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This post is full of must try fall activities for one year olds.
Trying to find activities for one year olds can be so frustrating. I have scoured the internet and it seems like all of the articles and videos are geared towards older toddlers. One year olds need fun activities too, darn it! So I put together some of my tried and true favorite fall activities for younger toddlers. Here are my top ten:
DIY Corn Pit
This might just be a weird Midwest thing, but the pumpkin patch near my house has a giant corn pit that kids go absolutely crazy for. I’ve watched many parents drag their kids out of there kicking and screaming. I know my one year old would love it, but I am terrified of taking him.
For one, let’s be honest, they’re gross. There are hundreds of kids running in and out of that thing all day, every day. As far as I know, there is no good way to clean thousands of pounds of corn kernels that sit outside all season. They also seem dangerous. Kids are constantly jumping over other kids, kicking and hitting them in the process. I’m not joking when I say they go crazy. If you have one of these near you, you know what I’m talking about.
That’s why I recommend creating a corn pit at home. It is super easy, fairly affordable, and comes without all of the chaos. You can get some more use out of that baby pool you threw in the shed when the cooler weather rolled in. Just grab a few bags of cattle corn from amazon or your local feed store, and dump them in the empty pool. You can throw some toys in there, and it is like a giant sensory bin your kids can get in. They are guaranteed to have a blast and get hours of developmental play out of it.
Pinecone Painting
I love this one because we can go for a nature walk on warmer fall days to collect pinecones, leaves, and other nature items. On the cooler days we can use them for arts and crafts like pinecone painting! if you don’t have any in your area, you can always get these fake ones on amazon.
It can get a little messy so I would throw some plastic wrap down beforehand. Then you can use painters tape to tape paper to the table. This keeps the paper in place so they can focus on painting and not on trying to pick the paper up to throw it on the ground. (If you have a one year old, you know what I’m talking about.) Then you can just add a couple drops of fall colored paint to the paper, and let them “paint” with the pinecone. They can roll it back and forth and scoot it around, and it creates fun patterns with the paint.
Fall themed sensory bins
Sensory bins are an amazing way to allow your kids to work on development, while playing and exploring. They can use their senses to express their curiosity and learn about texture, smell, taste, and more. They are very affordable to make with items from the dollar store, or even items you already have at home.
You will need a base or filler, and then several other objects with different textures and functions for them to explore and play with.
Examples of base items you can use for a fall themed sensory bin include: corn kernels, dry brown rice (or white rice dyed red, yellow, or orange), dry noodles (you can often find red, yellow, or orange lentil noodles at the grocery store), or crafting pom poms.
For edible sensory bin base items you can use: Jello, cooked pasta or rice, cereal, oats, tapioca beads, or “chocolate dirt”, which is made by mixing flour and icing, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, pomegranate seeds, and candy corn.
For add-in items, you can use: Real or fake leaves, pinecones, real or fake flowers, mini pumpkins and gourds (the texture and velvet ones are a bonus), potpourri, cinnamon sticks, and plastic fall decorations like spiders, bats, snakes, etc.
For edible add-in items, you can use: Whole or sliced apples, candy corn pumpkins, fall marshmallows, halloween gummy candy, and whatever other safe fall items you see at the dollar store!
Pumpkin Washing
I don’t know why, but kids love washing random things. This one is easy. You can fill a small bin with soapy water, add some pumpkins and sponges or brushes, and have them give the pumpkins a bath. This will keep them occupied for a lot longer than you might think. It is another form of sensory play that encourages learning through exploration.
Fall Calming Jars or Sensory Bottles
Calming jars and sensory bottles are great for independent play. Kids can crawl after them as they roll across the floor. They can sit and flip them upside down and shake them all around. There are many different ways to make them, but you just want to fill them with liquid and some other items that look beautiful floating around.
You can use water, food coloring, oil, nature items, beads, plastic toys, glitter, etc. Any unique combination will create a bottle of beautiful, swirling fun that your one year old will be fascinated with.
Sidewalk Paint
Sidewalk chalk is so fun, but one year olds just don’t have the dexterity to use it quite yet. You can turn your chalk into puffy sidewalk paint. Your kids can throw it around with their hands, or a paint brush. They will have a blast.
Crush or grate a piece of sidewalk chalk, add ¼ of flour, ¼ cup of water, and ¼ cup of shaving cream. If you don’t already have chalk, you can use cornstarch and some food coloring instead.
Pumpkin Guts Sensory Bags
After pumpkin carving, put some of the pumpkin guts and seeds into a ziplock bag. Make sure to seal the opening with glue or duct tape. You can put this on a flat surface and let your kiddo squish it around for another sensory activity. Taping it to the wall or a window at standing level allows kids to develop their muscles and their minds at the same time!
Halloween themed bath party
In most places, it is too cold to swim in the fall, but you can still throw your kids a Halloween themed pool party party in the bathtub! You can put glow sticks at the bottom of the tub, add some bubble bath, lots of Halloween themed toys and decorations, and even use bathtub paint on the walls. This will literally keep my son busy for hours if I keep adding warm water, so give it a try!
This post was all about must try fall activities for one year olds.
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