What are some indoor activities that you do with your 1 year old?

Bronwyn - posted on 04/05/2011

My 13 month-old is enthralled with the dog's water bowl, so I decided to get creative. I filled a shallow pan with water, put it on a towel, stripped my son down to his diaper, gave him some kitchen "toys" (a measuring cup, spoons, etc.), and let him go to town. He LOVED it. (Never leave the child unattended though as children can drown in very little water.)

Charleen - posted on 04/05/2011

I would do like some art projects like teaching them to color. Go to like an indoor jump house for young ones. You could go to the mall and go for a walk you could sing abc's do a dress up and dance session where you dress her up there is like a recipie you could do and let them help make thier own snack and decorate like thier breakfast with a go gurt on a pancake like they do at ihop you could color you can do exercises with her and so many more things

Sheila - posted on 04/05/2011

Hannah just loves emptying things, anything! bags, washing machine, dryer, cupboards, and putting things back in - usually tins and boxes of cereal end up in the washer! But she can sit happily just moving stuff around....at the weekend I'm gonna sort my cupboards out, maybe I can get Hannah to help - fab idea about the bubbles and dishcloth hahaha - we also spend lots of time playing peek a boo - she picks up all my nicely laundered towels and sheets and squeals with laughter when I can't find her - she has got sooo many toys to play with, but none really keep her attention for more than a few minutes

Vera - posted on 03/28/2011

I know about them getting distracted easily! I found the more toys and items I leave out or lying around the LESS attention my daughter will give to one thing. So picking up everything but a few will help your little ones concentrate on just one or two things. We recently organized her toys into a bin like thing – I have quickly found which are her favs and which she refuses to play with.

As for things Allie LOVES to do..

#1 taking everything out of mums purse and emptying all the cards out of her wallet! Before I set it in that “he he he I can reach it” place I always take everything out she shouldn’t have so she can’t get hurt. I have a couple of extra purses I just pack with her toys and stuff and set it down… amazing how fast she crawls from one side of the room to get into it.
#2 Her second thing… Helping mum clean. I don’t put that much water in a bucket but lots of bubbles and give her her own damp rag and she will wipe everything with me for forever! She loves the bubbles!
*We have a rocking horse (it is small) she LOVES to just ride on that thing everywhere.
*We play bouncing on mums and dads bed. She loves to just be tossed into the pillows.
*She likes to do music stuff play drums with some sticks and old cookie tubs (they lock tight) and will play music stuff with me for a while. You can use water bottles dried out with beans in them for something noisy…
*I have a old diaper box I sit her in and push her around the house, she loves to pick stuff up and put it in the box. She just laughs when we go on two wheels around a corner.
*Do you remember playing “airplane” with your parents? They would lie on their backs and put your tummy on their feet and “wheeeeee” you would go. Well she loves that too.
*Old table cloth – get some washable finger paints (I found that it is more expensive but she loves it more) there are the clear ones that only change color on the paper – she makes a HUGE mess but loves to splat it and smear it, poke it… umm yeah (not one of my more genius moments but it is nice to see her splat stuff)
*She loves bubbles – you can always make your own with soap and water!
*She likes to tear paper and do stickers … if you have old paper or stickers around
*She likes to play with me in her tent – so you could make a fort out of blankets and pillows or something – she will go in there with her toys and tell me “sweet stuff” … that is when she talks sweet.

Hope some of those are new for you guys… don’t worry the cold won’t last long! Also if you get the car maybe going for a walk in the mall, or even like Target or Wal-Mart for a while will help. Get your little ones out to look and see something new and not be inside the house the whole time.