
Written by Suma rp
Congratulations! Your baby completed the first year of their life! Your little bundle is a full one year old baby now. You cannot just carry them around like a small soft toy or cushion anymore. They can move, scream, cry and do a lot of things that require your constant attention. Hence, engage them in some activities that are beneficial for a 12 month old baby.
Your baby will show a lot of interest to do a variety of things and activities. They will try to do almost anything and everything others around them are doing. They are in a hurry to grow up and show you they can also do what you do. Doing or giving them the right set of activities can make a big difference in their growth and development.
In This Article
As a one year old, your baby can now do the following. Remember, each baby is unique and crosses milestones in their own time. If your baby is unable to do any of these, do not worry, they just need a little more time and the right activities to help them.
Your baby will show interest in challenging activities. They are not very keen to observe a moving or musical toy at this stage. They would rather take it apart and see the insides. For such a curious mind, here are some activities you can try
Babies love to hide and find things. It need not be you or some other person at times. You can play peek–a–boo with objects around.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Encourages To Search | At this age, your baby understands they have to search and find the hidden item or person. They will look around and dig through bags to find what is missing. It is an important cognitive development that can help them remember, associate, or solve problems as they grow up. |
Teaches To Wait | Babies can never wait. They don’t understand the concept of time. when they want something, it has to be instant. Playing a peek-a-boo where you just hide your face behind your hands and peek out after a few seconds, will teach the baby to wait. They will wait till you show your face. This is an important development. |
At this age, your baby understands they have to search and find the hidden item or person. They will look around and dig through bags to find what is missing. It is an important cognitive development that can help them remember, associate, or solve problems as they grow up.
Babies can never wait. They don’t understand the concept of time. when they want something, it has to be instant. Playing a peek-a-boo where you just hide your face behind your hands and peek out after a few seconds, will teach the baby to wait. They will wait till you show your face. This is an important development.
Babies can’t read but will listen with keen interest. When you read to them, they hear the words; and see the book and pictures. It can be a very calming experience for both you and your baby to read.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Improves Listening Skills | The more you read, the more your baby will pay attention to the words you read, to your voice, and try to understand what you are saying. It improves their listening skills, which is very essential for effective communication in the future. |
Helps Develop Language | Reading regularly introduces your baby to new words, builds their vocabulary and develops their overall language. They can understand more words and speak them too, as they grow up. |
The more you read, the more your baby will pay attention to the words you read, to your voice and try to understand what you are saying. It improves their listening skills, which is very essential for effective communication in the future.
Reading regularly introduces your baby to new words, builds their vocabulary and develops their overall language. They can understand more words and speak them too, as they grow up.
Sensorial development is very important for babies. they need to touch, feel and understand with all their senses. Only then will they learn to use them all in their regular life.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Develops Senses | Using their eyes, ears, nose, and skin helps improve the functioning of all the senses. Your baby will learn to use them all in cohesion and explore their environment. |
Can Calm Baby | Sometimes a baby is cranky or throws a tantrum due to overstimulation or due to a sensorial need. When all their senses are used and needs are met through activities, your baby is less likely to cause trouble by exploring when you step out. Sensorial toys can help calm down an agitated baby. |
Using their eyes, ears, nose, and skin helps improve the functioning of all the senses. Your baby will learn to use them all in cohesion and explore their environment.
Sometimes a baby is cranky or throws a tantrum due to overstimulation or due to a sensorial need. When all their senses are used and needs are met through activities, your baby is less likely to cause trouble by exploring when you step out. Sensorial toys can help calm down an agitated baby.
Blocks are one of the most common toys for babies at this age. It helps pique their interest to sit in one place and play by themselves. Many parents invest in many varieties of toys to identify which fancy toy satiates their baby’s wants. However, simple blocks are all a baby might need.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Improves Concentrations | Building a tower requires immense concentration as even one wrong step can send the tower crashing down at your baby’s feet. Your baby’s focus will completely be on building more and more. |
Encourages Perseverance | Babies don’t give up easily. Though disappointed or frustrated, they keep trying. Every time the tower or blocks topple, the kids will build again. It teaches them to keep trying and not give up due to one failure. This is an important life lesson. |
Building a tower requires immense concentration as even one wrong step can send the tower crashing down at your baby’s feet. Your baby’s focus will completely be on building more and more.
Babies don’t give up easily. Though disappointed or frustrated, they keep trying. Every time the tower or blocks topple, the kids will build again. It teaches them to keep trying and not give up due to one failure. This is an important life lesson.
Balls are one of the favorite toys for all babies at this stage. They love the colors, and the way the ball moves or bounces. For a baby who has just begun to move, reaching the ball can be a very engaging activity. Due to its shape, the ball tends to keep moving every time your baby touches it. Babies find this very exciting.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Improves Grip | Holding the ball firmly in their hands helps improve the baby’s grip and control of their fingers. The fingers get stronger and wrist mobility also improves. A ball can be slippery if it’s not made from fabric. Such balls can be very exciting and challenging for a baby. |
Development Of Hand-Eye Coordination | Typical play with a ball involves throwing or chasing it. Such activities can improve your baby’s hand-eye coordination. Your baby will move to reach and pick a ball that they can see from a distance. It also teaches them objects can move and that they need to move faster or put in more effort to reach such objects. |
Holding the ball firmly in their hands helps improve the baby’s grip and control of their fingers. The fingers get stronger and wrist mobility also improves. A ball can be slippery if it’s not made from fabric. Such balls can be very exciting and challenging for a baby.
Typical play with a ball involves throwing or chasing it. Such activities can improve your baby’s hand-eye coordination. Your baby will move to reach and pick a ball that they can see from a distance. It also teaches them objects can move and that they need to move faster or put in more effort to reach such objects.
Babies love their toys. They love to pretend to play too. Once they start moving, they will drag their toys along. Pull-along toys come with wheels and offer the right companion for babies who want to move.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Teaches Speed And Distance | Babies will first drag the toy too fast, causing it to topple or come and hit their feet. Over time, your baby will learn to adjust the pressure and speed with which they pull or move. |
Improves Mobility | With a toy dragging behind them, babies love to move more and even faster. It improves their mobility and balance. They use all their limbs, thus improving their gross motor skills. |
Babies will first drag the toy too fast, causing it to topple or come and hit their feet. Over time, your baby will learn to adjust the pressure and speed with which they pull or move.
With a toy dragging behind them, babies love to move more and even faster. It improves their mobility and balance. They use all their limbs, thus improving their gross motor skills.
Babies learn fast and remember for longer when they do something practically. When they perform activities with their own hands and body, they learn faster. Their brain makes an association that it remembers for a long time. With fun activities, it is easy to help your baby learn about and explore their abilities.
Suma is a passionate content writer with a strong keenness to understand the miracle of pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Suma has successfully transitioned into a full-time content writer and a key contributor at Being The Parent. She leverages on her experimental background in chemistry and experience in writing to come up with well-researched content that helps parents struggling to deal with various medical conditions of their children.Read more.
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