Sensory Activities for One-Year-Olds

A sensory activity is any type of play that stimulates the senses. Information communicated through the senses of one-year-olds is crucial to healthy child development. In addition, sensory activities for one-year-olds can be so much fun and increase their success in play and eventually at school.

WHY ARE SENSORY ACTIVITIES IMPORTANT FOR BABIES?

Including sensory activities for one-year-olds during play increases the normal development of fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Babies use fine motor skills to reach and grasp objects. Babies use gross motor skills to sit, crawl, walk and run. Without these skills, kids can struggle in the classroom and with everyday activities. There are seven senses that are important stepping stones to more complex learning.

SMELL

Smell is a strong sense in babies that starts to develop in the womb. Babies can begin to recognize an object, place, or loved one by a scent which makes them feel comfortable. Sensory activities such as scented lotions and cooking aromas allow them to become familiar with their environment.

SOUND

Babies startle easily when they hear a loud sound. Bonds form when they hear a familiar voice or a song. For example, reading, singing, and playing with toys that make sounds are great sensory activities for one-year-olds.

TOUCH

The sense of touch is what babies need to cuddle. Skin-to-skin contact is very soothing for babies. Exposure to soft blankets or different textures at mealtime will stimulate the sense of touch.

SIGHT

Sight takes a little longer to develop in infants. Babies see a limited shade of colors and can only focus on near objects. Using mirrors, toys with bright colors and games like “Peek-A-Boo” are great for promoting visual development.

TASTE

The first thing babies want to do when they grab an object is to put it in their mouth to explore. A homemade food recipe turns into an awesome taste-safe sensory activity just in case babies put the item in their mouths. Sensory activities that explore different textures and a variety of healthy foods will shape their food choices as they grow.

VESTIBULAR AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE SENSES

Vestibular and proprioceptive senses work together for healthy development in babies. Babies move at different speeds and require good balance and coordination to use both sides of their bodies with the vestibular sense. On the other hand, babies need a proprioceptive sense for body awareness and to put forth the effort to move. For example, activities that involve rolling or swinging develop the vestibular system; however, crawling and tummy time activities develop the proprioceptive sense.

WHAT ARE SOME SENSORY ACTIVITIES FOR ONE-YEAR-OLDS?

When sensory activities are used, the whole family benefits. Warm, supportive relationships evolve when an adult and a one-year-old interact. Remember to always supervise your one-year-old when playing with small objects to prevent choking during any sensory activities for one-year-olds.

• sticky collages – tape sticky contact paper to a door or a wall with the sticky side facing toward you and place colored yarn or ribbon on top of it to make shapes
• no-cook play dough or peanut butter play dough to squeeze, smash, poke and roll
• scratch and sniff watercolors – with Kool-aid and ice cube tray or muffin tin
• pull scarves, fabric, or socks from a kleenex box
• any outdoor activities (i.e.bubbles, playing in the leaves, rolling in the grass)
• cover a board with different textured objects and touch and feel (i.e. felt, nail file, bubble wrap, grass)

SENSORY ACTIVITIES FOR ONE-YEAR-OLDS AT HOME

Finding sensory activities for one-year-olds to do around the house is not difficult at all! All it takes is a little bit of creativity with everyday objects. Try some of these fun sensory activities at home.

• hand and finger games (i.e. “Peek-A-Boo”, “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, and “Pat-A-Cake”)
• fill an empty water bottle with different objects (i.e. rice, beans) and tighten the lid so babies can spin or shake it to make noise
• crawl through cardboard box tunnel
• make musical instruments – turn bowls upside down to make drums or fasten rubber bands around an empty kleenex box to make a guitar
• drop small balls or pom poms down an empty paper towel roll attached to the door or wall
• head outdoors! Exploring grass is a wonderful sensory experience. Walk barefoot on the sand or in the grass. It is excellent to reduce sensitivity to the bottom of the feet and to work on strengthening the small muscles of the feet.

MESSY PLAY SENSORY ACTIVITIES FOR ONE-YEAR-OLDS 

Messy play does not sound fun to some parents. Allowing one-year-olds to make a mess on purpose in your home sounds wrong, yet messy play increases curiosity and creativity. For example, here are just a few ideas for messy play activities:

• home-made finger paint with different textures (i.e. yogurt, foam shaving cream, glitter)
• find small toys in a bin filled with sand
• stick wet foam alphabet letters or felt shapes to the side of the bathtub or window
• soap paint or food coloring water paint using a paintbrush on paper or in a coloring book
• let them feed themselves with various foods at the table (i.e. soft cereal bars, pudding, spaghetti play)

SENSORY BIN IDEAS FOR ONE-YEAR-OLDS

A sensory bin is a container filled with various materials or objects to stimulate the senses. This age is the perfect time to introduce different types of sensory bins as long as the bins are age appropriate. Once you make one sensory bin you will want to make more!

• jello sensory bin – be creative with different colors and shapes using jello. If you don’t want the babies to have sugar, use gelatin and add a little food coloring if you want.
• pool noodles sensory bin – cut-up pool noodles and place them in water, sand, or shaving cream
• pasta sensory bin – use uncooked larger pasta and a scooper, spoon, or tweezers
• water play sensory bin – toss whole or cut-up lemons in water and place drops of food color in the water. This is so simple and the littles ones love it!
• musical instrument sensory bin – anything that makes a sound or lights up

HOW DO I MAKE MY ONE-YEAR-OLD A SENSORY BIN?

A sensory bin does not have to be complicated or take a lot of time to make. It can be made from tubs or bins with lids you already own. All you need to do is add age-appropriate materials or objects to the bins to engage the senses and you have got yourself a sensory bin!

Sensory bins can be placed on the floor or on top of a sturdy child-height table for play. In addition, you can also make travel sensory bins by placing objects in plastic zip-lock bags (squish bags) or plastic bottles with lids. Endless possibilities exist for themed sensory bins (i.e. season, holiday, animals).

When you really think about it, sensory play is everywhere! Many sensory play ideas can engage all or some of the senses. One-year-olds need interaction with the environment through sensory play to learn the world around them and reach important developmental milestones.

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ARTICLE WRITTEN BY:

Kimberly Orlando, MOTR/L – Kimberly Orlando received her Master of Occupational Therapy from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA in 2001, and received her Level 1 Handwriting Specialist Certification through Handwriting Without Tears in 2012 in the areas of Pre-K Readiness, Printing, Cursive, and The Print Tool Evaluation. With 21 total years of experience as an Occupational Therapist, she has 6 years of experience providing services in hospital and home health care settings and 15 years of experience in early intervention and school settings (Pre-K through middle school levels). Kimberly also has experience tutoring children with fine motor and handwriting concerns.