Activities for 1-Year-Olds: 12 Things to Do at Home
The best activities for a one-year-old are simple actions they can repeat: fill and empty a basket, roll a ball, copy a sound or point at a picture. Each can work for a sitter, crawler or walker.
A child who has just turned one and a child who is almost two can live in the same age bracket and want entirely different afternoons. One wants to drop a spoon from the high chair for the fortieth time; the other wants to post letters, feed teddy and run off with the postbox. Both are playing. The ideas below have a starting move and an easy next move, so you can use the same game as your child changes.
Start with the action your child keeps choosing
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| What they keep doing | Try first | Next version |
|---|---|---|
| Dropping and tipping | Basket fill-and-empty | Post large cards through a box |
| Moving towards things | Roll a ball between you | Carry a soft toy to a basket |
| Copying you | Wipe a table together | Give teddy a pretend drink |
| Pointing and making sounds | Picture-book chat | Pause during a familiar song |
The NHS play guide puts the emphasis on ordinary household objects, songs, books and joining your child. There is no need to buy a different toy for each month or expect a game to occupy them while you disappear to another room.
Twelve activities you can actually start today
1. The in-and-out basket
Put two or three large soft toys in a low basket. Take one out, put it back, then hand over the basket. Some children will remove everything and walk away; that is still a successful first round. Next time add a second basket and let them transfer the toys.
2. Roll the ball home
Sit facing your child and roll a soft ball slowly between you. If they are not yet rolling it back, hold out your hands and say, 'Ball's home!' when it reaches you. A crawler can chase it; a walker can carry it back. Keep the ball large enough that it cannot fit in their mouth.
3. The cloth delivery
Give them a clean flannel and invite them to take it to a teddy on the other side of the room. A sitter can move it between two bowls beside them. A confident walker may enjoy being sent to fetch the next cloth. This is one of the rare games where helping with the laundry and playing look suspiciously alike.
4. Spoon and bowl concert
Offer a wooden spoon and a plastic bowl. Tap twice, wait, and see what sound comes back. Try the outside of the bowl, then the inside. You can say 'loud' and 'quiet', but following their beat is more fun than teaching a music lesson.
5. Picture-book conversation
Open a sturdy board book to any page they choose. Name one thing they look at, then pause. If they point to the same dog again, name it again. You do not have to finish the story or even start at page one.
6. Sing it, then stop
Sing a rhyme they know and pause before the last word or action. Give them time to make a sound, move, smile or demand the next verse. You can do this while changing a nappy, waiting for pasta to cool or sitting on the bus.
7. Big cardboard postbox
Cut a wide slot into a clean box yourself, smooth the edge with tape and give your child large cards to post. Empty it together. A younger one-year-old may prefer putting cards through the open top; the slot can wait.
8. Two-cup water pour
On a kitchen floor, put a small amount of water in one unbreakable cup and leave another empty. Help your child tip water across, or just let them dip a sponge and squeeze it. Stay close enough to touch them the whole time and empty both cups afterwards. NHS water-play advice is clear that even shallow water needs constant adult supervision.
9. Wipe together
Hand them a clean cloth while you wipe a low table or cupboard door. Show one swipe and let them copy it. If they start cleaning the same spot for four minutes, enjoy your unusually enthusiastic assistant. Keep cleaning sprays and hot surfaces out of the game.
10. Teddy's dinner
Give teddy a large empty spoon and bowl. Pretend to offer a mouthful, then let your child take a turn. If they are more interested in putting the spoon in the bowl, let that be the game. Pretend play does not need a full toy kitchen.
11. Hide under the cloth
Partly cover a familiar toy with a light cloth and ask, 'Where did it go?' Make the toy easy to find. Later, let your child hide it for you. Avoid covering a child's face or wrapping the cloth around them; it is the finding that makes this work.
12. The tiny walk with a job
If they are walking, let them carry a soft toy from the front door to the garden gate or around the room. If they are cruising, place the toy where they can reach it while holding sturdy furniture. If they are crawling, move the destination closer. The task makes an ordinary trip feel like a mission.
What to change between 12 and 23 months
A birthday does not switch on a new set of skills. Watch what your child can do with the game, then add one wrinkle: another object to sort, a longer journey, a pretend turn for teddy, or a pause where they can answer you. If the new version falls flat, return to the original. Repeating the same game is useful; it also tells you what they like.
The NHS toddler activities page encourages following a toddler's lead and naming what they notice. If you are looking for a different setting after a long day at home, our toddler day-out guide helps you choose a trip that fits a small child's actual attention span. For the wind-down at home, our baby bedtime routine guide has a calmer end to the day.
Keep the game bigger than the mouth
One-year-olds often explore objects with their mouths. Use large, sturdy pieces, check age labels and loose parts, and put away anything with an exposed button battery. NHS toy-safety guidance covers those checks. Stay beside them for water, and keep boxes and cushions on the floor rather than turning furniture into climbing equipment.
