My baby recently turned one years old and I’m stuck in this zone of not quite a toddler, but too busy to be bored with all that old baby stuff we used to do. I was stuck not knowing what to do with him and wishing he was just a littleeee bit older so we could go do more of those big kid activities he’s just not quite ready for. But, I made myself a promise that I’d make the most of each age I get to experience with my little one, so I hopped on the challenge of finding the best ways to entertain my 12 month old baby and here’s what I found.
I broke these up into three different sections because these were the main three groups I found: classes, at-home activities, and outdoor activities/other outings.
First off: baby classes! In this I included all the baby friendly classes even if they were geared towards mom and all the classes I found to help your baby learn and grow.
Classes:
Fit4Mom:
This is a great community I discovered when I wanted to get back into work outs. Not only did these classes allow me to get exercise while being with my son, but he loved it too! I made so many new mom friends, it got us out of the house, and Oliver made friends too! And the best part was, once we got home, I felt completely refreshed and ready to get back into the mom groove. To find a class near you just check out their website Fit4Mom.com and search up locations near you!
Library Groups:
Another great recommendation I have is to look at what’s going on at the libraries near you. Almost every library I’ve seen has some sort of music, movement, or story time for kids of all ages! Find a class thats geared towards crawling or walking babes and suddenly you have a great activity once a week to break up the monotony of staying at home all the time.
Music Classes:
Music classes are something I only discovered recently, but I so wish we had found these earlier! Studies have shown that music can help your child’s brain grow, and more so, they love it! It’s a fun mommy and me (or other caregiver and me) class that can also teach your child a few new things. Near us in Orange County SoCal, there’s a class called Music in Motion, but a quick Google search can help you find others near you.
Swim Lessons:
Swimming is an important skill that every child should learn and it’s never too early to start! If you do have a younger child many swim schools offer free lessons for children under 6 months or a year, and even if you’ve passed that age boundary, most offer one free trial class so you can check out if it’s something you’d like to invest in. These lessons are a good choice to teach your child life skills, get them some exercise, and introduce them to what could be a future sport they enjoy! They won’t grow out of swimming so it’s something that can grow with that, and swim lessons allow you to encourage and nurture a love of water which is so healthy for them!
At home activities:
As fun as going to classes with your little one can be, it’s not always practical to be driving around to classes, and also classes aren’t always free and can add up! So I doubled down on searching for good at-home activities for my 12 month old as well. Here’s what I found:
Reading:
I’ve been reading to Oliver since day one in hopes to help develop his language skills and foster a love of reading. Thankfully, it seems to be working! Reading is one of our most loved daily activities that we engage in together. I find it so fun to discover new books with him, and he gets attached to the characters every time we find a new story. Reading is such a blast and it helps with more than just language too! You can read books that help teach other lessons such as the alphabet, counting, shapes, colors, and so much more. Your child can practice their fine motor skills by working on turning the pages. You can even teach them about recognizing emotions through the stories you read, which could help them as they grow more and more into those big toddlers with big feelings. If you’re looking for a list of the best books to read your baby check out the list I’ve made of our favorites here.
Independent play:
As your child gets older you’ll discover that it becomes easier for them to engage in different forms of independent play. This is a great opportunity for you to give them toys to discover on their own. Some of our favorites have been the play kits from Lovevery since they perfectly target your kids age and the skills they’re working on at any given time. These are the only toys my son will play with over and over, every single day. If you have a safe place to let your kid work independently to master some of these new skills while you observe, it’s a great idea to let them. This is also a perfect opportunity for you to get some of the things on that never ending to-do list you have done.
Help around the house:
Speaking of to-do list, let your kid help! Now that your baby is old enough to understand more of what’s going on around them they would love to help. They see mommy working on all these chores and to them it seems like a blast. Let them practice their motor skills on a tiny broom, wash some dishes with you, dump the flower in a bowl to bake some cookies, or whatever else you may be meaning to get done. To them, it’s bonding time with mom and a ton of fun. To you, it’s bonding time with baby and productive (and a ton of fun!).
Imagination Play:
They may not fully understand imagination play yet, but they’re definitely getting there. The year mark means they’re hitting so many milestones and they’re still rapidly developing. Imagination play is also something that will grow with them and something that can teach them lots! Grab a stuffed animal and create a story with it (use it as a teaching moment to teach them animal noises too). Or pretend you’re dinosaurs or lions! My son loves making a roaring noise and marching around the house with me. This is definitely something new he’s never been into before so it’s a lot of fun getting to explore this new adventurous side of him, and I’m sure you’ll love it to if you give a shot.
