24+ Activities For One Year Olds to do With Parents

I agree that the moment you celebrate your child’s first birthday 🎂 comes after a delightful journey of learning how to change diapers, make a perfect bottle of milk 🍼 , engage in playful activities with your baby, and support your child through developmental milestones.

By the time your child becomes a one-year-old, he/she spends a lot of time engaging in playful activities. One-year-olds rarely stick to one activity for a long time. 

My toddler is always engrossed 🤓 in a new activity every now and then.

As a responsible parent, monitoring your child’s activities is one of your gravest concerns.

I remember 🤔 enjoying a ton of activities with my son when he was a one-year-old energetic toddler.

Activities for One-year-Old Kid

Play with Sand Activity

Playing with sand is a wonderful outdoor activity that stimulates a child’s imagination and creativity. It also helps in developing their fine motor skills and provides a great sensory experience. Kids love building, digging, and exploring in the sand.

Materials: A sandpit or a large container filled with sand, sand toys such as buckets, shovels, and molds, and optionally water for creating different sand textures.

How to Do:

1. Set up a sandpit or container with clean sand.
2. Provide sand toys like buckets, shovels, and molds.
3. Encourage digging and building with the toys.
4. Let your child explore freely, adding water if desired.

Foam Bath Play

Foam Bath Play is an exciting activity that kids love. It provides endless fun while helping them develop their tactile senses and motor skills. Plus, it’s a great way for them to enjoy bath time even more!

Materials: A bathtub or large container and baby-friendly soap or bubble bath.

How to Do:

1. Fill the tub with warm water and baby-friendly soap for foam.
2. Place your child in the tub with bath toys or cups.
3. Encourage playing with foam and bubbles.
4. Let your child splash and enjoy the sensory experience.

Pom Pom Play Activity

Pom Pom Play is an engaging activity that helps children develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It’s also a fun way for them to explore colors and textures while having a blast.

Materials: Colorful pom poms and a whisk or a similar tool.

How to Do:

1. Gather colorful pom poms and place them in a container.
2. Show your child how to scoop pom poms with a whisk.
3. Encourage scooping, sorting, and playing with the pom poms.
4. Let your child create their own games, and join in for more fun.

Play with Blocks

Playing with blocks is a fantastic activity for young children. It helps develop their motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creativity. Plus, it’s a lot of fun as they build different structures and explore their imagination.

Materials: Colorful building blocks, a flat surface or play area, and a storage container for the blocks.

How to Do:

1. Gather colorful building blocks and place them in a container.
2. Set up a flat surface or play area for your child.
3. Encourage your child to build structures with the blocks.
4. Let them explore and build freely, offering help and praise.

Lego Bath Play Activity

Lego Bath Play combines the joy of building with the fun of bath time. This activity is perfect for keeping kids entertained and engaged while they splash around. It also helps develop their creativity and fine motor skills.

Materials: A bathtub or large container filled with water and some Lego bricks.

How to Do:

1. Fill a bathtub or container with warm water.
2. Add clean, waterproof Lego bricks to the water.
3. Encourage your child to build structures with the Lego bricks.
4. Let your child play and explore different building ideas in the water.

Play with Pom Pom Shooter

The Pom Pom Shooter activity is an exciting way for kids to have fun while developing their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. It’s a simple yet entertaining game that can keep them engaged for hours.

Materials: Colorful pompoms, a straw for your child, and a fun target like cups or containers labeled with colors or numbers.

How to Do:

1. Spread out the pompoms on a flat surface.
2. Give your child a straw and show them how to blow through it to move a pompom.
3. Set up the targets at a short distance and ask the kids to blow pompoms into the matching containers.
4. They can race to see who can sort their pompoms first, or they can practice aiming at different distances.

Squeezing Sponge Activity

The Squeezing Sponge activity is a simple way for kids to enjoy water play while improving their hand strength and fine motor skills. It’s a delightful sensory experience that can be done indoors or outdoors.

Materials: Sponges, a container filled with water, and cups or small bowls.

How to Do:

1. Fill a container with water and place it within reach.
2. Give your child sponges and show them how to dip and soak.
3. Encourage squeezing water into cups or bowls.
4. Let them explore and play with the sponges and water.

Stacking and Nesting Activity

The Stacking and Nesting activity is a fantastic way for kids to develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. This simple yet engaging activity encourages creativity and problem-solving as children explore different ways to stack and nest objects.

Materials: Stacking and nesting cups or containers and a flat surface for play.

