteem.

For young toddlers, I recommend simple blocks like these Unit Blocks from Monti Kids, and for older toddlers who need a bigger challenge, this 56-Piece Block Set is perfect1

7. Create a sensory station

How to do this activity:

  1. Find a shallow container, such as a plastic bin or tray.
  2. Add a base material, such as rice, sand, or water.
  3. Add different objects or materials to the base, such as shells, beads, or small toys.
  4. Encourage the child to explore the sensory station with their hands and feet.

 

The benefits:

Creating a sensory station is a great way to promote cognitive and sensory development in your child. This activity encourages children to explore different textures, shapes, and colors, which helps to develop their tactile and visual senses.

Sensory play also promotes language and communication skills as your child describes the different objects and materials they are playing with. 

The sensory station can also help to calm and soothe children who may be feeling overstimulated or overwhelmed, as the different textures and materials can provide a calming effect.

8. Make a rain stick

Activities for 1 year old: how to make a rain stick

Steps to make a rain stick:

  1. Find a cardboard tube, such as a paper towel roll, and seal one end with a piece of paper and tape.
  2. Add small items, such as rice, beans, or beads, to the tube through the open end.
  3. Seal the other end with paper and tape.
  4. Decorate the outside of the tube with paint, markers, or stickers.
  5. Allow the tube to dry, and then turn it upside down to hear the rain-like sound.

 

The benefits:

We recently did this activity with our toddler and she had a lot of fun! One of the main benefits of making a rain stick is that it promotes cognitive and sensory development as children explore the cause-and-effect relationship between sound and movement. 

Your child will see and hear the contents moving inside the tube as they shake the rain stick, which helps to develop their spatial awareness and motor skills. 

Making a rain stick also encourages creativity and imagination as your child chooses what items to put inside the tube and how to decorate the outside. Your child will also feel accomplished as they create something tangible and functional.

9. Transferring pom poms

Steps to do this activity:

  1. Place small pom poms of various colors in a small bowl.
  2. Provide a small spoon or scoop for the child to use.
  3. Show the child how to scoop up one pom pom at a time using the spoon, and transfer it to another bowl.
  4. Encourage the child to continue transferring pom poms until all are moved from one bowl to the other.


The benefits:

Transferring pom poms is a simple yet effective activity for developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in young children. 

Using a spoon to transfer the pom poms helps your child refine their pincer grasp and hand dexterity. 

This activity also promotes cognitive development, as your child learns about cause and effect by observing the movement of the pom poms from one bowl to another. 

10. Make a ball drop game

How to make a ball drop game:

  1. Gather cardboard tubes of different sizes.
  2. Cut the tubes to different lengths.
  3. Tape the tubes to a wall or board, making sure they are securely attached and at varying heights.
  4. Place a ball on top of the tubes.
  5. Demonstrate how to drop the ball into the tubes, and encourage the child to do the same.


The benefits:

The ball drop game is a fun and engaging activity that helps to develop a child’s hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and cognitive skills. 

Children are learning about cause and effect when they drop the ball into the tubes, as well as experimenting with different angles and forces to get the ball to drop through. 

Making the game together with your child provides an opportunity to bond with them and can foster a sense of creativity and imagination in your child.

11. Peel stickers

How to do this activity:

  1. Offer some stickers to your child and encourage them to choose which ones they want to use. You can get sticker sheets of various shapes or images. 
  2. Demonstrate how to peel off the stickers by starting to peel one off yourself and then letting your child try.
  3. Show your child how to place the sticker on the paper and then allow them to do it themselves.
  4. Encourage your child to keep peeling and sticking until they are satisfied with their creation.

 

The benefits:

Peeling stickers may seem like a simple activity, but it has a lot of benefits for a child’s development. My toddler can spend a long time peeling off stickers and placing them on her hand.

The benefits of this activity include fine motor skills development as your child uses their fingers to peel and place the stickers. 

It also promotes hand-eye coordination as they aim to place the stickers in the right spot while enhancing creativity as your child can create their own designs and patterns with the stickers. 

Peeling stickers helps to improve concentration and focus as your child engages in this enjoyable and absorbing activity.

What to do next?

These are simple but effective 1 year old activities that have long-term benefits for your child’s development. Try one, two, or maybe all of them, and share with me the process of doing these activities by tagging me on Instagram! 

Go ahead and check my other article where I share how you can encourage independent play in your child.

About Leslie - Latinx Montessori

Hello, I am Leslie. I am on a mission to help you support the growth and development of your child. With the right tools and proper guidance, you can navigate parenthood with confidence and assertion! My goal is to equip you with knowledge to help you construct a strong foundation for your child’s life.

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