10 Sensory Activities for Keep Your 1-Year-Old Engaged and Learning – Firmam

Welcome to our article on sensory activities for 1-year-olds! If you’re a parent or caregiver of a curious and energetic 1-year-old, you know how important it is to keep them engaged and learning. Sensory activities are a fantastic way to do just that.

At this age, your child is constantly exploring the world around them through their senses. They’re touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing everything they can get their hands on. Sensory activities provide them with the opportunity to develop and refine these skills in a fun and interactive way.

Not only are sensory activities great for keeping your little one engaged, but they also have numerous developmental benefits. They can help improve fine motor skills, enhance memory and cognitive function, and even promote language development.

In this article, we’ll be sharing 10 sensory activities that are perfect for 1-year-olds. These activities are simple, easy to set up, and require materials that you probably already have around the house. So, let’s get started and help your 1-year-old explore, learn, and have fun through sensory play!

Sensory Bins: Exploring through Touch

Sensory bins are a fantastic way to engage your 1-year-old in sensory activities. These bins can be filled with a variety of materials that encourage your child to explore and learn through touch. Here are some ideas for sensory bins that are suitable for 1-year-olds:

Rice Bin: Fill a bin with rice and add small toys, such as cars or animals, for your child to discover. You can also add scoops and containers for pouring and transferring the rice.
Water Bin: Fill a bin with water and add cups, spoons, and other kitchen utensils for your child to play with. You can also add food coloring to make the water more interesting.
Sand Bin: Fill a bin with sand and add small toys, such as shovels and buckets, for your child to use. You can also add shells or rocks for your child to discover.
Pasta Bin: Fill a bin with dried pasta and add small toys, such as animals or cars, for your child to find. You can also add scoops and containers for pouring and transferring the pasta.
Bean Bin: Fill a bin with dried beans and add small toys, such as farm animals, for your child to discover. You can also add scoops and containers for pouring and transferring the beans.

When creating sensory bins for your 1-year-old, it’s important to remember a few safety tips:

Always supervise your child while they are playing with sensory bins.
Make sure the materials you use are safe for your child to touch and explore.
Avoid using small objects that could be a choking hazard.
Use a bin with high sides to prevent spills.

Sensory bins are a great way to help your 1-year-old develop their fine motor skills, cognitive abilities, and language skills. By exploring different materials through touch, your child will be engaged and learning for hours.

Textured Art Projects: Finger Painting and Collages

Finger painting and collages are two sensory activities for 1 year olds that are not only fun but also educational. These art projects allow your little one to explore different textures, develop their creativity, and improve their fine motor skills.

Finger Painting

Finger painting is a classic sensory activity that is perfect for 1-year-olds. It allows them to explore different colors and textures while developing their creativity and fine motor skills. To set up a finger painting activity, you will need:

Non-toxic finger paints
Paper or cardstock
A smock or old shirt to protect your child’s clothes

Simply lay out the paper on a flat surface, squeeze out some finger paints, and let your child explore! They can mix colors, make patterns, and create their own masterpieces. Make sure to supervise your child during this activity to prevent them from putting the paint in their mouth.

Collages

Collages are another great sensory activity for 1 year olds. They allow your child to explore different textures and materials while improving their fine motor skills. To set up a collage activity, you will need:

Construction paper or cardstock
A variety of materials such as tissue paper, feathers, pompoms, and ribbons
Glue or a glue stick
Scissors (optional)

Lay out the construction paper on a flat surface and provide your child with a variety of materials to choose from. Show them how to use the glue stick or glue to attach the materials to the paper. They can tear or cut the materials into smaller pieces if they are able to. This activity is a great way to develop your child’s fine motor skills and creativity.

Remember to always supervise your child during sensory activities and ensure that they are safe and age-appropriate. With these textured art projects, your 1-year-old will be engaged, learning, and having fun!

