Category: 12 to 18 months

Photo Wallpaper

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In the past, I’ve made photo albums for Veronika featuring pictures of family and friends, in order to help her know and recognize those who love her most. This “wallpaper” idea is another way to surround your baby with familiar faces!

I went to the copy shop and had several recent photos printed on regular 8×11 paper, in black and white.

If you want to make a true wallpaper, then you can print out several copies of each picture, and arrange them in a pattern. Put wallpaper paste on the wall and hang one picture at a time in the first row, then repeat with as many rows as desired. Paint over with two coats of gel acrylic to finish.

But since we only rent our home, I couldn’t mark up the walls that permanently! I settled for taping the faces around Veronika’s crib. But this was exciting in and of itself! Veronika loved helping with the tape while I worked.

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Then we had a little art gallery tour of all the faces, pointing out who was who.

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She loved standing up to check out the images.

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And big brother did, too! This is a sweet little project that will make any nursery feel warm and full of love.

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Play with a Balloon

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Sometimes all you need for quality play time with a baby is… one balloon!

We had an old helium balloon that’s been on the ceiling since Veronika’s birthday over a month ago. Today I fetched it down and we played in two distinct ways.

For the first, I tied the string tightly to a toy so that the balloon was at her eye level.

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Now she could give it a bop with her hands, and watch it bob back and forth. She really wanted to get that balloon!

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Next, we played with the balloon in the opposite way, setting it free instead of tying it down. I untied the string, but popped a small hole in the foil. Now when we tossed it in the air, it floated down just gently and slowly enough to her face.

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She loved watching it descend and catching it, at which point she would smash it between her hands. We did this over and over.

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I loved the wonder in her face as we set the balloon aloft.

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There is tons of fun to be had, in sum, with just one item.

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Take a Sled Ride

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This was the final activity I had hoped to do with Veronika before she turned one year old, but we never had the chance because in her first year we had… No snow! Well, at thirteen months, she now has two feet of snow out the window, and loved getting bundled into her snowsuit for the first time.

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Gentle sled rides are a new and exciting feeling. I sat her down on a small plastic one and simply glided her across the snow. If you’re going to go downhill, make sure you sit with your child and hold him or her firmly!

She seemed so intrigued by the novel motion. When we came to a stop, I pulled out a few sticks to show her how to write in the snow. She eagerly grabbed for one and gave it a try.

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Don’t worry if those curious fingers feel at the snow for a brief moment; it will be a  completely novel sensory experience, and then you can head right inside to warm up rosy fingers and cheeks!

If you live some place that never receives snow, consider a sled ride over sand instead! Then you can demonstrate writing in the sand with a stick instead.

Crumbly Coconut Dough

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With about 2 feet of snow outside, we needed something tropical around here! This easy sensory dough was the perfect indoor amusement.

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In a shallow bin, combine 1 cup coconut milk with about 2 cups cornstarch. You may have to adjust the ratios slightly; at first I had something similar to ooblek, but dusting the mixture with just a bit more cornstarch made it perfect. I crumbled it between my fingers and it began to look – and smell – like tropical sand!

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Add any fun items that will heighten the tropical vibe. I had a few bright purple flowers, as well as some star fish from the craft store. Veronika enjoyed plucking the flowers out, and testing their texture.

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More than anything, she loved simply stirring at the “sand”. This was a great way to keep busy and feel warm on a winter day.

Frozen Treasures

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Ice play is fascinating for babies and it doubles as a first science lesson on the states of matter (water into ice or vice versa). This little activity is also a puzzle for your little one to figure out!

You’ll need to prep the night before you want to play the game. I cut an old soy milk carton in half, and cleaned it out. Fill with water, then add a few plastic toys. Toy farm animals were perfect! Place in the freezer until completely solid.

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The next day I presented the little cube of ice to Veronika. She touched it immediately, then withdrew her hand, quite surprised. It was cold!

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I removed the outer carton layer, and posed the question to her of how we could free piggy and the other animals. Big brother immediately swooped in and wanted in on the action.

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We tried pouring warm water over the ice first. Veronika loved the cup, and wanted to be a part of every pour!

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This made the game great for action words (pour, tip), and great for talking about what was happening. I asked Veronika about how the temperature of the water was changing, from warm to cold once the ice touched it, to warmer again when we poured more from the cup.

Travis wanted to try a little chisel, too, but we decided we liked the warm water method better.

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Finally, the animals were free!

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Honestly by that point Veronika was more into the tools we had used than the animals themselves, but she was busy and happy, which meant mama was too.

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We took the final chunk of ice up to bath time to watch it dissolve – good fun!

