Article: Your One-Year Old and Play

This is from the an article called Your One-Year Old and Play...I thought it had some great ideas for teaching your littlest one.

• Teach your baby the right way the first time around. For instance, when baby is learning how to pick up a spoon or a rattle, take the time to show her the correct way to hold it.

• To encourage your baby to move and be physical, keep her favorite things out of arm's reach.

• Hand-eye coordination simply means getting your baby's hands and eyes to work together. A great example is shaped blocks that fit into proper holes. The baby will learn that his hands manipulate the objects he sees. The more objects like this that you give him, the better.

• When you sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to your baby, use your fingers to twinkle. And then see if baby tries to twinkle her fingers and sing when you are not around.

• Music has a way of changing a person's mood from left to right, so keep that in mind.

• Visit a playground or park once a day if only for fifteen minutes. It will challenge your baby, wear her out, and revitalize you both.

• Learning to walk is an activity! When baby is getting ready to take her first steps, she needs your support! It's a bit scary for her. How would you feel about trying a back handspring right now for the first time?

• If your baby is attached to a special toy, stuffed animal, or blanket, try to get your hands on an exact duplicate and never let the second one leave the house. If you forget or lose the original, you can pull out the reliable second one to save the day...or the night.

• Keep items that your baby is attached to in her crib—for example, a blanket or a stuffed animal. Baby will wake up to see them and these items will comfort her.

• Make sure you give your child the right toys for the right age. Toys and games usually have age-specific labels on them. Follow the age recommendation, for a couple of reasons. First of all, small pieces are choking hazards. And secondly, the right toy builds dexterity. A baby who receives a toy that is too old for her may get frustrated because she can't use it properly, and then she'll remember it as a bad experience rather than a positive one.

• Occupy your baby in a play yard (formerly called playpen) with safe things that he sees you using around the house. Plastic pots, pans, spoons, strainers, and toothbrushes are usually winners with babies this age.

• Put your baby into the play yard at the same time each night, perhaps while you're cooking dinner. You'll see how quickly this becomes his routine. It's great for both of you!

• If you buy your baby a ticket to any event at this age, be sure the performance lasts no longer than three minutes from beginning to end.

• While you are naming pictures and reading to your baby, don't forget to identify the alphabet letters and numbers while you're at it.

• If you take time now to instill a love for reading, puzzles, crayons, and painting with water, you will be able to keep your baby occupied for hours and hours in the future.

• Balls, balls, balls...as well as plush toys (soft stuffed animals and the like) are perfect for babies this age. Get as many as you can, because they are safe, entertaining, and encourage development.

• Babies this age need bigger toys because they are just learning how to coordinate and hold objects. Little toys are choking hazards, so keep them far from baby, and keep older children and their toys away from baby.

• No balloons! Balloons are great to look at, but they become choking hazards when they pop.
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• Garage sales are fantastic for picking up toys, even brand-new ones that have never been opened! Just know that the best toys usually sell out by 8:00 a.m. Learn to be an "early bird" and get there first.

• Good old open-ended boxes make great tunnels for busy babies on the go.

• Notice if your baby has a particular character that she likes—for example, Elmo. If she likes Elmo, buy an Elmo book, an Elmo rattle, an Elmo plush toy, an Elmo crib toy, an Elmo stroller toy, and an Elmo car-seat toy. You may notice how the familiar character keeps your baby calmer and less distracted.

• Sometimes baby is more interested in people than in things. During these moments, spend quality time together and remember that less is more.

• This is a great time to start playing homemade games with baby...winking and a kiss, Peek-a-Boo, and Patty Cake. Babies this age usually like to do things with people who follow a specific pattern. This is great when you're stuck in line at the grocery store or someplace else without a toy.

• Babies this age start to really enjoy stacking toys.

• Babies like to imitate you for play. Toys like pretend telephones entertain babies this age because they can act just like you.

• Babies who can stand up in their crib often start hurling their stuffed animals and toys out of their crib. Don't worry, it usually doesn't mean baby is ready to climb out. It's just another activity. If baby does this often, get a few toys that can be secured to the side of the crib (like activity centers), so they can play with them but not throw them overboard. This will buy you a lot of time!

• If you want to experience something natural, watch your baby try to climb up a few stairs. Climbing up is usually fun, but coming down is usually harder and scary to a baby. It takes time and then they usually surf down. What a thrill! It's hilarious!

• New toys and activities may frighten your baby at first because she is unsure of it. Teach your baby to enjoy these things by introducing them at a slow, comfortable pace over and over again.

• It's also common for baby to suddenly develop a fear of her favorite toys. This is normal. It just means she's starting to think more. Give her time and don't push the toy back on her. Let her do it on her own.

• Babies usually enjoy playing with bright objects and things that respond and interact with them. Push and sound toys are great because they teach cause-and-effect lessons. When I push this button, that happens...it's so much fun!

• When you go to another person's home, bring along something your baby is familiar with, such as an activity gym. This way, if she gets cranky, you can give her a familiar, soothing object until she calms down.

• Babies get bored quickly, but there is an upside: you can use the play center for fifteen minutes and then use it again fifteen minutes later, and baby will think it's a new activity!

• You could be better off leaving the first year birthday party gifts wrapped if other children are around. Young babies haven't learned the art of sharing yet.

• If your baby receives two of the same toy for her birthday, thank your lucky stars and treat them like gold. Keep them both and put them away until you have another baby over. This is a perfect solution until baby learns to share.

• Try not to give your baby his first piece of birthday cake on his actual birthday. He could get sick and he probably won't like it. Instead, give him a small piece a week earlier and get him used to it. By the time his party rolls around, he will really enjoy his birthday cake!

• Be sure to get a picture of baby when she tries her first birthday cake, especially if she hasn't tasted anything like it before. Just keep in mind that baby needs to develop a taste for sweets, too.

• If you suspect that a surprise party is planned for you, tell your spouse to make sure you are not carrying a sleeping baby through the door at the moment everyone yells, "SURPRISE!" Otherwise, the party will be fun for everyone else, but not for you.