3 activities for 1-year-old babies

When your baby plays, they develop in multiple areas, such as the physical, social, and emotional. This is because by having fun, they’re learning about the world around them and figuring out their emotions. In addition, it allows your little one to recognize and generate a connection with their body and interests. In this text, we will talk about some activities for 1-year-olds that you can try with your little one.

Activities for 1-year-old babies

1. Dance to the beat of the music

Around 11 months, your little one may start moving to the rhythm of the music. Take advantage of this to play together! Invite them to dance to different types of songs. That way, your baby will work on their arm, leg, and torso coordination.

2. Find treasures

In a specific space inside the house, hide your little one’s toys and some objects that usually catch their attention in different places. Next, take a small basket and encourage your little one to put the “treasures” there. You will be surprised how much fun they’ll have collecting all the things they like.

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At this stage in your child’s development, they may already climb or go around obstacles when crawling, change direction easily, try crawling farther, or start climbing on the furniture. Take advantage of this and plan where to place the objects to make this game more interesting.

Take into account that, in addition to being fun, this activity allows your child to develop gross motor skills, as it encourages them to move from one place to another and to pick up objects of different sizes.

3. Try the cup game –another of the fun activities for 1-year-old babies 

To start, you will need a cup and a small toy. The idea is that you show your child how you place the toy under the cup. Wait a few seconds and see if your little one wants to find the object. Later, when they have practiced the game, try the same thing, but with two or three cups so that your child discovers which cup the toy is in.

At about 10 months, your child will begin to develop more abstract thinking and search for hidden toys. Therefore, this activity is excellent for fostering their development.

Now that you know some activities for a 1-year-old baby, we will give you some recommendations so that your baby enjoys playtime to the fullest:

• Before starting, check that the space they will be in is safe to explore freely. Cover electrical sockets, store cords, and make sure there are no cleaning supplies nearby.
• Try to pay attention to your little one’s sounds, expressions, and gestures. Even though they still can’t tell you in words when they want to switch activities, their body language can help you detect when it’s time to rest or try another game. Also, their reactions will give you clues about what activities they prefer.

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Would you like to add another game to this list or tell us about your experience with one of the activities for 1-year-old babies we mentioned? Write us in the comments section!