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30 best activities for one-year-olds that are fun and easy
You can do most of these easy and educational toddler activities with items you already have in the house
When it comes to parenting toddlers, finding activities for one-year-olds can be tough. While it's fascinating to see their minds developing as they interact with the world more, it's hard to find fun, easy, engaging activities that hit that sweet spot between what they want to do and what they can do.
And while it may be tempting to buy into the hype that you need expensive toys to get a leg-up on their cognitive and physical development, the truth is there's plenty to be done that just require some simple household materials. Our best activities for one-year-olds will occupy their minds and get them working on their developmental skills — all without expensive materials (or, heaven forbid, screens).
If you do want inspiration on the toy front (without spending a fortune), we also rounded up the best toys for one-year-olds to keep them entertained and engaged.
What should a one-year-old be learning?
The good news is that one-year-olds are sponges, and nearly everything you do with them is a "learning activity," as they're still just exploring the worlds around them.
The skills that one-year-olds are working on include imitating the adults around them (such as babbling into a pretend phone), finding hidden objects, working on the all-important pincer grip (picking up objects between a thumb and forefinger), walking on their own and eventually, sorting by shape or colour, pulling a toy behind them and running.
Activities that help them work on their fine motor skills or gross motor skills, or anything that gives those brains a boost, is a boon.
How do you entertain a one-year-old all day?
That's the million-dollar question, because 12-month-olds aren't going to stick with an activity if they find it too challenging or boring — and they'll let you know how they feel! But there are plenty of simple crafts, games that get their bodies moving, easy indoor activities and sensory experiences to try and grab their attention.
What safety concerns should I keep in mind when doing activities with a one-year-old?
It goes without saying that one-year-olds need supervising, (you know that already, but we have to say it). Keep a watchful eye out for anything small that can be a choking hazard, because they will put everything in their mouths. And activities that involve water also demand undivided attention, since little ones can drown in a water bin or bucket.
End of safety announcement. Below, you'll find lots of fun and engaging activities for happy toddlers. You're welcome.
Colour sorting
Time to practise those matching skills! If you don't want to buy a colour-sorting or shape-sorting toy, you can DIY them at home by putting different coloured sugar paper circles in a muffin tin and having your kid sort coloured pom poms, or even getting a bunch of colourful storage boxes and having your child sort toys by colour.
Stacking and nesting
Toys that stack on top of each other or nest inside of each other help kids grasp the concept of "big" and "small" and get them learning about basic building concepts.
You can buy a pre-made stacking cup toy, or gather different sizes of cups and containers (snack-sized Tupperware, empty yoghurt cups) from around the house.
Wobble board
This is for when they're a little bit older, but once they get sturdy on their feet (at around 18 months), you can use a wobble board to give them all sorts of gross motor challenges.
Kids can practise their balance by rocking back and forth on its U-shape, or flip it over and they can walk across it like a rainbow.
Stepping stones
Similarly, when they reach that 18-month mark, you can make a path of rainbow-coloured "stepping stones" and challenge them not to hit the floor.
When they're done, they can use them as a stacking toy. You can DIY with cardboard (or even painter's tape on your floor), or you can buy a pre-made set.
Peek-a-boo board
Recycle the lids to your baby wipe containers for a project that encourages them to investigate different textures. Glue down different materials under each lid — dry pasta, felt, pom poms, etc. — and watch the look of surprise as they open and feel each one.
Duplo wash sensory bin
If toddlers could, they'd play in the bath all day. When that's not feasible, get scoops, a few bubbles, a brush and some Duplo bricks and throw them all in a bucket of water (towels at the ready!).
Then watch as they wash, pour and scrub their toys!
Ball pit ball hunt
Who says you need to wait for Easter to go on a hunt? For this indoor/outdoor activity, hide brightly coloured ball pit balls and send your toddler to find them. You can adjust the challenge based on your toddler's skill, but the colours usually make them easy to spot.
RELATED: The best Easter gifts for kids
Sensory bin
Fill a bin with sand or rice, and hide toys or other objects in it. Give kids scoopers, tweezers and other tools and let them go digging, scooping and pouring!
The idea of a sensory bin is to get them exposed to different textures and sensations, so it's good if they stick their hands in there, too. You could also fill the bin with dry beans, Kinetic sand, rocks (just watch they're not a choking hazard!), or shaving cream.
If you think letting them dig through a rice bin would be too messy (it will involve sweeping up after), you can always fill an empty, clear water bottle with rice and other small objects, seal it up tightly and make an "I Spy" game with it. Just be sure that, no matter how you do it, you supervise closely and ensure the items aren't choking hazards.
Pom pom whisk
This one is simple, but it will give their hands a workout! Put some pom poms in a large kitchen whisk, and see if your toddler can get them out again. It's a good one for your one year old to tackle from their high chair while you're rustling up dinner.
Jumbo puzzle
This activity is actually a two-for-one. Start by outlining a picture in thick, black lines, which your toddler can colour in. Then, cut it in two to make a puzzle perfect for toddler hands and minds.
Fabric mystery box
Another thing you can do with an empty baby wipe box is fill it with scraps of fabric that are both long and short, rough and smooth, and different colours and patterns. Your tot will be delighted to reach in, pull out, and investigate each one, which helps with fine motor coordination.
Rubber duck painting
Let their creativity go wild with this art activity. Simply get an ink pad and use a rubber duck as a stamper (it gives them an extra thrill if the duck squeaks).
If you really want to be ambitious, you can cut out and glue different cardboard shapes to the bottom of different ducks, but the duck bottom works well enough on its own.
Play-Doh
You can buy Play-Doh or make your own modeling dough. Either way, working the dough will exercise the muscles in their hands, and if you can get them to roll a ball with their index finger and their thumb, you can also work on that pincer grip.
Busy board
Did you ever notice that, even though there's a room full of toys, one year olds always wind up fiddling with doorknobs or drawer pulls? Give them what they want – attach locks, knobs, buttons, bells, flaps, zippers and any other hardware to a board you can keep at kid level.
DIY coin box
It seems so simple – just cut a slot into the lid of a jar, and then offer some coloured tokens to put in and take out.
And yet fitting the coins into the slot, hearing the satisfying clunk when they hit the bottom and then digging them all out again is endlessly amusing and it helps practice fine motor coordination.
DIY felt board
Like the Fuzzy Felt of yore, a DIY felt board lets toddlers take basic shapes and combine and re-combine them to make patterns and pictures. As they get older, you can add more advanced shapes with letters and numbers.
Pipe cleaner lacing
Take a bunch of pipe cleaners (make sure the ends aren't sharp) and thread them through a kitchen colander.
Your toddler will love pulling the pipe cleaners out and trying to lace them through again, which helps strengthen hands and work on the pincer grasp. You can also do this activity by poking holes in an old egg carton.
Sound sensory jars
Fill old jars and containers with different materials — coins, popcorn kernels, rice, cereal, etc. — seal them up, then let toddlers shake away and hear how each one makes a different sound.
As they get older, you can fill up the jars in pairs and challenge your kiddo to find the matches.
Contact paper collage
Tape a piece of clear contact paper to the wall, sticky side out. Then give your toddler construction paper shapes, pom poms and other bits and pieces. Pretty soon, you'll have a collage that doesn't require any glue.
Ball scoop
A bin, some ball pit balls, and a sieve — and endless scooping fun. Challenge your toddler to scoop only red balls, or try and get two in one go, and get them practising their gross motor coordination.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
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