The human brain develops rapidly in the first few years of life. Scientifically, 80% of a baby’s brain development is completed in the first three years of life! This is why developmental activities are important for the child at this age. Activities for 1-year-olds provide a wealth of opportunities for your little one to explore and learn.
For example, a child may begin to put objects in their mouths at around six months, but may not be able to walk until they are 12 months old. This is why it’s important to provide children with the right kinds of opportunities to engage in age-appropriate developmental activities and experiences in their first year. This will help them develop at a healthy rate, which will set them up for success in school later in life. A child who is learning how to walk may be encouraged to walk using their toys and furniture as stepping stones. This helps them develop their balance and coordination. Similarly, children who are learning to talk may be encouraged to talk using their toys and furniture as a means of interaction. This helps with their comprehension, causing them to be able to express themselves better.
What is the importance of development activities?
Development activities help us grow. It promotes the development of our cognitive abilities, social skills, emotional maturity, and language skills. It allows us to connect with others and helps us form a sense of self. This is why babies need to engage in developmental activities.
1. Physical benefits of developmental activities
One of the most important advantages of engaging your one-year-old in age-appropriate developmental activities is that it promotes their physical health and development. This is because it encourages them to exercise their bodies by standing, stretching, and walking. As they get older, they need to work on their muscle tone, which is essential for their physical health. Furthermore, physical activities help your baby's strength and balance, which will allow them to explore and play with their toys. Such activities keep them physically active and help them develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.
2. Cognitive benefits of developmental activities
Activities challenge your little one to make errors, work on those and succeed. Learning is never linear, and in the process of trial and error, your baby masters the desire to do so with these activities.
With each stacker, the baby learns shape and size, as well as active memory and problem-solving skills.
Developmental activities promote directed play that encourages babies to create, learn, and improve their critical thinking skills as they begin to understand cause and effect.
3. Language benefits of developmental activities
Babies are amazing at picking up new languages. Specifically, a one-year-old baby is uttering their first words. And with your assistance, they will quickly pick up snippets of languages and their nuances spoken in your home. Using motherese is a vital part of building your little one’s vocabulary. The back-and-forth of this communication strengthens their receptive and expressive language skills while also boosting their self-esteem. Flashcards, alphabet and numeric puzzles, or even the simple act of brushing their teeth can be transformed into a fantastic activity to improve their vocabulary and articulation skills.
4. Social and Emotional benefits of developmental activities
Developmental activities like playing with their favourite toys or a game of tag teach your little one a new way to control and regulate their emotions better. Such collaborative play helps toddlers comprehend real-world situations like sharing and adhering to rules. While learning how to respond to others' sentiments to work better together, the toddlers build on their social skills like emotional intelligence and empathy. Through all that, babies can begin to understand and give words to their emotions better.
Developmental activities for one-year-old
Finger Painting
Bright colours, you and your baby, what more could they want! Take a few washable colours and encourage your baby to dip his or her fingers in them to draw lines on a drawing sheet. Use motherese to bring light to the colours and activity as they let their imaginations run wild.
The fact that they are
painting with their fingers makes this a great physical development activity for 1-year-olds, enhancing their finger dexterity and individuality. Introducing them to different colours while bonding with them allows them to freely express themselves around you, paving the way for them to learn self-regulation of emotions later on.
The Person in the Mirror
Babies are ever so curious. Build on their child-like wonder with this stimulating activity. The act of
looking in the mirror allows the baby to concentrate and exercise their attention.
Bring your baby a mirror and ask them about the person they see. Encourage their behaviour and respond to the bits of dialogue they are attempting to convey if they begin babbling and pulling the mirror towards them. As they become acquainted with the person in the mirror, inform them that the person is themselves! This cognitive development activity enables them to become more self-aware.
Object identification
When it comes to raising toddlers, using motherese goes a long way. The action lays the groundwork for your toddler's early language reception. Language development activities for one-year-olds, such as using motherese to introduce small elements of their daily routine, help them understand and grasp the concepts better.
Take a trio of
fruits or
vegetables. Introduce them to your toddler, paying close attention to every detail of the fruits, such as colour and size. Once your toddler has gotten a hold of these, familiarise them with another set, and so on. The activity will encourage the baby to communicate and expand their receptive vocabulary.
Learning Expressions
Year-old babies start to become aware of people's expressions around them. Indulge your baby in such social development activities for 1-year-olds so that they can learn the connection between emotions and expressions and better understand their feelings. Gaining a better understanding of body cues assists toddlers in developing social awareness and emotional intelligence.
Make good use of
expression flashcards to teach your baby these cues. The carousel of emotions and expressions will broaden their understanding of nonverbal communication, which is essential in human interactions. The activity will help them build stronger and more meaningful relationships in the future.
Developmental activities act as an outlet that allows children to work through their anxiety. They provide babies with the tools to effectively express their emotions, be they physical or emotional. Accessing the skills gained from these developmental activities for one-year-olds makes sure that your toddler is ready to tackle the complexities of growth ahead. Till then, happy parenting!
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