How to Do:

1. Gather stacking and nesting cups and place them within reach.
2. Show your child how to stack the cups to build a tower.
3. Demonstrate nesting cups inside each other.
4. Let your child explore stacking and nesting freely, encouraging creativity.

Color Sorting Stone Activity

The Color Sorting Stone activity is a lovely way for children to learn about colors, improve their sorting skills, and enhance their fine motor abilities. This engaging activity also encourages concentration and patience as kids sort and organize the colorful stones.

Materials: Colored stones or small objects, sorting cups or bowls in different colors, and a flat surface for play.

How to Do:

1. Gather colored stones or small objects in a container.
2. Provide sorting cups or bowls that match the stone colors.
3. Have your child place each stone in the corresponding cup or bowl.
4. Turn it into a game by timing how quickly they can sort the stones.

Duck Pond Play Activity

The Duck Pond Play activity is a wonderful way for kids to enjoy water play while using their imagination. This simple and fun activity helps develop their motor skills and encourages creative play as they interact with their toy ducks.

Materials: A small tub or container filled with water and rubber duck toys.

How to Do:

1. Fill a container with water to create a “pond.”
2. Place rubber ducks in the water to float.
3. Encourage your child to move the ducks and make up stories or games.
4. Provide cups or scoops for extra play, like scooping water or making waves.

Nature Frame Activity

The Nature Frame activity is a wonderful way for kids to connect with nature while creating beautiful art. This activity encourages outdoor exploration and creativity, allowing children to use natural materials to make their own unique frames.

Materials: A cardboard frame, a clear plastic sheet or cling film, tape or glue, and natural items like leaves, flowers, and small twigs.

How to Do:

1. Cut out the center of a cardboard frame, leaving a border.
2. Attach a clear plastic sheet to the back of the frame with tape or glue.
3. Collect natural items like leaves and flowers outside.
4. Arrange and attach the items to the plastic surface with tape or glue.

Play with Puppet

The Play with Puppet activity is a fantastic way for kids to engage in imaginative play and storytelling. Using finger puppets, children can create their own characters and adventures, enhancing their creativity and language skills.

Materials: Finger puppets and a comfortable play area.

How to Do:

1. Gather finger puppets and place them in an accessible play area.
2. Show your child how to use the puppets on their fingers.
3. Encourage storytelling and dialogue with the puppets.
4. Set up a small stage for puppet shows and let your child perform.

Finger Painting Activity

Finger painting is a joyful art activity that allows kids to express their creativity and have fun with colors. This messy but delightful activity helps develop fine motor skills and sensory awareness.

Materials: Paints in various colors and large sheets of paper.

How to Do:

1. Cover the surface with newspaper.
2. Lay large sheets of paper on the covered surface.
3. Squeeze out different colors of finger paint onto a palette or paper.
4. Let your child paint with their fingers, exploring shapes, patterns, and textures.

Play Dough Playing Activity

Playing with play dough is an engaging activity that encourages creativity and fine motor skills in children. This hands-on activity allows kids to mold, shape, and explore various textures, providing endless opportunities for imaginative play.

Materials: Play dough in various colors, cookie cutters or molds, and a flat surface for play.

How to Do:

1. Set up a flat, easy-to-clean surface for playdough.
2. Provide playdough in various colors and molds or cookie cutters.
3. Encourage molding, shaping, and creating with hands and tools.
4. Let your child experiment with colors and designs freely.

Play with Soft Toys

Playing with soft toys is a comforting activity that allows children to engage in role-play and storytelling. This activity helps develop their social and emotional skills as they interact with their favorite cuddly friends.

Materials: Various soft toys and a safe, comfortable play area.

How to Do:

1. Gather soft toys and set up a comfortable play area.
2. Encourage your child to choose and interact with their favorite toys.
3. Provide props like toy beds or food dishes to enhance play.
4. Let your child use their imagination to create scenarios and adventures.

Surprise Box Play

Surprise Box Play is an exciting and curiosity-stimulating activity that allows children to explore different objects using their sense of touch. This activity enhances their sensory skills and introduces an element of surprise and discovery.

Materials: A decorated box with a hole for reaching inside, various small toys or objects, and a safe, comfortable play area.

How to Do:

1. Decorate a box and cut a hand-sized hole on one side.
2. Place safe, small toys or objects inside the box.
3. Have your child reach in and guess each object by touch.
4. Pull out the objects to check guesses and discuss them.

Scribbling with Crayons

Scribbling with crayons is a simple activity that allows young children to express their creativity. It helps in developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and an early understanding of colors and shapes.

