You and your one-year-old will have lots of fun playing these simple games, and they'll help her development, too. If you don't see your favourite toddler game below, why not scroll down to the parents' comments box, below, to share it with us.
12 to 16 months
• Coming to life
Pretend your baby's favourite teddy or doll is real -- make her walk, go to bed, jump across the room. Include her in everyday activities -- sitting her at the table for tea, for example, and putting a bib on her. Talking about what you are doing will help her understand language. Act out happy and sad times, too, so she can learn about feelings and emotions as well as developing her imagination.
• Push me, pull you
If your baby is pulling herself on to two feet and trying to walk, help her practise with a pushing and pulling game. Use a moveable object such as a child-size chair or plastic stacking box filled with soft toys. While she holds the edges for support you can hold the other side and keep it steady. Then slowly pull the box towards you side to encourage her to step forward. Soon she'll start to push while you gently pull. This will build her confidence ready for when she starts walking on her own.
• Clap happy
By now your baby will be able to hold her hands open, but it may be a while before she claps independently. For now, clap them together with her, or let her hold your hands and pat them together. Sit her facing you on the floor, or on your lap, and sing clapping songs together like 'Pat-a-cake, pat-a cake'. These will boost her language skills as well as her hand-eye co-ordination.
• Who's hiding here?
Just as she loved peek-a-boo as a baby, your toddler will love to play simple games of hide and seek. First thing in the morning take it in turns to hide under the bed sheets; at bath time, use a big towel to hide under, instead. For extra fun and giggles you can gently prod her as she hides, 'Is this a leg? Or is it an arm?' and so on. Games like this help teach your toddler that, just because she can't see something, it doesn't mean it isn't there. For a change, while she's wrapped up in the towel, carry her into another room. She'll be delighted when she's unveiled to discover she's moved location!
Pretend your baby's favourite teddy or doll is real -- make her walk, go to bed, jump across the room. Include her in everyday activities -- sitting her at the table for tea, for example, and putting a bib on her. Talking about what you are doing will help her understand language. Act out happy and sad times, too, so she can learn about feelings and emotions as well as developing her imagination.
• Push me, pull you
If your baby is pulling herself on to two feet and trying to walk, help her practise with a pushing and pulling game. Use a moveable object such as a child-size chair or plastic stacking box filled with soft toys. While she holds the edges for support you can hold the other side and keep it steady. Then slowly pull the box towards you side to encourage her to step forward. Soon she'll start to push while you gently pull. This will build her confidence ready for when she starts walking on her own.
• Clap happy
By now your baby will be able to hold her hands open, but it may be a while before she claps independently. For now, clap them together with her, or let her hold your hands and pat them together. Sit her facing you on the floor, or on your lap, and sing clapping songs together like 'Pat-a-cake, pat-a cake'. These will boost her language skills as well as her hand-eye co-ordination.
• Who's hiding here?
Just as she loved peek-a-boo as a baby, your toddler will love to play simple games of hide and seek. First thing in the morning take it in turns to hide under the bed sheets; at bath time, use a big towel to hide under, instead. For extra fun and giggles you can gently prod her as she hides, 'Is this a leg? Or is it an arm?' and so on. Games like this help teach your toddler that, just because she can't see something, it doesn't mean it isn't there. For a change, while she's wrapped up in the towel, carry her into another room. She'll be delighted when she's unveiled to discover she's moved location!
16 to 20 months
• Tea party
On a sunny day take a child-sized plastic tea set outdoors and fill a large plastic bowl with water. Pretend you've 'come to tea' and encourage your toddler to fill the teapot and pour out the tea. This fun game will challenge your baby's co-ordination skills and help her learn about the properties of water -- for example, that it always flows down, not up.
• Brick patterns
This requires a bit of concentration so is best played when your toddler's feeling refreshed. Use her building blocks to make simple patterns, such as three in a row or 'two up, two down' to make a square. Encourage her to use other blocks so she can copy your pattern. Then let her have a go at making her own pattern, which you have to copy. Sorting objects like this into shapes will help encourage your toddler's problem-solving skills.
• Roll it to me
Balls are popular toys for one-year-olds. Bouncy balls are best kept outside, but soft, foam balls make great indoor toys. The best ball game to start playing with your toddler is this easy version of 'catch'. Both of you sit on the ground facing each other with your legs apart and toes touching. You can now roll the ball backwards and forwards to each other without it going out of bounds. Fun for building arm muscles and hand-eye co-ordination.
• Young collector
Go for a walk together and take a bucket with you. Collect small objects that interest your toddler -- stones, leaves, pine cones. Your toddler will want to carry the bucket, but don't be surprised if she also dumps its contents and starts again. Toddlers at this age love to fill containers just so then can empty them again! Meanwhile, she's practising her hand movements and developing dexterity.
On a sunny day take a child-sized plastic tea set outdoors and fill a large plastic bowl with water. Pretend you've 'come to tea' and encourage your toddler to fill the teapot and pour out the tea. This fun game will challenge your baby's co-ordination skills and help her learn about the properties of water -- for example, that it always flows down, not up.
• Brick patterns
This requires a bit of concentration so is best played when your toddler's feeling refreshed. Use her building blocks to make simple patterns, such as three in a row or 'two up, two down' to make a square. Encourage her to use other blocks so she can copy your pattern. Then let her have a go at making her own pattern, which you have to copy. Sorting objects like this into shapes will help encourage your toddler's problem-solving skills.
• Roll it to me
Balls are popular toys for one-year-olds. Bouncy balls are best kept outside, but soft, foam balls make great indoor toys. The best ball game to start playing with your toddler is this easy version of 'catch'. Both of you sit on the ground facing each other with your legs apart and toes touching. You can now roll the ball backwards and forwards to each other without it going out of bounds. Fun for building arm muscles and hand-eye co-ordination.
• Young collector
Go for a walk together and take a bucket with you. Collect small objects that interest your toddler -- stones, leaves, pine cones. Your toddler will want to carry the bucket, but don't be surprised if she also dumps its contents and starts again. Toddlers at this age love to fill containers just so then can empty them again! Meanwhile, she's practising her hand movements and developing dexterity.
20-24 months
• Let's dance!Play favourite bits of music that lend themselves to particular actions -- something with a big, loud beat so your child can stamp like an elephant or that's quiet so she can pretend that she's tiptoeing past a sleeping lion, trying not to wake it up. Marching to music is also great fun and easy enough for most toddlers to manage. These games will stretch her imagination and develop her sense of rhythm.
• Balloon fun
Balloons are great for indoor play. They move slowly enough to be chased and are relatively easy to catch. Blow one up -- watching this is half the fun -- and pat it up into the air. Count how long it takes to float down to the ground or let your toddler try to catch it. A good game for counting skills and hand-eye co-ordination.
• What can you hear?
Take a big towel or blanket out into the garden and lie down on it together. Ask your toddler to close her eyes and listen carefully. After a minute or so ask her what she could hear, and tell her what you heard: the wind in the trees, bird song, a car going past. This is a great game for helping your toddler develop her listening skills.
• Catch me if you can
Toddlers love to be chased -- and parents usually love chasing their toddlers! The object of this game is to be caught -- especially if your child knows he gets a big bear hug and slobbery kiss every time you manage to catch him. For variety, pretend to be different types of animals -- a roaring lion or a scuttling mouse. When your toddler catches you let him have a go, too. A great game for building up your toddler's stamina -- and yours, too!
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