Since I`ve now got a hyper little toddler crawling and cruising -no, not walking yet- around, it was time to step up my game to introduce some more activities to Adam. I always try to have a variety of games and activities available for him to explore, but as he also decided that morning naps are not happening anymore, we`re dealing with VERY long mornings nowadays in which variation is key to keep both Adam content and me sane. :-D
And honestly? I also just love trying out new things together: it is both a challenge for him and for me. :-)
So here are Adam`s 10 favorite activities at 13 months! I hope they can serve as an inspiration for you and your little one. Keep in mind that some of these might be not interesting/too difficult/too easy/... for your particular child. I try to observe Adam closely and try to base new activities and games on what he shows interest in. :-) Some of these activities are Montessori-inspired as I`ve been really fascinated by the teachings of Maria Montessori, others are inspired by Pinterest and some I make up as we go along. :-)
Adam has loved throwing and chasing after balls for a while now, so I decided to change things up a little and give him a basket of oranges to play with. He loved picking them up, throwing them around, rolling them, collecting them back, ...
2. Sorting pompoms
Every toddler mom needs to have this in her arsenal of games and toys: pompoms. :-) You can use them in such a variety of ways and tots really find them fascinating. (They might try to eat them though, so keep an eye on your little one here!) Adam loved sorting the pompoms in an empty egg container.
3. Post-its
We also play a little game with post-its in which I will stick post-its on several body parts, let`s say eyes, nose, mouth, ears, ... When Adam pulls one off I tell him what that body part is called. :-)
4. Pulling off tape
Some cardboard and some washi-tape make for some easy play!
5. Lids in a jar
Another easy and inexpensive activity: you just need an empty plastic jar and some plastic lids. Adam gets so excited when he is able to drop all the lids into the jar that he jumps up and down with joy! :-)
6. Pasta sensory box
Fill up a box with some dry pasta, cups, spoons, etc. and you`ve got yourself a fun sensory activity! :-) This is not for neat freaks as your whole living room floor will be covered in pasta. ;-)
7. Pull toys
These pull toys (For lack of a better word...) have been his favorites for the past 2 months now. I just took some metal jars and made some cuts in the plastic lids. You can fill the cuts up with colorful wooden ice sticks or pipe cleaner like I did, but you can also use different types of fabric, yarn, etc.
8. Books
Adam has loved being read to since he was really little. He loves books in general and enjoys *reading* on his own as well. He can be quite content for a while just flipping through books. As he will be a big brother soon, lately I`ve been reading to him about welcoming a new member to the family...
9. His personal wallet
This has proven to be a great activity for outside the home. I usually give Adam *his* wallet when he is in the car seat or when we are in a restaurant and we need to wait a little while for our order. This is basically a wallet that we had lying around the house (And my husband got it as a gift, but never used it.) and I was about to throw away until I remembered that Adam loved playing with MY wallet. ;-) I filled up Adam`s wallet with old plastic bank cards and membership cards, passport pictures of me and my husband and I attached some colorful key chains to it.
Adam loves playing with the key chains, taking out the cards, flipping through the wallet, ...
10. Playing outside
The weather in Qatar is great at the moment and we`ve been having lot`s of outdoor fun the past couple of weeks. I try not to take too much toys with me, but I just let Adam crawl around and explore his surroundings. (Who needs toys when you`ve got twigs and rocks to play with?)
