100 Easy Activities For One Year Olds

Activities for One Year Olds

After three kids and three one year olds, I can say with confidence that I adore this stage of toddlerhood! But alas, with short attention spans, only partially developed communication skills, and a loose understanding of boundaries and limits, this phase can also be really hard when it comes with keeping the kids busy. To help, this list of more than 100 ideas includes classic activities to remind you of the simple ones you might have forgotten about, new ideas for sensory play, easy outdoor activities, fun indoor activities, art projects and more. The idea here is to give you inspiration to make it through your days with a few more tools in your tool kit when you run out of your usuals.

Easy Kids Activities

Here are some classic toddler activities to try with your kids. Most of these ideas don’t involve buying anything new, though I did include some of our favorite toys to play with too. TIP: Sometimes just changing locations in the house to do an activity you usually do can make it feel fresh and fun!

Sensory Activities for One Year Olds

Getting those little hands into materials to work their senses is a fun way for them to further their development, explore, and have fun. Many things can be considered “sensory activities”, even eating, but these are a few fun ones to try. TIP: Some kids don’t love the idea of getting messy or touching various textures, so know that can be normal if that’s your child.

Kitchen Activities for One Year Olds

Cooking with toddlers is a perfect way to involve them in the activities of normal life, but also keep them busy and exploring. These are my favorite ways to have 1 year olds in the kitchen. TIP: Find more easy kitchen activities for toddlers in my book Food Play.

Outside Activities for 1 Year Olds

Getting fresh air is one of the best ways I know to rest bad moods, to make the day more fun, and to tire those little bodies out for nap and bedtime! These simple outside activities for little kids will give you some ideas for things to do with the kids. TIP: Find my favorite kids gardening activities.

Art Activities for 1 Year Olds

Doing arts and crafts with kids may or may not be your speed, so don’t worry about it if this sort of a mess stresses you out. If you’re game though, art can be so much fun—even with the most basic of craft supplies! TIP: Remember that they will likely make a mess, so protect surfaces and clothes (we like these Bumkins smocks) so you can relax while they play.

Best Tips for Activities and Projects with a One Year Old

Keeping younger toddlers entertained and happy is no easy feat, but a lot of it has to do with our expectations of what they’re capable of. Here are some simple tips to keep in mind when doing activities with your one year old.

Keep activities simple.Assume short attention spans.Try not to expect your kiddo to play independently all day long, but expect to do most of these together with short bursts of independent play.Try not to start an activity when they’re tired.Don’t force it—if they’re not interested, let it go.Use thing you have around the house—1 year olds don’t need fancy supplies or systems!Involve them in your usual routine to make the day more interesting and to teach them to help without really thinking about it.

TIP: Find my Master List of Free Kids Activities, which may also be useful. I’d love to hear about your favorite activities to do with toddlers, so please add yours below in the comments!