For children around one year old, play is less about achieving a goal and more about exploring the world. At this age, children don't yet seek out the absolute truth. What's important for them is touching, trying, repeating, and observing the results. Throwing something on the floor, picking it up again, or doing the same action repeatedly is therefore meaningful.

Remember that as a parent, you don't need complicated toys or lengthy preparations to support your child's learning process. You can create games using simple everyday materials that stimulate both your child's senses and motor skills.

If you're wondering, "So, how?", let's look together at some play-based learning activities that you can easily do at home and are suitable for 1-year-olds.

Create your own rainbow with colorful cotton balls.

For this activity, you'll need different colored cotton balls and a few small containers. First, tear the cotton balls into small pieces and dye them in different colors. To do this coloring activity with your children, you can use Doodle pens designed with children's development in mind.

Next, place the cotton balls in front of your child and allow them to touch them, pick them up and put them in another container, or simply squeeze them and release them. If you wish, you can provide containers where you can separate the cotton balls by color, or you can fill and empty a single container with them.

In this game, the important thing isn't placing the cotton balls in the right place; it's how the child holds, carries, and releases them. Thanks to the light and soft nature of the cotton balls, children can practice gripping without expending too much force. This helps their hand and finger muscles work without getting tired.

Get to know animals better with animal figures.

Around the age of one, children begin to form connections with the objects around them. Animal figures can be a good starting point for this connection.

Place the toy animals in front of your child and gently say the name of each one. Be careful not to use complicated sentences when saying the names. Short and clear sentences like "This is a cat" or "This is a dog" will suffice. During play, your tone of voice and repetition will provide strong support for language development.

In addition to helping your child learn the names of animals, you might also want them to imitate these animals. For example, you can encourage learning through imitation by saying, "This is a cat, and what sounds do cats make?"

The important thing in this activity is to allow your child to hold the figure, put it in their mouth, or hit it on the floor. Because around the age of 1, these actions are not a reaction, but a natural process that allows them to explore.

Hide the objects and try to find them together.

Around the age of one, children transition into a more active phase. Therefore, you can support this development by creating opportunities for your child to move around. Finding objects can be a great way to do this.

For this game, you can use a favorite toy or small object of your child's. Hide the toy under a blanket or behind a pillow. After hiding it, ask your child, "Where is it?" and start searching for the object together. Let your child find the toy with simple directions. Of course, if they need it, you can take out the hidden toy and help them by saying, "Here it is!"

This simple game helps children understand the concept of object permanence, meaning that something that disappears is still there. It also fosters their curiosity.

Say the names of the objects your baby points to.

For babies, the age of one is a milestone in language development. This is because during this period, babies begin to transition from sounds to words. Exposure to different words during this time positively influences a child's language development.

One-year-old children often use pointing before they speak. They point to things, look at them, or make sounds. These moments are a great opportunity for language development. When your child points to an object, you can turn these opportunities into an activity that supports their development by clearly and calmly saying its name. Through these repetitions, you can help your child establish the connection between words and objects.

Explore Different Textures with the Texture Board

For an activity you can do with your 1-year-old, you can create a small board using different textures you have at home. A soft cloth, a textured sponge, and a piece of shiny fabric will suffice for this board. Of course, if you wish, you can make this board even larger with different textures.

After creating the texture board, allow your child to touch and explore the surfaces. Remember that texture exploration plays a vital role in helping children understand the world around the age of one. Learning becomes more lasting when touching, seeing, and feeling come together.

Make and pop bubbles together!

Bubbles are fascinating for all children. Creating and popping many bubbles, big and small, floating in the air not only captures children's attention but also increases their range of motion. To do this, let your child watch, reach out, and pop bubbles while you blow them. You can support the game with short phrases like "Pop!" and "Fly away!".

Having your child try to catch bubbles helps develop both gross and fine motor skills by engaging them simultaneously.

In short, these simple games played at the age of one simultaneously nourish your child's body, senses, and relationship with their environment. Remember that at this age, the purpose of play is not to teach, but to explore together. Therefore, it is more important for your child to keep trying than to focus on whether what they are doing is right or wrong. By being there and participating in the games, you can create a strong learning environment.

If you'd like more detailed information about your 1-year-old child's development, you can also read our article "1-Year-Old Baby Development: What Changes Can You Notice During This Period?".

Source:

1. https://learningthroughplay.com/let-s-play?ages=0-3%20years 

2. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-care/21-learning-activities-babies-and-toddlers#1-year

3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/12-to-18-month-old-child-development-activities