Looking for the best activities for 1-year-olds? In this post, you’ll find 30+ activities specifically designed for one-year-olds. This list includes sensory, fine motor, and other easy activities that are quick to set up.
What are the best activities for 1-year-olds?
The best activities for 1 year olds are not “baby” activities.
The best activities for 1 year olds are not “toddler” activities.
The best activities for 1 year olds are “taby” activities, activities that are specificially designed for this unique age group.
What is a “taby”?
A taby is my made up word for children (approximately) between the ages of 12 months old and 24 months old. These often have all the ideas and hopes of a toddler, but are still growing the motor skills to put those plans into action. It’s an amazing age group, but it can be frustrating to find activities that suit them.
Looking for a different kind of parenting book?
Check out “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” for advice from tabies to big kids
What to consider with activities for 1-year-olds
When I’m looking for a taby activity, I’m looking for a couple of things:
- Is it easy to set up? This age group will most likely only play with an activity for 5 minutes. I need something that can be set up in seconds to get a great return of time investment.
- Is it taste safe? This age group is still exploring objects orally so it’s important to use safe items for them.
- Is it something he can be successful with? My taby is frustrated enough that he can’t keep up with his siblings. I need activities that he can feel and be successful at.
RELATED: Looking for toy ideas for one year olds? Check out my favorites toys here!
Revealed – 30+ ideas for one-year-olds
And I found 30+ amazing activities for 1 year olds. I looked all over Pinterest, went to my friends’ blogs, and put together an awesome list of links for you to check out.
I separated the activities into three smaller lists: fine motor activities, sensory bins, and fun & easy activities.
Get ready to click through to some amazing websites and keep that taby entertained.
Fine Motor Activities for 1-Year-Olds
Card Slot Drop
I didn’t expect my 3-year-old to have as much interest in this activity as my 19-month-old! This is so easy to set up and my taby loved pushing the cards in as much as she loved dumping them out when she was done.
Cheerios Fine Motor Snack
This activity is a fine motor practice, sensory exploration, and snack all in one. Having young ones practice picking up smaller objects is a great way to practice those fine motor skills.
Poker Chip Drop
This is such a great quick and easy game for your little one to play over and over. They’ll really have to focus on how to get the chips at just the right angle to go through the slot which may give you a few moments of quiet to breathe.
Animal Tape Rescue
Need a few moments of silence? This activity will give you that and so much more as they work to rescue their favorite toy.
Book Drop
A great activity to talk to your kids about books while they are also working on some gross motor skills. Imagine putting “mail” through the slot when playing post office, books when playing library, or even pretend money like a bank.
Taby Dot Sticker Wall
This seems super easy and simple, which it is to us, but to toddlers it’s an activity focused on hand-eye coordination, pinching skills, and color identification.
Push and Pull Toy Box
Toddlers will love the push and pull motion of this activity. Adding in colorful straws adds a bit of color matching skills as well.
Colander Pipe Cleaner Activity
Learning through play is so important and this activity is great for doing that. Kids are working on their fine motor skills but also using their hands and minds to complete this activity. Simplicity is your friend here and your kids will love it.
OBALL Pom Pom Push
This activity was the best of both worlds for my taby. It involves pom poms and pushing/shoving something, his two favorite things.
Popsicle Stick Drop
This activity is not only a great fine motor activity but also great for practicing hand-eye coordination and bi-lateral movement.
Pom Pom Drop
Grab those toilet paper tubes and create this fun drop activity. This is an absolute classic that you’ll love.
Simple Toy Push
Keeping a taby busy is HARD work. This super simple activity is one that gave me a few precious moments of peace and gave him something to come back to over and over again.
Pipe Cleaner Pick Up Sticks
Playing with pipe cleaners is fabulous for all ages – including one year olds. You’ll want to grab a bunch!
Tugging Box
I recreated this very activity with my daughter when she was a taby – it was a hit. This is a great idea for so many reasons.
Golf Tee Push
This can be played over and over again and dumping the box of tees is just as fun as pushing them through the top.
Pipe Cleaner Sprinkles
A fun twist on the push and drop activity! These “sprinkles” are just cut up pipe cleaners but to your one-year-old they are a baking necessity.
Drop Box Activity
This is perfect for all the tabies out there! They love dropping things in this little box. You could use counting chips, crayons, small toys, etc.
Velcro Color Match
This simple color matching activity is perfect for introducing colors and practicing matching them. Plus, the sensory experience of pulling the Velcro is fun in and of itself.
Pasta Threading
This simple threading activity is great for practicing fine motor skills and involves play dough which is always fun for one-year olds.
Sensory Activities for 1-Year-Olds
Please note that parental judgment and supervision is required on all activities, even those that may be call “edible” or “taste-safe.”
How To Make A Sensory Bin
Start here for all sensory bin basics. This will go over how/why behind sensory bins as well as give you some easy to find supplies.