Music and Dance: Developing Auditory and Motor Skills

Music and dance are excellent sensory activities for 1-year-olds that can help develop their auditory and motor skills. These activities can be as simple as playing some fun tunes and encouraging your little one to move and groove! Here are some ideas to get you started:

Dance Party: Play some upbeat music and dance with your child. You can hold their hands and help them move their bodies to the rhythm. This activity can help improve your child’s balance, coordination, and body awareness.
Musical Instruments: Introduce your child to different musical instruments, such as drums, maracas, or tambourines. Let them explore the sounds and rhythms they can create. This activity can help develop your child’s auditory processing and fine motor skills.
Action Songs: Sing songs that involve actions, such as “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” or “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” These songs can help improve your child’s memory, language development, and motor skills.
Parachute Play: Use a lightweight parachute and shake it up and down while playing music. Encourage your child to crawl under the parachute or hold onto it while it moves. This activity can help develop your child’s sensory processing, motor skills, and social interaction.
Obstacle Course: Create a simple obstacle course using household items, such as pillows, chairs, or blankets. Play some music and encourage your child to move through the course while following the rhythm. This activity can help improve your child’s gross motor skills, coordination, and body awareness.

Remember to always supervise your child during music and dance activities and ensure that they are safe and age-appropriate. With these sensory activities, your 1-year-old will be engaged, learning, and having fun while developing their auditory and motor skills!

Sensory Walks: Discovering Nature’s Textures and Colors

Sensory walks are an excellent way to engage your 1-year-old in sensory activities while exploring the great outdoors. These walks provide your child with the opportunity to discover nature’s textures, colors, and sounds in a fun and interactive way. Here are some ideas for sensory walks that are suitable for 1-year-olds:

Leaf Walk: Take a walk outside and collect leaves of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Encourage your child to touch and feel the leaves, noticing their texture and temperature. You can also point out the different colors and shapes of the leaves.
Stick Walk: Take a walk outside and collect sticks of different shapes, sizes, and textures. Encourage your child to touch and feel the sticks, noticing their texture and weight. You can also use the sticks to create pictures or patterns in the dirt.
Rock Walk: Take a walk outside and collect rocks of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Encourage your child to touch and feel the rocks, noticing their texture and temperature. You can also point out the different colors and shapes of the rocks.
Flower Walk: Take a walk outside and collect flowers of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Encourage your child to touch and smell the flowers, noticing their texture and scent. You can also point out the different colors and shapes of the flowers.
Bird Walk: Take a walk outside and listen for different bird sounds. Encourage your child to imitate the sounds they hear. You can also point out different birds and their colors.

When going on sensory walks with your 1-year-old, it’s important to remember a few safety tips:

Always supervise your child during the walk.
Make sure the area is safe and free of hazards.
Avoid picking up any plants or objects that could be poisonous.
Use a stroller or carrier if your child gets tired.

Sensory walks are a great way to help your 1-year-old develop their sensory processing, cognitive abilities, and language skills. By exploring nature’s textures, colors, and sounds, your child will be engaged and learning for hours.

5. Food Experiments: Tasting and Smelling New Flavors

At this age, your child is developing their sense of taste and smell, and food experiments are a great way to help them explore these senses. Here are some ideas for food-related sensory activities that are suitable for 1-year-olds:

Fruit Tasting: Provide your child with a selection of fruits to taste, such as apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes. Encourage them to touch, smell, and taste each fruit, noticing the differences in texture, color, and flavor.
Herb Smelling: Set up a tray with different herbs, such as basil, mint, and rosemary. Encourage your child to touch and smell each herb, noticing the differences in texture and scent.
Spice Tasting: Provide your child with a selection of spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and turmeric. Encourage them to touch, smell, and taste each spice, noticing the differences in texture, color, and flavor.
Yogurt Painting: Provide your child with plain yogurt and food coloring. Encourage them to mix the food coloring into the yogurt, creating their own colors. Then, let them use the yogurt as finger paint and create their own masterpiece.
Pudding Exploration: Provide your child with a bowl of pudding and a variety of objects, such as spoons, straws, and cookie cutters. Encourage them to explore the pudding with different objects, noticing the texture and temperature.

