Activities to Do With Your 13 or 14 Month Old

toba |

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As the mother of 14 month old twins, I am constantly looking for engaging activities that challenge my babies and keep them entertained. At this age my twins love to do what I do, and want to help as much as possible. They are usually more creative then I am, and given some materials often come up with their own activities. Here is a list of some of the activities my twins and I have enjoyed together as well as some suggestions from other moms.

Around the House

· Picking up - my kids love to put things away and the 'help.' Try keeping only 10-12 toys on the shelves at a time to make clean up time easier. You can rotate the less popular toys every few weeks.

· Putting things into containers - it doesn't matter what kind of container or the things you are putting into them. I use an empty wipes container and gave the twins large game pieces to put in the slot where the wipes come out. My son loves this activity.

· Pushing cars around while making the noises brum-brum.

· Knocking over towers of boxes or blocks.

· Turning over cars or trucks and 'fixing' (playing with) the wheels.

· Brushing their own hair.

· Reading books - both my kids can't get enough of this. They love turning the pages. They even love turning the pages of a book alone and 'reading' it to themselves.

· Singing songs - they especially love to clap along or do hand motions. The wheels on the bus and paddy -cake are some of our favorites. They also love to drum or shake rattles to music.

· Dancing - we love having a dance party. Whether I dance holding the baby in my arms, holding their hands, or we all just dance around, they love it.

· Playing in the tub.

· Going up and down stairs.

· We love playing with flashcards. Either buy them or make your own from picture you collect.

· Make a fort - my kids love climbing in and out of things. You can cut doors in a large box, put smaller boxes together, cover a table with a blanket, or anything that makes a fort.

· Doing the laundry - My daughter loves to pull all the clothes out of the clean laundry basket and play in them. I recommend this activity before you've folded them.

· Play hide and seek - make it very easy.

· Talking on fake cell phones.

· Practice using a spoon and a fork.

Exploring the Outdoors

· Let your toddler take you for a walk - whether your baby crawls or walks, let them take their time and follow them as they explore your yard and/or neighborhood. Remember, most of the day you're in charge, let your little one take control for a little while. This wasn't the best activity with twins, but would probably be great with just one baby.

· Play in a kiddy pool -If you don't have a pool fill anything - my kids love playing in a wagon at their grandparents.

· Set up the sprinkler or the hose nozzle in the yard.

· Put up a bird feeder and watch the animals.

· Blow bubbles.

· Play with a ball - throw it, kick it, sit on it, be creative.

· Chase each other.

· Use a hose to spray water on the pavement or deck in different patterns.

· Help water the plants. We have a child sized watering can, but a yogurt container would also work great.

Out and About

Almost any child-friendly establishment will be enjoyed by your 13 or 14 month old. Here are just a few of the ideas of things you can do when you just need to get out:

· Go to the zoo.

· Go to a petting farm - any farm where you can look at the animals, even from a distance it great.

· Go to a museum - even a museum designed for adults gives your baby a chance to people watch.

· Visit the beach or a lake.

· Take a hike.

· Take a long walk and point out everything you see to your baby - don't worry about feeling foolish just keep talking.

· Drive near the airport and watch the planes take off.

· Join a playgroup - it's important for kids of any age to interact.

· Collect pictures of animals on your trips out and make a book or flashcards.

· Have a picnic.

· Go to a playground and swing and climb.

· Go to a pool.