Fill It Up Station
Kids learn best by doing and this filling station is amazing practice for learning how to scoop and pour.
Discovery Baskets
Discovery baskets are so fun and easy to set up and is a great activity to get older siblings involved in the experience!
Tractor Toy Bin
Setting up this dig and discover bin is so easy and is sure to be a hit with your kids. Bonus factor-it’s completely edible (it’s cereal).
Cornmeal Scooping
A great activity to practice using utensils with little ones. Save those egg cartons.
Painted Flowers
The sealed bag is a great trick and way to teach little ones about painting in a “mess-free” way. Once their done, hang these up as a colorful décor.
DUPLO Wash
Throw some soap, a brush, and DUPLO Bricks to a bin and you’re set! Be aware, your little one will have so much fun with this that they might want to climb in the bin with the bricks so have some towels on hand.
Cornmeal Pool
Our kiddie pool has been used for more sensory activities than an actual pool. It large, can be outside with the rest of the kids, and contains the little ones.
Rainbow Spaghetti
How beautiful is this! Dyeing spaghetti is a great sensory moment for one year olds.
Scooping Rice
Scooping is a skill that is so important for little ones to learn and this is a great activity to practice those skills.
Rainbow Sensory Play
This fantastic sensory bin is made with stale bread. It’s a great option for one year olds that their big siblings will love too.
Baby Play Dough
This dough is 100% taste safe for babies – made with baby-specific products. You should absolutely check this out.
Fun Activities for One-Year-Olds
Taby Sticky Wall
This may use an unconventional supply which normally I am against, but hear me out. Con-tact paper is amazing and you’ll use this more than you think.
Sort and Drop
Color sorting with LEGO bricks is such a win. It’s easy to set up and play over and over again.
Sort and Drop
Grab those toilet paper tubes and set up this adorable rainbow color sorting activity for your little ones.
Baby Ball Drop
This is such great hand eye coordination practice for babies and will hold your child’s attention for so long…always a win!
Painting Foil
Using Q-Tips as paint brushes is perfect for tiny hands. Kids can explore color mixing and fine motor skills in this awesome art activity.
Edible Paint
This edible paint is way easier to make than you would think and it’s a great way to introduce the idea of finger painting to your little one.
Frequently Asked Questions
NO! You do not need to do activities with one year olds. I did set up activities for my tabies because it gave us something to do, passed the time, helped me feel like I had something to do, and could give me a five-minute break (which is huge with this age group). Doing activities in the kitchen meant being able to make dinner. Doing activities on the bathroom floor meant being able to blow my hair dry.
I have a really fun list of books for babies and toddlers, perfect to grow with kids (my kids are big now, but these are still classics they love).
Having a great daily schedule is so important for one-year-olds. The consistency of their day helps them begin to understand expectations, their life, and it’s a big benefit to everyone. Check out my daily schedule for 1-year-olds.
Susie Allison, M. Ed
Owner, Creator
Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie’s parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.
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LindsAy Spencer says
Can we purchase this activity idea book from somewhere ?!!! This is amazing!
Amy says
Thanks for helping this new grandma with these ideas!
Suzanne Trahan says
I’m a speech-language therapist who works with children under three years of age, many of whom have Autism Spectrum Disorder or hearing loss. I’ve been looking for ideas to use that will use fine motor skills to keep a child’s interest so that s/he will stay put and be available for his/her parent to join the play and model actions and words about what the child is doing as s/he is doing it. So many of your ideas are wonderful and perfect for me and the parents I serve.
My taby grandson has tried lots of these out and proclaimed them “fun!”
Jodi Hollingshead says
Literally everything I’ve been looking for. I’m privileged enough to have the time and resources to put things together but just didn’t. Know. What. THANK YOU. Tearing up with relief and excitement to do these with my taby.
Lauretta kambai says
thanks for putting more light please am a creche teacher age range 3month -1year 6month what can of stage performance can these kids do
Nilda J Stanley says
I am a daycare teacher with 1-2 year olds…could you include more activities for a group of children in this age range?
Remya says
Love this. Definitely going to try some of these and sharing for sure 🙂
Madhavi says
I love this website and I really want it to try on my little one who is 15 months old
sharon says
Your ideas are fantastic and easy to do. I am a Grandma of an almost 1 year old and am thrilled to have found your site! Thank you.
sophielagirafe says
Thanks for sharing such an wonderful list ., i’m always very confused what kind of gifts to buy for my nephew and I was looking for a useful toys which can encourage him in learning, these wooden block toys are really the perfect gifts for him. Hope he would love to play and learn with them.
Annmarie says
This was such an awesome article, offering such great ideas. Sometimes we as mothers get so tired and bogged down, we can make things complicated when trying to figure something to occupy the little ones. But these ideas are really cool, easy and simple. My son enjoys doing these things, sometimes more than his more costly toys, lol. Thanks so much for your help.