English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

My son just turned one and I have a hard time thinking of things to do with him. I tried to read stories with him but he is more interested in just ripping the books.. so that is out. He plays with toys, but not if I try to play with them with him. (If that makes any sense) I really can't think of anything else that we can do during the day to keep him and myself busy. Any suggestions?

2006-09-26 07:48:57 · 18 answers · asked by vickie 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting Toddler & Preschooler

18 answers

clay, crayons, park, play in the tub, washable paints, hide and seek, my kids like the scare game (hide behind a door or something and jump out with a boo lol), "i'm gonna get you" game, tickle monster games, puppets, make cookies, let him help you vacuum or dust and things--try anything til you find his favs--lol cant go wrong with trial and error, and it doesnt have to be just kid stuff like toys and such, try letting him help put clothes in the washer, or dishes in the dishwasher and stuff...

2006-09-26 08:58:05 · answer #1 · answered by silvermaiden4u 2 · 0 0

First of all, its pretty normal to still be ripping apart books at 12 months. My daughter [18 months] only became interested in reading books over the past month or two.

As for playtime ideas, you could go out and purchase a book with lots of suggestions. My favorite is "toddler play," put out by Gymboree. Its only around $7. Some of the ideas are silly, but there are still good ones in there.

2006-09-27 08:33:52 · answer #2 · answered by becky l 1 · 0 0

Reading
Children of this age can appreciate a simple story, but also like looking at the pictures. Stick with board books that can better withstand a one-year-old's not-so-gentle touch.

Emptying and filling
One-year-olds are fascinated by the prospect of emptying and filling containers. A milk carton holds a special allure for young explorers because the narrow neck stands in stark contrast to the spacious interior. Try putting small objects such as raisins or Cheerios into the bottle and then let your toddler work out how to pour them out.

Sorting
Save your junk mail. It now serves a purpose. Your toddler will love the challenge of pulling the inserts out of the envelopes and then trying to put them back in again.

Stacking
Building a tower and then knocking it down is not only fun, it's educational. Placing one piece on top of the next teaches children about balance. And, of course, the demolition reinforces the concept of cause-and-effect.

Scribbling
Your toddler doesn't have any concept of cubism, impressionism or even paint-by-numbers. But that doesn't mean he won't be thrilled by the prospect of putting pen to paper. Buy a large box of crayons, cover the floor in large sheets of paper and let your toddler experiment with various hand grips.

2006-09-26 15:01:16 · answer #3 · answered by ♥sweet♥ 6 · 1 0

Let him do the leading when you play. Play alongside him and maybe comment e.g. you have the red car, are you taking it to the garage. One is a bit young for reading stories aloud, but all kids love singing and rhyming games, and they are good for his development as they tune his ear to his native language. Playing with other people cooperatively is a skill that begins to appear around the 18 month age. Up until then it's games with you such as peepo
The best type of book for his age are the thick card ones, or the cloth ones. Pictures mean more at this stage. I used to have a game with my one year old that if he put his hand on an object in a picture I would say its name. Then later on, I'd say 'where is the hen (or whatever it was)' and he would put his hand on it.
For the moment, the best entertainment for him is watching you and for you to talk about what you are doing, if you feel like it. You don't have to entertain him all day - quiet time is good for both of you.

2006-09-26 15:06:49 · answer #4 · answered by tagette 5 · 0 0

My mom is the best when it comes to this. She just finds something really obscure for my daughter to play with and it keeps her busy a lot longer than her usualy toys. Just make sure it's something safe. Another thing that keeps my daughter busy it to take her little back pack and fill it with a bunch of different small toys like blocks and balls. She has a ball taking them out and putting them back in.

2006-09-27 12:17:12 · answer #5 · answered by all_my_armour_falling_down 4 · 0 0

Take your son outside and lay a blanket in the grass and sit with him and let him explore around. He's sure to be curious and inquisitive and he'll look to you for answers. (Be sure to bring some wipes in case he picks up something yucky!)You could also do some activities inside, like play some kids songs and sing along with him. (there's TONS of cd's available with traditional kids songs like "old mcdonald" and "bingo". ) Another thing you could do, if you can stand it, is get out the pots, pans and wooden spoons and bang away with him! By the way, there's a really great book called "Mommy and Me" that has activities for you and your child to do from baby to 5 years old. Use your imagination! :) Good luck!

2006-09-26 15:13:40 · answer #6 · answered by gidget 2 · 0 0

I take my son outside (other than for a walk) and let him explore (crawling on the grass, touching leaves, etc.) and I put clothes in a basket and let him play w/them while I do laundry. I also put on music and dance and sing w/him. There are music videos for infants and although his attention span is short, he loves the music and it keeps him content for a long while. Buy those thick, plastic coated books...then let him have his fun!

2006-09-27 01:23:28 · answer #7 · answered by south_lido 2 · 0 0

Get those fabric books, babies can't tear them and they can suck on them if they want. Also let him play with a toy while you read to him, believe it or not, he's probably listening. If you don't mind a mess, give him some washable markers and a big pad of paper.

2006-09-26 14:52:12 · answer #8 · answered by Rwebgirl 6 · 1 0

Play catch, but instead of throwing the ball, roll it. Go to the park. Tell him a story that you made up. Color on a large piece of paper on the floor or taped to the wall. Finger paints. Duplos.

2006-09-26 14:57:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

kids love to be outside, take him to the park and just let him go, bring a mat and some toys out there...also DVD's that are bright and that sing songs, like the doodlebops, or wiggles, my friends one year old LOVES miss spider dvd, and those scooter things for baby's to sit on and scoot with their feet. Lights and noise and colors mainly

2006-09-26 14:54:34 · answer #10 · answered by tattedmaiden 2 · 0 0

fedest.com, questions and answers