13-month-olds are busy and always looking for something to do! They are starting to climb, touch, investigate, and figure out what they are capable of.
I wanted to share 35 awesome activities for 13-month-olds to give you some ideas to keep them busy and learning.
What kind of activities should a 13-month-old do?
There are lots of different activities that you can do with 13-month-olds. These are some of the different activity-type ideas for 13-month-olds:
- Learning activities
- Sensory activities
- Montessori Activities
- Indoor activities
- Outdoor activities
35 Awesome Activities For 13-Month-Olds
(blurb) (There are 7 categories so you could do 5 each [like I have listed] or you could do more in some categories and less in others, just as long as it totals 35)
Learning Activities For 13-Month-Olds
13-month-olds are little sponges. They are really starting to understand the world around them so this is the perfect time for some learning activities!
Color Sorting
Color recognition is an essential developmental milestone that every child needs to master. All you need is a bunch of different colored objects, such as balls, and some jars or boxes for them to sort them into.
Reading Time
You can never start reading to your children too early. Even if they can’t follow along with you now, it still starts laying the foundation that they will need to successfully read later. The best books for this age are going to be colorful with lots of pictures.
Peek-A-Boo
Every child loves peek-a-boo. Playing peek-a-boo with your child helps them understand how the world works and that just because they can’t see something, that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. It is also sure to be filled with lots of giggles and laughter!
Blowing Bubbles
We have all chased after bubbles to pop, some of us rather recently. It provides our children with an opportunity to move and run, learning how their body works. You can also let them blow the bubbles, letting them work on how to blow and their lung control.
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Everyone has listened to, danced to, and sang along with heads, shoulders, knees, and toes. It is a cornerstone of every child’s developmental journey. It helps children develop their anatomical awareness while also building their balance and overall kinesthetic aptitude.
Visit The Zoo/Aquarium
While retaining the specific names of animals may be difficult at this age, the trip wouldn’t be a waste. It gives them a strong foundation for them to build on as they get older, especially if you continue to go on a somewhat regular basis.
Pop Its
Pop Its are a great tool for teaching your little finger isolation. At this age, they are still struggling with only using one finger at a time. Helping them play with a Pop It provides the training they need to move their finger’s independently!
Related Post: PomPom Whisk: A Toddler Fine Motor and Learning Activity
Sensory Activities For 13 Month Olds
13 month olds crave sensory activities. This is why they touch everything, put all the objects in their mouths, etc! These activities are perfect for your sensory adventures.
Edible Sensory Bins
Sensory bins are a fantastic way to introduce your little ones to a lot of different skills. The biggest obstacle to overcome is the basic toddler tendency to put everything in their mouth.
The best solution is to make a sensory bin that is edible. Taming Little Monsters has a great blog that details multiple different edible sensory bins.
Pick Up Squats
While not original at all, having your little ones move objects into a raised container is a great way to help them work on their balance and basic motion. If you want to challenge your child, make sure the objects have just a little weight to them to really work on their balance.
Paper Plate Shaker
Making a plate shaker is always a great way to help your little one develop, and they always love something that makes noise! You only need a couple of paper plates, a stapler, and some rice, beads, or beans to really get your young one moving. This is a great way to help your child develop their grip strength as well as hand movement and sound recognition.
Obstacle Course
Making an obstacle course for your toddler to work through. Using objects from around the house is a great way to get your child to develop their balance, motor planning, body awareness, and overall strength!
Sensory Socks
If you have any lonely socks lying around the house, this is the perfect use for them. All you need to do is fill them with rice, beads, beans, small rocks, or any other textured filler and let your little ones have at them!
Ice Play
Letting your child play with ice on a hot day is always going to be a fun time. Just add some random items, such as toys, rocks, flowers, etc., and you have a perfect summertime sensory activity!
Pom Pom Rain
While it does get a little messy, having your child throw pom poms into the air is great for them to understand how to throw things. You can also have them dance on them, put them in a plastic bottle and shake it, practice fine motor skills by picking them up and placing them in a cup, or find pompoms of only one color.
Related Post: 17 Sensory Board DIY Ideas for Busy Babies and Toddlers
Montessori Activities for 13-Month-Olds
Montessori activities are proven to help cognitive development, independence, coordination and so much more!
Shape Sorting
Shape sorting is a fantastic activity for your little one to work on. It promotes fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and pattern recognition.
Coin Sorter
Your little one will love engaging with you while playing with this Circle Coin Sorting ball drop box. Shapes and color sorting are important first steps in cognitive learning for babies and toddlers. This Montessori Coin Sorter will teach the concept of object permanence box, fine motor, and matching skills that will set them up for future learning.
Carrot Sorting
Develop your little one’s sorting skills with AOJOYS carrot sorting wooden toys! This sorting Montessori toy for toddlers combines fun and learning into one creative activity for your little one to enjoy. There are 7 different sizes of cute carrots for your little one to explore and put into the right size slot.