Materials: Crayons in various colors, sheets of paper, and a flat surface for drawing.

How to Do:

1. Set up a flat surface with sheets of paper for drawing.
2. Provide a variety of easy-to-hold crayons.
3. Encourage your child to scribble and create shapes, lines, or patterns.
4. Let them experiment with colors and techniques, guiding them as needed.

Sound Sensory Jars

Sound Sensory Jars are a fantastic way for kids to explore different sounds and develop their auditory senses. This activity is simple to set up and can provide hours of entertainment while also enhancing sensory awareness.

Materials: Small jars with lids, various items to fill them (like buttons, beads, rice, or beans), and tape or glue to secure the lids.

How to Do:

1. Gather small jars, lids, and items like buttons, beads, rice, and beans.
2. Fill each jar with a different item to create various sounds.
3. Secure the lids with tape or glue to keep them closed.
4. Have your child shake the jars and explore the different sounds.

Ball Scoop

The Ball Scoop activity is an engaging way for kids to develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This simple activity involves scooping balls from one container to another, making it an exciting and interactive game for young children.

Materials: Small plastic balls in various colors, a large container filled with water, a scoop or ladle, and an empty container for transferring the balls.

How to Do:

1. Fill a container with water and add floating plastic balls.
2. Give your child a scoop and an empty container.
3. Let them scoop balls from the water and transfer them.
4. Encourage exploring different ways to move the balls.

Rainbow Spaghetti

The Rainbow Spaghetti activity is a sensory-rich experience that kids will love. This activity involves playing with dyed spaghetti, which provides a fun way to explore textures, colors, and creativity. It’s also a great way to develop fine motor skills.

Materials: Cooked spaghetti, food coloring in various colors, Ziplock bags, and a large container or tray.

How to Do:

1. Cook spaghetti, then let it cool.
2. Divide spaghetti into ziplock bags, one for each color.
3. Add food coloring to each bag, seal, and shake until evenly colored.
4. Place colored spaghetti in a container for play and exploration.

Play with Busy Board Activity

Playing with a busy board is an excellent way for toddlers to engage in hands-on learning and sensory exploration. Busy boards are designed to develop fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and cognitive development through interactive play.

Materials: A busy board with interactive elements, a safe play area, and optionally, additional small toys to add to the board.

How to Do:

1. Place the busy board in a safe, reachable play area.
2. Show your child how each element on the board works.
3. Encourage exploration of knobs, latches, gears, and other features.
4. Allow your child to play and discover new ways to interact with the board.

DIY Shakers

Creating DIY shakers is a musical activity that kids will enjoy. This activity allows children to explore sounds and rhythms while developing their creativity and fine motor skills. Making their own instruments adds an extra layer of excitement and engagement.

Materials: Small containers with lids, filling materials, decorative materials, and tape or glue.

How to Do:

1. Gather small containers and filling materials like rice, beans, or beads.
2. Let your child fill each container with different materials.
3. Secure the lids with tape or glue.
4. let your child explore the sounds by shaking them.

Stepping Stones Activity

The Stepping Stones activity is an exciting outdoor game that helps children develop balance, coordination, and motor skills. It involves navigating a path of “stones,” which can be set up in various patterns to create fun and challenging courses.

Materials: Stepping stones (like flat stones, mats, or sturdy cardboard), an outdoor play area, and chalk or tape to mark a path.

How to Do:

1. Set up an outdoor area with space for stepping stones.
2. Arrange the stepping stones in a path, spacing them out.
3. Encourage your child to step from stone to stone without touching the ground.
4. Adjust the path to change difficulty and let your child try different routes.

Tunnel Play

Tunnel Play is an adventurous activity that helps young children develop their gross motor skills, coordination, and spatial awareness. Crawling through tunnels provides a fun way for kids to explore movement and build confidence in their physical abilities.

Materials: A play tunnel and a safe, spacious play area.

How to Do:

1. Set up the play tunnel in a safe, spacious area.
2. Add soft mats or padding around the tunnel entrances.
3. Encourage your child to crawl through, demonstrating if needed.
4. Let your child explore at their own pace, adding toys or small obstacles for fun.

Conclusion

The number of activities you can enjoy with your kid is countless.

What is the best part?

You can create a new activity according to your little one’s preferences every day. The precious moments 🥰 you spend with your kid are extremely important for his/her development.

I have thoroughly enjoyed these activities with my son and daughter. I hope it will help you to make your precious moments ❤️ even more memorable. 

Let me know in the comments which activity you liked 😇 the most.