For the 4th time I have a baby between 12-18 months. This is such a fun age. They’re discovering so much and learning how to communicate and explore. But sometimes coming up with ideas on how to keep them busy can become a struggle, so here are some ideas for what to do to entertain them and keep your little one out of trouble.
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Bake!
My kiddos love to help me bake- mostly because I will let them try some dough or batter. They get to stir and sometimes add ingredients.
Cook!
My kiddos always enjoy making food with me. Let them stir whatever you need to stir (as long as it’s not hot) let them try to crack open an egg.
Clean
Give them a damp cloth and let them help you wipe down some surfaces. Or hold them on your hip or in a carrier while you vacuum or mop. They love being near you and helping out with what you’re doing.
Dishes
My one year old loves helping put away the dishes. She hands me the utensils and gets any dishes she can out and hands them to me. Let your little one have a bucket of water and some dishes to scrub with a sponge or dish brush.
Sensory play
Offer some cereal or another sensory option for your little one to enjoy exploring their senses.
Explore outdoors
In the winter gear them up and pull them in a sled, in the summer spend time walking in the grass. Everything is new and exciting for one year olds.
Blocks
One year olds LOVE knocking down towers. Build as many as you want and you have your own personal bulldozer to knock down all the towers you could imagine! Wooden or giant cardboard blocks are great options.
Duplos
A classic Lego set made for toddlers is fantastic to introduce around this age. If you have a car, a person, and an animal it’s even better!
Magnets
Magnets need a lot of supervision. Make sure the magnets you offer are large and don’t take your eyes off of them. They’re fun to put on a fridge, whiteboard or other magnetic surfaces. If you have hot water baseboard heating it’s fantastic.
Books
Reading books to a one year old is very different from reading books to a 3 year old. One year olds often only enjoy 2 pages at a time. They don’t like to finish most books and they often flip the pages all around.
Marble drop
This one needs lots of supervision. But one year olds love watching cause and effect. They love to watch a marble roll down a path and see where it goes. To make it cheaper and safer, you can get a larger ball and use toilet paper and paper towel rolls taped to a piece of cardboard or a wall.