Fine Motor Skill Set
This educational toy set is designed specifically for the active brain development of children aged 1-3. In addition to providing fun and entertainment, the toys also help improve hand-eye coordination, color recognition, and fine motor skills.
Pound-A-Ball
This multi-color pound-a-ball is ideal for hammering practice. It promotes dexterity, hand-eye coordination, manipulation, arm movement, and cause and effect. The hammer and balls are specially made for little hands and suitable for an easy grip.
Stacking Cups
These castle-style stacking and nesting cups are some of the best Montessori toys for babies and toddlers. The cups can help the development of size discrimination, motor skills, color recognition, and hand-eye coordination.
Busy Board
Busy boards are a great source of learning for children. They provide multiple different activities to teach your child different skills they will use later in life while promoting fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination development.
Related Post: 19 Best Montessori Toys for 1 Year Old Toddlers
Indoor Activities For 13 Month Olds
Sometimes you just need some good indoor activities for kiddos, especially during the colder months or when the weather just isn’t so great outside.
Ball Time
Playing with balls is a fantastic way to get your children moving. Whether they are rolling, throwing, or chasing the balls, they will be working on their hand-eye coordination, balance, and visual tracking skills!
Find The Toys
Getting your toddler to work on object recognition is always challenging. Having them simply pick up each toy that you ask for is a fantastic way to help them learn object recognition as well as work on their sorting skills, balance, and hand-eye coordination.
Bubble Pop
Every child loves to pop the bubbles in bubble wrap. Letting them loose on the packing material is an amazing way for them to develop their hand-eye coordination and finger isolation, and strengthen their fingers.
Pipe Cleaner Fun
Pipe cleaners are a great resource to keep around the house for children of all ages. For a 13-month-old, you can pair them with a colander to help your toddler work on hand-eye coordination, develop fine motor skills,
Water Painting
While 13-month-olds aren’t quite ready for actual paint, that doesn’t mean they can’t have some fun. All you need is some construction paper, a paintbrush or cotton balls, and some water for your little one to “paint” their picture!
Stacking Blocks
Every child loves knocking down block towers. The added benefit is that when they are rebuilding their towers, they are building their fine motor skills, balancing, and learning about weight distribution.
Toddler Tissue Box
This tissue box toy is made of quality materials and is soft, durable, and kid-friendly. By pulling, grasping, and releasing the scarves, your child’s hands can be well exercised, which will promote the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Outdoor Activities For 13-Month-Olds
Going outside for activity time during the warmer months is so much fun. Kids get a great deal of benefits from the sun on their skin and moving their bodies.
Hiking
The easiest outdoor activity for your 13-month-old is going on a hike. It is such a great way for them to develop their leg muscles while also giving you a great sense of their personality by seeing what they find interesting in nature.
Nature Rubbing
Making nature rubbings can lead to some fantastic pieces of art! All you need is paper and crayons and random items in nature and you can discover what patterns they make. Leaves, bark, flowers, grass, or even hard-packed dirt make simple and interesting rub patterns.
Swinging
Visiting the park can provide such a great experience for your child. For example, giving them some time on a swing is great to help them build their spatial awareness.
Sidewalk Chalk
As long as you can keep it out of their mouth, sidewalk chalk can provide tons of entertainment. It also helps them develop their grip strength, fine motor skills, and color recognition.
You can just set out some chalk to play, but if you need a fun idea – try this sidewalk chalk shape game!
Play Chase
Every child loves playing chase! It is a fun game that is full of running and laughter while helping them work on their gross motor skills and situational awareness!
Collecting Nature
Letting your child collect pieces of nature allows them to show what they find interesting. It also helps build their gross motor skills, balance, and grip strength. Try this printable outdoor scavenger hunt!
Related Post: Outdoor Activities for toddlers
Sprinkler Play
While you’re watering your lawn, why not let your little ones loose to have fun in the water? It is a great time to allow your child to get used to moving water and build their gross motor skills!
Frequently Asked Questions About Activities For 13-Month-Olds
Sometimes it can feel a bit challenging to do activities with 13-month-olds. Here are some frequently asked questions about activities for 13-month-olds.
How often should I do activities with my 13-month-old?
You can do activities with your 13-month-old every day, and they don’t have to be a big ordeal every time! Doing an activity with them daily keeps their minds busy and learning.
How do I know which activities are best for my 13-month-old?
Pick the activities that you think will be fun or even a bit challenging for your little one. If something is too hard, it won’t be fun so try and keep it just a bit challenging.
Doing activities with 13-month-olds can be so much fun. There are lots of possibilities and fun things to do.
Remember, keep it at their level and if it doesn’t go as planned they probably won’t remember anyway (ha ha)
What are your favorite activities to do with 13-month-olds? Let me know in the comments below!
