Hobbies And Interests
Building Blocks
Brightly-colored wood or plastic building blocks are a classic toy for a 1-year-old. He will enjoy the simple challenge of stacking them on top of one another and is likely to persist at this task, stacking them up and knocking them over time and time again. Some blocks have alphabet letters or numbers on them, and while he may be too young to recognize them it is a good idea to introduce letters and numbers at 1 year of age so he becomes familiar. Blocks are also fun to stack in a push along walker to help with balance as he finds his feet.
Puzzles and Shapes
Shape sorting toys develop manual dexterity as your child learns about color and shape. At first there will be many frustrated attempts as she tries to insert shapes into the wrong hole, but babies quickly learn and she will gain great satisfaction from completing the task. She will look to you for encouragement and praise, so reward her with claps and smiles. Stacking rings and wooden picture puzzles with knobs attached to the pieces are also ideal games for a 1-year-old.
Nursery Rhymes
Babies respond to the sound of your voice and enjoy the repetition of familiar rhymes and songs. Choose rhymes that have actions and help your baby join in with you. Hold his hands to play pat-a-cake and help him clap along with you. Expand his vocabulary as he begins to talk with rhymes that involve pointing to parts of the body. Play "Round and Round the Garden" and end with a good tickling session that he will want to enjoy again and again.
Pretend Play
One-year-old babies enjoy plush toys and your child will most likely have favorites by this age. Involve her favorite teddies in pretend games. Put a bib on teddy at dinner time and have her "feed" him with a plastic spoon. Let her pretend to wash his face or brush his teeth, then tuck teddy into bed. Talk to your baby as you play pretend games with her -- you are helping her to make sense of her surroundings and understand the everyday processes of life.