DIY activities:
Now, this I think has been the hardest one for me to explore since I’ve never been a super creative person. That being said, I’ve really enjoyed going down the rabbit hole of Pinterest to find different DIY crafts and activities to do with my baby. We’ve done things like pulling sticky notes off the wall, making car race tracks out of cardboard, making foot print art, and so much more. If you’re looking for more specific DIY activities you can do with your baby check out some of the stuff we’ve done here! It also just takes a little bit of creativity, so if you’re feeling up for something new just open your shelves (or Pinterest) and see if you can make anything of the things you have around you.
Water Play:
Water is such a fun and useful thing that’s easy to access and we take it for granted way too often. I was often told I should go get a water table for my son to play with (which is so much fun if you do have one or can get one), but if that’s not an option for you, don’t panic! There’s still so many other water activities you can do. First off, learning how to drink water from a cup is a great motor skill to practice and usually a lot of fun. You have to be prepared to make a mess, but if you’re okay with it then go have a party. Another similar water activity is learning how to poor water in and out of cups and bowls. You could also make a little washing/bathing bucket for your child’s toys and let them splash around. Bath time for your child themselves can also be a fun playtime! Throw in some bubbles and some toys and have a blast!
Homemade play dough:
This one has been such a fun one for us but definitely not for every kid. Making homemade play dough is a blast and I’ll link the recipe I use here. I like to make the play dough myself that way if Ollie takes a bite I’m not too worried about what he’s eating lol. You can also make so much of it for cheap and pick and choose what colors you want to make. It’s a good activity for kids in this age group in my opinion because it’s great to show them how to play without sticking everything in their mouths, but it’s not the end of the world if they do nibble on a little bit.
Outdoor activities:
Even with never ending activities to do inside, it’s gets a little hard to be indoors all day. In addition, getting outside every day is an important part of staying healthy and happy, so here’s a list of outdoor activities (and some other outings) that you can do with your one year old:
Park Trips:
Finding new parks has been, honestly, just as much fun for me as it has been for Ollie. We have our local favorites, but take the time to go check out some new ones further away and go on an adventure. You can use the park swings, slides, climbing activities, fields, and so much more to have a fun time with your little one!
Beach trips:
If you live near enough to a beach this is a great thing to do at this age. Exploring the sand and water allows them to get a sensory experience, as well as explore fun beach toys and activities. Be wary of the eating of the sand that’s common for this age, but if you’re okay with getting a little dirty, building sand castles and digging holes had Oliver entertained for over an hour. Not to mention the splashing fun of washing off the sand in the ocean post dig. Just don’t forget your sunscreen and hats!
Camping:
One thing I found myself guilty of was always living for the future. My husband and I commonly would say, “Wow, I can’t wait for Ollie to be old enough for…”, and camping was often one we’d bring up. The amount of places we’d dream about visiting and camping in was crazy! So one day I said, “I’m so tired of always waiting for the future to have fun. What if we just went now?” So we did! You’d be amazed at the amount of camping gear for babies there is out there. I’d recommend making sure you go through your list of what you’d normally take camping and adapt it for a little one (I.e. make sure you have a sleeping bag fit for a one year old ect), and don’t forget to bring entertainment. But if you’re up for the challenge you can make such amazing memories for your whole family and create an incredible experience for each one of you, even if your babe won’t remember it.
Whatever you normally do!
If you used to go to Barnes and Noble every weekend, or out to coffee, or on a hike, keep doing it! Just because you’ve added a baby to your life doesn’t mean you have to take away everything else. Taking Oliver with me to do everything I used to do is one of my favorite things ever. Yes, it looks a little different now. I may no longer be able to spend an hour reading at Barnes and noble and instead stroll the kids section, but it’s honestly just as fun! I still get to do what I want, I just also share my time and joy with my favorite little man as well. It’s super I mportant to continue to enjoy everything you used to do and teach your kids how fun they can be too.
Food dates:
One benefit of my son finally being old enough to eat real food is getting to enjoy food with him. I now get to go on little food dates with the cutest date! If you’re too tired to cook or just in the mood for a nice meal, take your baby to a cafe! Put them in a high chair and share your favorite food with them. This to me is my favorite exhausted day hack, because now I get to skip out on the work of cooking, I get a break from play time for a little, and I get a treat for myself to boost my energy levels back up. Having a long day? Give it a try!
We all know parenting can be hard, but hopefully with some of these ideas you can savor every moment of it. Let me know if you try these ideas or if you have any of your own that you’ve loved!