When introducing food experiments to your 1-year-old, it’s important to remember a few safety tips:

Always supervise your child during the activity.
Make sure the food is safe and age-appropriate.
Avoid introducing any foods that your child may be allergic to.
Use non-toxic food coloring if you decide to use it.

Food experiments are a great way to help your 1-year-old develop their sensory processing, cognitive abilities, and language skills. By exploring new flavors and smells, your child will be engaged and learning for hours.

Bubble Play: Visuospatial and Tactile Fun

Bubble play is an excellent sensory activity for 1-year-olds that can help develop their visuospatial and tactile skills. This activity is not only fun but also visually stimulating and can keep your little one engaged for a long time.

To set up a bubble play activity, you will need:

A container filled with water
Dish soap
A bubble wand or a straw

Simply mix some dish soap with water in the container, and you’re ready to go! You can either use a bubble wand or a straw to blow bubbles. Make sure to supervise your child during this activity to prevent them from putting the soapy water in their mouth.

As your child watches the bubbles float around, they are developing their visuospatial skills, which are essential for understanding and navigating their environment. They are learning to track moving objects and understand their position in space.

Bubble play is also an excellent tactile activity. Your child can touch and pop the bubbles, feeling the texture and temperature of the soap film. This activity can help develop their tactile processing and fine motor skills.

To make bubble play even more fun and educational, you can try the following variations:

Colorful Bubbles: Add food coloring to the soapy water to create colorful bubbles. This can help your child develop their color recognition skills.
Bubble Snakes: Cut the bottom off a plastic bottle and cover the opening with a sock. Dip the sock in the soapy water and blow through the bottle to create long bubble snakes. This activity can help develop your child’s hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Bubble Painting: Dip a bubble wand in paint and blow bubbles onto a piece of paper. The bubbles will burst and leave a colorful print on the paper. This activity can help develop your child’s creativity and fine motor skills.

Remember to always supervise your child during bubble play and ensure that they are safe and age-appropriate. With these variations, your 1-year-old will be engaged, learning, and having fun while developing their visuospatial and tactile skills!

7. Interactive Stories: Enhancing Language and Imagination

Interactive stories are a great way to enhance your 1-year-old’s language development and imagination. These stories involve your child in the narrative, encouraging them to engage with the characters and events in the story. Here are some ideas for interactive stories that are suitable for 1-year-olds:

Peekaboo Stories: Create a simple story using peekaboo as the theme. For example, “Where is the baby? Peekaboo, here I am!” Encourage your child to participate by hiding their face and saying “peekaboo” when they reappear.
Touch and Feel Stories: Use touch and feel books to create an interactive story. Encourage your child to touch and feel the different textures in the book, such as the soft fur of a bunny or the rough texture of a tree.
Props Stories: Use props to create an interactive story. For example, if you’re reading a story about a farm, use toy animals to act out the story. Encourage your child to participate by giving them a toy to hold and interact with.
Songs Stories: Use songs to create an interactive story. For example, if you’re reading a story about a train, sing “The Wheels on the Bus” and encourage your child to sing along.
Movement Stories: Use movement to create an interactive story. For example, if you’re reading a story about a bear, encourage your child to crawl like a bear or roar like a bear.

When creating interactive stories for your 1-year-old, it’s important to remember a few safety tips:

Always supervise your child during the story.
Make sure the props and materials you use are safe for your child to touch and explore.
Avoid using small objects that could be a choking hazard.
Use a book or materials with high-quality images and clear text.

Interactive stories are a great way to help your 1-year-old develop their language skills, cognitive abilities, and imagination. By engaging with the story and the characters, your child will be learning and having fun for hours.
In conclusion, sensory activities are a great way to keep your 1-year-old engaged and learning. From sensory bins to food experiments, music and dance to interactive stories, there are countless ways to help your child explore the world around them through their senses. These activities not only provide entertainment but also have numerous developmental benefits, such as improving fine motor skills, enhancing memory and cognitive function, and promoting language development. So why not try some of these sensory activities for 1-year-olds and watch your little one learn and grow while having fun!