Sensory activities for one year olds is really about exploration. Kids Activities Blog has explored the internet {and our favorite kids activities bloggers} to find the best sensory activities for one year olds.
One year old kids love to explore the world through touch. I have a one-year old ball of energy. My son loves to squish things, taste them, bang two items together, throw them, see what noises they make. I love to surround him with activities for kids, that will help him develop. Right now, he gets the most stimulation and has the longest engagement with sensory games for babies.
Games for Babies
This is an edible sensory bin contrasting dark and light. Allison, of Train up A Child, has fun with her tot. They had two bins, one full of coffee grounds (already used so the caffeine was mostly removed) and another with cloud dough (aka cornstarch and oil).
Do you collect shells with your child at the beach? We do. Love how this baby game uses found objects from the beach with rice and other “pouring tools” to create a fun sensory activity.
Re-purpose a tissue box into a fun baby game of touch and guess. Put a variety of textures into the box, a variety of sizes of objects and watch as your baby problem solves to try and get the item out.
Watch your child get messy and explore with another fun edible play activity. Christie, of Mama OT, loved watching her child play with spaghetti. She dyed it a variety of colors. Add a touch of oil so it doesn’t clump and watch them play and taste to their hearts content.
Looking for a wide variety of suggestions of things that your child can explore with – most of which are readily available in your kitchen or playroom? Allissa, of Creative with Kids, has ideas of sensory things to do with a one year old.
Sometimes the simple things are the best toys for our babies and toddlers. Rachelle, of Tinkerlab, has a great suggestion to use a yogurt container, cut a slit in it and fill with satin scarves. Your toddler will love playing with her fabric bin.
Do you have an older child (i.e. past the putting everything in their mouths stage??) and are looking for items for sensory play? There are several dozen ideas of sensory tub items you can use in your bins, ranging from cleaned out milk jugs to toy trucks and dyed rice.
Activities for Toddlers
I think this is my favorite activity featured that we have yet to try at home. At Growing a Jeweled Rose, they got bags, filled them with a variety of substances, soap, hair gel, water, etc. Added objects to the bag and then sealed them up. Most sensory tubs are MESSY – not these sensory activities for toddlers! Brilliant.
If you don’t mind mess here is a fun toddler sensory activity, consider emptying your shredded paper bin into a box, kiddie pool, maybe even the tub (anything with sides on it), give your toddler a spoon and they will have a blast!
Consider collecting a bunch of different textured items for your child to explore. Mix dish scrubbies, paintbrushes, cotton balls, toothbrushes and other household items into a toddler treasure basket.
Looking for other ideas of things to create a sensory treasure box with? Living Montessori has a great list of ideas and you can check out these Sensory Development Activities as well.
There are great pre-made sensory tables and boxes you can use. We like the Sand and Water play station. Fill it with whatever you want. Or this portable sand tray and lid from PlayTherapy Supply. (affiliate links)
Toddler Development:
What sensory activities have you done with your kids to help them develop and grow??
More Fun Activities for One Year Olds:
Here at Kids Activities Blog, we are a little obsessed with playing with baby! Here are some recent articles about activities that are mom and kid tested.
- 24 Fabulous Ways to Play with Baby: Development of Play for 1 year old
- 12 Amazing Activities for 1 Year Old
- 19 Engaging Activities for One Year Olds
Great work. I will post some of your ideas into twitter and fb. Some of your friends might like to download my FREE High Frequency Words that have such comical pictures to help their young children.
Love and peace to you all.
Ann Foster
Great roundup Rachel! I love sensory activities for toddlers, and these are all great ideas! Thanks so much for including my treasure baskets link. I shared your post at the Living Montessori Now Facebook page and pinned it to my Toddlers – Activities and Ideas Board at http://pinterest.com/debchitwood/toddlers-activities-and-ideas/
I will have to do the coffee grounds and cornmeal. I love that idea, and I love that I can do it in a way that reuses — my leftover coffee grounds and cornmeal from the bee sensory bin I did with big brother, which had corn meal and black beans. I recently started a monthly series of Baby play, focused primarily on common household stuff. So many things that I would typically recycle turn into toys with the baby, who recently turned 1. We are having so much fun – he is really into stacking and building. http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2012/09/simple-ideas-for-baby-play-at-home-2.html