Ideas on Activities for a 13 Month Old

Hey M. -

Over the winter I was going to Pottery Barn Kids (free) storytime. It's at 10:30am on Tuesdays at the Providence Place Mall. I found it was fun for my son to see other kids and walk around and then after I could get some walking in doing laps of the mall since it was cold. Probably a better winter/rainy day activity. K. E.

my youngest is 15 months olds and we do lots of things. I live in new bedford and we go to the Buttonwood Park zoo often. I start her in the stroller but allow her to walk alot too. She loves the freedom and I love the safety of knowing I am at a public place. she also loves the swing at playground and to be able to crawl/walk on the big toys. Just stay close because mine would crawl off the edge if I wasn't right there. As for rainy day, find a local playgroup. I have been bring my baby since she was little. She will benefit from seeing the other kids and you can make some grownup friends. Moms need friends too!

Try your Local YMCA. I am a Mom to 3 beautiful children 7,4,and 2 and have been taking my kids to YMCA since they have been babies. It is a wonderful organization, with so much to do for every age group.

M.

Hi M.,

Check with your local library. They usually have these activities for kids of different age groups. My kids who are 28 months old love it and have been going for a while. A woman has sing alongs, reads and also does some hand puppets.

Also find a playgroup in your area if you are a stay at home mom. This way you both will get something from it.

Good luck.
C.

My Son at 13 Months Loved the wood puzzels with the pegs for picking them up..He could not do them with out lots and lots of help but he would sit in his high chair a good 30 minutes playing with the pices..Also he loved to hold Pens straws cranons so i put a few things in a dish and him in his high chaire he would spend time takeing them out then in again then they hit the floor..At this age u just gave to go with the flow...My Son also has a great love for water i would take a small dish bucked and put it on the kitchen floor with 2 inches of water and let him put a few bath toys in it to play..I wish u luck they are other ideals on Huggies.com and Pampers.com

M.,
This is a great age for fun! For her physical develpment, if she's a crawler and/or walker, you could pile up pillows on the floor to have her maneuver over, under, and around! For small motor and brain development, make cloud dough together. (A cup of flour, a couple of Tbs veg oil, and enough water to make a soft dough). For now, she can help you mix the ingredients with her hands as you scoop, count, pour, etc. Then she can explore the dough with her hands, and it's safe if she eats it (although it's sticky, so be careful). Then, as she grows, she can help scoop and pour the ingredients. You can also begin teaching her sign language- my dd is 10 months and knows 5 signs already! You'll expand her vocabulary faster than she can speak the words. You can make blocks from empty cereal and cracker boxes for stacking and knocking down, and for filling and emptying. Toilet paper/paper towel tubes make great toys as well- see what fits in and out of them, color them, talk through them, look through them, bang them around. Add measuring cups to bath time, and you've got a math activity (volume), and scooping and pouring and filling. Out of the tub, they make great nesting cups. And PAINT! Make your own finger paints at home (send me a message if you want some recipes) and let her explore. Everything she does, she is learning from. When she holds a baby and hugs it, she's learning empathy and how to show love. When she stacks blocks, she is perfecting her motor skills. When you take her outside, she is learning from nature. Her play is her work, and all you have to do to "teach" her is provide her the opportunities! Good luck!

Hi M.

I just saw your posting about classes for your daughter.
I thought I'd give you some info on my business, BABYSTEPS Early Childhood Movement Center.

We are located in North Andover and have a lot of classes to offer you and your daughter that include dance, music, gym, storytime and athletic classes. We also have Playgroup & Parents' Group that meet each day.

We have a new class starting in September, Mamma Mambo, a high energy dance and workout class targeted toward you but taken by both you and your kids. The best part about our whole Babysteps program is that it is drop-in so you aren't stuck with a specific day and time once you sign up. You can come and go as you please for $10 a day (2 hours of classes) or $50/ month for unlimited classes (We are open 5 days/ week).

We are open Tues-Sat 9-12pm and our fall session begins Saturday September 6th
(Open House Mon-Fri, August 4-22nd 9-12pm). Please call us ###-###-#### or visit our website for more info www.nancychippendalesdancestudios.com and then click Babysteps under programs.

Look forward to hearing from you and hopefully meeting you and your little girl soon!
-K.
Director of Babysteps

You can seach online for Teaching Toddlers websites they'll lots of ideas.