Musical Nursery Rhyme Dance Party

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We’re filling a snow day today, which made it the perfect day to set aside some quality time for musical play.

Of course you can always just grab an instrument and play, and in that vein, I laid out every instrument we had at home.

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For some more structured fun, I went through a repertoire of nursery rhymes with Veronika! We started out with Where is Thumbkin. I held up my fingers for the verses, as she played along on the maracas.

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Next up was Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. Make sure to touch each body part, and shake an instrument in between verses!

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The Itsy BItsy Spider was fun with a rain stick for the rain.

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Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star was beautiful on cymbals.

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You’ll probably find that there’s a perfect instrument for each song! For example, bang or rub on a drum for Pat-a-Cake. Or you can simply get up and dance, as I did for The Hokey Pokey while she looked up at me and laughed!

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We added other favorites like Wheels on the Bus, If You’re Happy and You Know It, and I’m a Little Teapot.

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Whatever instrument strikes your little one’s fancy is just fine; there’s no wrong way to play this game. Or simply pick him or her up and dance! This is a great way to pass some time with a one-year-old at home.

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Let’s Count

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Counting out loud might seem silly when you play with babies who don’t have many words yet, but it’s never too early to learn! At one year old, here are some fun ways Veronika and I count.

First off, little fingers and toes practically beg to be counted.

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You can simply count them out with a touch or a tickle, or recite a classic rhyme like “This Little Piggy”, but add numbers for a twist. (“One little piggy went to market, two little piggies stayed home…”)

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Stairs are another fantastic place to count. Chances are your little adventurer loves climbing up these days. Counting helps cement the notion that numbers go in order, plus helps keep grown-ups patient since those little feet take longer than yours on steep steps!

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We also play with toys that involve counting, like a veggie farm set or Duplo blocks.

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Consider counting bubbles as you blow them. Or pop them!

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You could also try counting when you’re out and about, such as when you wait for a green light to change. Finally, read fun counting books together, especially ones with tactile elements.

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Before you know it, Veronika will be counting along! Once your baby does reach this milestone, don’t worry if he or she counts out of order. “One, two…five” will still mean he or she is learning these new words and concepts!

 

Colorful Goo Bags

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These pint-sized sensory bags are just right for little hands, and can be played with in multiple ways.

To make the filling mixture for the bags, combine 1 cup cornstarch, 1/3 cup sugar, and 4 cups cold water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture starts to become clearer and thickens. It will be almost like Vaseline!

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Remove from heat and cool completely. From here, I spooned it into snack-sized zip-top bags. Add a few drops of food coloring to each. I used six bags to get the full rainbow.

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Seal the bags and run under water to remove any mess on the outside, then squish with your hands until the color is incorporated. Now you have the perfect squishy bags for small hands!

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Veronika was immediately enthralled with the bags. She loved picking them up and squishing in her hands.

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She could pile them up, or lie one flat on the ground and press her hands down into it.

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Then she had some imaginative game going on for quite some time that involved transferring them from one pile to another and flinging them behind her back. She also loved hiding them under a dish towel and then uncovering them.

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At one point I got down at her level to talk about the colors she was holding, but for the most part, she played solo, quite happily.

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Needless to say, these were tons of fun in a small package.

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Blanket Waves

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Looking for instant entertainment with a one-year-old? All you need is one soft blanket and there’s fun to be had. As a bonus: this one-item game is perfect when traveling!

I sat down holding one edge of a small blanket, with Veronika on the other side. At first, she wasn’t holding on, but I demonstrated how to shake the blanket.

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Say or sing funny rhymes as you go. First I chanted, “shaaaaaake and… stop!” This got huge laughter.

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Then I started saying, “fastfastfastfast and slooow slooow slooow.” Again, I was rewarded with big grins, and now she picked up her edge of the blanket and wanted to join in.

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We did lots more shaking, plus waving it up and down as I sang silly song verses. You can also play little games of a peekaboo. So grab a blanket and play along!

Crumb Writing

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If you have an older child who is practicing their letters or doing homework, it can be tough occupy a baby or toddler at that time. So here’s a solution: Let your little one practice “writing” too… In crumbs!

I ground up cocoa rice crisp cereal for this activity, but you could also make fine crumbs from baby crackers or cookies, or even use leftover baby rice cereal that is already a fine meal. Either way, pour a generous amount onto the high chair tray.

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I showed Veronika how to make letters first, followed by shapes.

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Her curious fingers were soon making trails through my marks, and then branching out to make her own squiggles through the crumbs.

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She loved swishing the crumbs side to side, and of course watching them splatter to the ground. Just have a dust pan ready nearby for a quick clean up!

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