I know they are not supposed to watch TV but I find that there are only so many hours that I can play on the floor with blocks with him. We play for a couple of hours each day but that leaves a lot of time in front of the TV. Any suggestions?
2006-12-07 18:40:49 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
I watch the Baby Einstein videos with my 1 year old. She seems to really enjoy them and they teach as well. I also have a newborn so don't have as much 1 on 1 time as I used to with her, so she does a lot of independent playing. She recently discovered crayons and paper, building blocks and loves musical toys. Going outside is not an option for us right now, because it is below freezing, but when we could, we loved to be outside
2006-12-08 00:11:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. Find out if your local public library has story time. If not, go there anyway!
2. Unplug the TV and turn on music. Sing with him. Dance with him. Teach him to tap out a beat.
3. Read. Read. Read. That is the single most important thing you can do to ensure his readiness for school.
4. Give him paper and crayons. Buy a roll of freezer paper and cover the whole table.
5. Make pudding, and cover the table with freezer paper. Let him finger paint with pudding.
6. Go on a walk at his pace. When he stops to look at a twig, do what he does. Share his curiosity in the world. As you walk, ask him what things are--this will build vocabulary. As he gets older, ask him to speculate about things: Why is sky blue? Where do the ants go? Why can birds fly?
7. Get an appliance box (like a refrigerator box) from a local home store. Build a fort with him.
8. Buy him a dust pan and dust broom. Teach him to use it. Teach him to wash the part of the window his little handprints show up on! Teach him to dust the coffee table.
9. Teach him how to make a sandwich.
10. Put a bunch of things on the floor and teach him to sort--by size, by color, by anything.
He's just now beginning to understand his world, and he will go through an EXPLOSIVE period of learning in the next two years. Right now, he's a willing learner, so take advantage of it!
2006-12-08 07:15:34 · answer #2 · answered by knowitall 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put on music - get your son to sing and dance.
Put him in his highchair while you are cleaning the kitchen. Talk to him, sing to him, etc so he is getting attention but you are getting your own stuff done.
Do whatever it takes to get him to start playing on his own. If you do your thing while he is playing in front of you, the amount of time you can go without interacting with him should begin to grow. The sooner he learns to entertain himself, the better.
Read books together.
Paint w/ water books. When my kids were really little, I would wet Q-tips for them to use on the pages. It's a great first art project.
Take him places you want or need to go. My kids are older - 2 & 3 years old - and one of our favorite things to do is eat lunch at the grocery store then do some light shopping. I also like the library because I can pick up some magazines to look at while my kids look at books. This works as long there is a children's section for you to sit in.
2006-12-09 21:05:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Singing interactive songs is popular with those little ones :) If you have a rubbermaid tub or something of the sort you could fill it with water. That is an awesome sensory toy for a tot and they love it! My son and I chase each other around the house, play hide & seek, read books, I put on childrens music and we dance, you could get out some paper and crayons. There is a bajillion things you guys can do together. Have fun! :)
2006-12-08 03:38:09 · answer #4 · answered by remsing 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Play outside! the fresh air is so good for him, and you too. read lots of books, play silly cuddling games, sing songs. let him help you cook. one year olds are great at stirring, even if there is nothing in the bowl! be creative. even "helping" you with laundry is a blast for a 1 year old. my son used to get all the socks to play with, and when i was done sorting everything else we would work on matching the socks. try to put an educational spin on anything and everything you do!
but number one - get outside. it is getting colder out now,so they may be short trips, but worth every second. if you want places to go - try the petstore to check out all the animals. little kids love silly gerbils, and birds and fish. or just take him the the mall - without a stroller - to run around. he will love the freedom, and it would be especially nice with all the christmas decorations up right now.
remeber even the lamest activities can be tons of fun for a 1 yr old!
2006-12-08 02:49:34 · answer #5 · answered by Rebecca O 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You wanna keep him/her entertained. Unplug the TV, hide the remote someplace. Play legos or "What's this?" or any other games that won't set him/her hyper. Go outside and get some fresh air. Exercise and walk around the block and point out things to him/her that may amuse them. You can also make a story out of an item, and depict it to be amusing to them. Like the cat trying to catch the bird, but the bird is courageous and flys higher and higher till the cat can't reach him. You can also point out roses or flowers. Point out that roses have thorns and might poke you, and caution them. Point out bugs or anything else that seems amusing or funny to the child.
Hope that was helpful
2006-12-08 02:54:02 · answer #6 · answered by azndengy115 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could you maybe go for a walk around the block, feed ducks, people watch at the mall? The main thing is to give him loads of eye level time and speak to him ALL THE TIME!! Roll a ball in his direction while he is sitting in a boppy pillow, read books, even your own magazines and point to pics and say what they are. Mainly live your own life out loud so he hears everything. He understands more than he can say.
2006-12-08 02:52:08 · answer #7 · answered by jette 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah, spread out some toys on the floor and "supervise" while you do other things. Kids don't need your CONSTANT attention. They also need to learn how to keep themselves happy. Playing with him for 3 hours a day is AWESOME!! But don't beat yourself up if you don't want to make it a whole day event. Show him books that he might like, let him color, have him play with blocks and things. He'll be fine if you let him alone sometimes.
2006-12-08 05:34:26 · answer #8 · answered by Rhysie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When my daughter was one, we used to sing all the time. She learned her ABC's, how to count, how to play games.....basically, any and everything I could think of was made into a game. No matter how silly it sounds, just do it! The silliest things are the ones your child will love the most. Try hide-n-see, ring-around-the-rosy, make maracasout of toiletpaper rolls, rice, paper, and rubber bands.
You might also check out Huggies.com for some great ideas!
2006-12-08 02:59:39 · answer #9 · answered by ~Anna~ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Story reading.
Singing.
Little car races.
Catch me if you can.
Catch the ball (throw it and he will go to pick it up ad give it back to you).
Take him for a stroll.
Make bubbles and he will pop them.
2006-12-11 20:06:09 · answer #10 · answered by Mel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