Hi, I am writing this post because many mothers are asking what activities they can do with their one-year-olds. So I thought I should put together some of the meaningful things I do with my twins to share with other mommies and daddies.
These activities have not only helped them developmentally but also bring joy and laughter into our lives.
The following are some of the fun stuff which are worth your time.
Outdoor Playground
This is the only activity we do outdoor, but it can be very near home!
Now that they have improved their stability and cognitive ability, we go to the playground 3 to 4 times a week. In fact, they will request to go out by taking out their shoes and standing at the door.
The playground is one of the most conducive environment for them to pick up their gross motor skills, sharpen their vestibular sense, i.e. sense of balance, improve their social skills and arouse their senses.
It is at the playground where they experience climbing, balancing, animals, dirt, insects, flowers and leaves. Sometimes I leave them alone digging for the little rubber stones on the playground floor mat as long as they don’t put the tiny grains into their mouths.
They saw dogs having their morning walks, and they followed behind. They saw children joining the playground, and they went over not to say hi, but to freeze and gaze after the other children.
After they turned 11-month-old, they became adventurous. While both babies could not walk, they wanted to crawl up the slide that fascinated them tremendously. Handling two babies going up the slide was too dangerous as there was just me alone to watch out for them. But no matter how I distracted them, they insisted on crawling up the slide. Strictly no browsing of mobile phones for me whenever they were at it.
By the time they turned 14 months, the two kiddos had become easier for me to manage while on the slide. They learned that they could climb up the structure via a ladder at the side to reach the slide. In fact, now I encourage them to take the ladder while I sit on top of the platform to hold on to them. This way is much safer, and yet it gives them space to explore and learn.
There are so many free outdoor playgrounds in the Singapore neighbourhood. There is no need to spend money to join any indoor playground unless the playground is extraordinary. You just need to walk around your area to explore the various types of playground available and find the age-appropriate ones.
Here are some of the more exciting playgrounds we found in the neighbourhood:-
Discovering Playground: Pasir Ris Park
Discovering Playground in Bedok South
Discovering Playgrounds in Lucky Heights, Bedok
Discovering playgrounds: Tampines Green Forest Park
Discovering Playgrounds in Punggol – 673 Edgefield Plains
Gardening
Other than picking up fallen flowers and leaves scattered around the playground, the twins pull out dried leaves from our pots of geranium. Even though they are more of a hindrance than help by pulling out all the healthy green leaves instead, they look so gratified “gardening” that I cannot bear to stop them.
Nonetheless, I should get them some mini watering cans before the geranium plants turn bare.
Indoor Slide
They tumble down the slide; they crawl up from the slide, they wobble down the steps. They do things that scare us out of our wits. The indoor slide is a great indoor workout machine, great for rainy days and the evenings. But someone must be near them to ensure their safety.
Unpacking and Packing
One of the home-based activities to carry out is unpacking. They love to unpack the groceries and place the purchases in the relevant places. Doing this gives them a great sense of achievement. It is also delightful for us adults to watch these two little adorable monkeys wobbling about with the groceries in the kitchen.
We guide and help them with the sorting so that they will gradually know not all things go into the refrigerator. Items like toothpaste should go into the toilet cabinets.
Books
We introduced books to them when they turned six months. No alphabets, no numbers, just colourful and beautiful pictures that show them that books are interesting. The twins see us read to their elder siblings every night and they want to be read to too.
Toys
I wrote a post about our favourite toys. Because their attention span is very short which is typical for toddlers, they spend only 5 to 10 mins playing with one toy and will move on to other activities and create havoc elsewhere.
Mop and Wipe
They imitate our behaviours a lot. They see us doing lots of cleaning and wiping at home, and they want to do the same. So we give them the mops adjusted to their height and let them play around with it. And whenever they spill their milk or any other drinks, we provide them with a cloth or tissue paper to clean up the mess.
While they do not clean up very thoroughly, we thought that it is never too early to get them to pick up desirable habits of cleaning up after themselves. Nevertheless, there is also no guarantee that this habit will stay with them when they grow older.
Feeding themselves
I gave them opportunities to feed themselves and each other when they turned 14-month-old. The first food I gave them to feed themselves was greek yoghurt, which has a thick consistency and does not fall off the spoon easily. Soft food such as banana and papaya break into pieces when we try to pick up using a baby fork.
Slicing fruits
I have not bought them any plastic knife, so they are using spoons for the time being. We started this activity just last week, and they haven’t got the hang of slicing the banana successfully, but they got the idea. While we adults use both hands when we slice something, the twins are using only their right hand, so the banana is moving all over the chopping board.
Bathe each other and brush their teeth
You will never get to see this in the case of a singleton. The adorable sight of two 14-month-olds bathing together and soaping each other. We give them washcloth, and they start rubbing each other too.
Putting laundry into the laundry basket
It is incredible how well they understand us and take instructions when they wish to. They bring their dirty clothes to the laundry corner when told and place the soiled garments neatly into the basket. However, taking instructions only happen when they are in a good mood.
Stickers Work
This activity put their little fingers at work and builds their fine motor skill. Both twins are currently able to peel the stickers out from the sticker pad, but only one of them can paste the stickers onto a piece of paper. The stickers are probably too small for them, and they need to use two hands to work on it.
Well, these are the activities and mini-projects we do with them.
What do you do with your little ones? Share with us in the comment box below.
You may also be interested:
Our Favorite Baby Toys – 9 to 15 months
Baby books we like – 6 months and beyond
Munchkin 360º Trainer Cup – Review
       My Toddlers’ Activities – 18 to 24 months
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Items in the post
Items in this post that you may wish to explore further (click on the links for more information)
Board Book – Maisy’s First Numbers *
Ikea Mula Building Beakers (nesting cups)
Munchkin Fork and Spoon Set *
Round Stickers (from Daiso, no links available)
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