Keeping Busy With your One Year Old

Can you believe it has been a year already!  By 9-12 months your child is probably keeping you on your toes by crawling, climbing, and walking.  Your baby is starting to do things on their own and may actually verbally communicate to you what their needs are.  They have their favorite toys by now and the best toys for these energetic months are toys that encourage discovery and movement.

Toys that assist your baby in standing are great for helping them to get on their feet and practice balancing and moving with the toy.  Push toys have all kinds of functions and range from a push car to a container that will pick up their toys.  You may find that once they realize their new found freedom your baby may start pushing everything that is moveable in the house.  Tables, boxes, and even the family dog are no exception (poor doggy).  As a parent, you need to be aware of potential harmful objects that may fall and injure your baby if they are to push something and knock it down.  You also need to make sure that all push toys are sturdy enough and will not slip out from under your child.

Your child may be ready to explore the world of outside toys and is probably starting to realize how much fun the great outdoors can be.  Throwing balls with your child encourages them to practice walking to an object and squatting to pick it up and throw it back.  Rolling the ball is good for interaction and promotes concentration.  Little fun gyms for them to climb on make a great outside toy and can even accommodate younger siblings or playmates.  A sandbox can keep your child busy for hours by building mounds of sand or making molds.  A sandbox should be used under constant supervision because you do not want your little one eating sand for snack!  But don’t forget the must have outside toy of all time is the swing.  Babies of all ages will love swinging in the outdoors.

There are some things we do as parents that can accommodate any age and that is reading and talking to your child.  These are things that really help your baby’s mind progress and can assist in a better understating of their environment.  Sometimes the best way for babies to learn new things is to watch other people and children, because one year olds are great in mimicking behavior and movement.  You may find your baby pretending to talk on the phone or cook in a pot or pan.  An activity table is still a good choice in providing your child with different level of toy in one area.  Making it through the first year seems like a whirlwind and a milestone for parents but is worth every step.