Activities with One Year Old Twins

I just contacted Parents as Teachers because I really don't know many activities that are age appropriate for the girls. They are really restless and I would love to do things with them, but just not sure what to do. I can only play patty cake, peek-a-boo and ABC's so many times.

What activities did you find that were fun to play with your one year old babies? I would love to hear what worked for you.

Thanx so much!

Elycia

 

I just contacted Parents as Teachers because I really don't know many activities that are age appropriate for the girls. They are really restless and I would love to do things with them, but just not sure what to do. I can only play patty cake, peek-a-boo and ABC's so many times.

What activities did you find that were fun to play with your one year old babies? I would love to hear what worked for you.

Thanx so much!

Elycia

 

I found when they were one my girls all 3 loved blocks, anytype of car or truck. Anything that makes noises. You don't have to play with them all the time, just find something they can share.

NO art stuff there too young for that yet.

 

I did lots of simple things with E&J at that age;

No matter where you are you can ask questions that uses all 5 senses. Look at the pretty yellow butterfly, Smell the little pink flower, feel the rough bark on the tree, listen to the train whistle…

Letting them play with plastic containers, pots and pans, and some metal or wooden spoons is always a great time. Show them how to tap like drums or stir a spoon in a container. Putting a colander or a container on your head is a great way to get a laugh.

Texture is big at that age; Put rice, beans or pasta in a bowl and let them get their hands in there to scoop them up. I know, the mess factor can be too frightening but it is so much fun. Finger painting in the high chair right on the tray with chocolate pudding. Make your own shakers (small container with a lid) with putting rice/beans/beads/pebbles or whatever you can find on hand.

Reading books and listening to music, singing and dancing.

Building and stacking with blocks.

That is all I can think of at the moment.

 

Mine are really into stacking cups and anything that involves putting things into and taking them out of containers. We have a shape-sorting toy and they have no clue about the shapes, but they love to take all the blocks out and put them back in. For more active play, they like to push walking toys around the house like demons. They also love toys that make noise when you push buttons, etc. (I'm not as crazy about those, but they do keep the girls entertained.) They like to bang on things (with their hands on the toilet lid, with spoons on a mixing bowl, etc.) We also like to swing at the playground (one of the few things you can do at a playground with one adult and two young toddlers). When DH is with me, we let them go down the slides and they love that.

 

Mine really got into containers and putting little things in them at 1 yr and still love it. I break out the orphaned Tupperware and let them have it. They like to put blocks, shapes from other toys, those link-a-doo things, stuff like that in the bowls and take them out. They also like plastic cups and putting things in them that make noise. Ainsley really likes to take a spoon or anything that's similar and put it in a bowl and "stir".

There really isn't a lot of structured things you can do at this age, like OK, we're going to color, do a puzzle, etc. It's more like just changing the scenery and toys up on them to keep them occupied. I also find that they get less fussy sometimes the less involved I am. If I just sit back and let them play, they are good. Of course, I do play with them, just not like every moment.

If you have a Laugh & Learn House, mine like for me to put different small toys in the mailbox and they take turns opening it to see what's there. We also take cushions off the sofa and they play on them.
HTH!

 

Try the gymboree books they are great for home-made activities. I thnk they are called "Baby play" and "toddler play" or something like that.

HTH
Laurie

 

Thanx so much for all of the replies. You guys are great as usual!

Elycia

 

I recently discovered some amazing book at the LIBRARY with activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers. I got some GREAT ideas!! I can't remember now what I did with my one year olds besides sand play and kiddie pools (turned one just before summer). Now at 3, I have a clear plastic tub that I have rice and shovels in for playing. But then they are also old enough to "clean up" when they are done. I hope this helps.

 

Right now my boys LOVE blocks! Just the regular ol' blocks! Ive been teaching them, and they just got the hang of how to stack them and take them apart. They also love when i read to them.