Learning Activities for Your One Year Old

So you have taken the plunge and decided to stay at home with your one year old child. Now, what? Here are some activities you can do with your child that will facilitate learning as though they were in a preschool environment.

At this stage in life, children are learning how to walk, and their vocabulary is increasing everyday . Developing hand-eye coordination is important at this point, so you will want to do things with them to help them strengthen skills in those areas.

Games to play at this stage of life include: Peek-a-Boo, Patty Cake, and "Where's the Baby?". Hide the baby under a blanket or cover them with a towel and ask where the baby is. Move the towel or blanket, say, "There s/he is!", and laughter will surely ensue.

Focus on speaking to the child as though they can understand you. Using baby talk will only hinder their vocabulary; the more you speak to them as though they understand adult words, the better they will speak to you in the end.

Turn every part of the day into learning. Say the names of body parts as you wash them during bath time. Soon the child will be able to point out parts of their body on their own. Some good toys to have at your disposal are blocks, shape sorters, and simple puzzles. Count the blocks with the child as they play with them or when you put them away. Even though they will be a while before they can count with you, it will help them later. Tell the child the shapes as they put them in the sorter. Ask the child to point out each shape. Soon, they will not only be saying each shape, but will know which one is which and right where it goes into the box.

During meal times, tell the child what color the food is that they are eating. Point out colors of everything around them and soon enough they will be able to identify colors, and even tell you a favorite.

Always talk to your child. You can never say too much, and anything is sufficient. The more they soak in the better. Reading to your child is still just as important as it has been up to this point, and you should continue to do so frequently. Take suggestions from your child as to what you should read, even if it is just a point or a giggle.

Following these suggestions will set you up for an amazing year of growth, and get you ready to get into some more engaging activities for when your child turns two. Stay tuned for more suggestions for more learning activities for children aged 2-4.