In ancient times, children grew up without toys, educational books, cartoons and activities. The lifestyle of the ancient man was such that absolutely everything was done by hand, and the child from birth was included in the daily affairs of the tribe. Modern life is arranged differently: there is no need to hunt mammoths, weave baskets, make tools, sew clothes. The washing machine washes, lunch is cooked in a multicooker, we buy clothes and food in the store. That is why modern parents cannot avoid inventing activities and games for their little ones. In some activities, the presence of an adult is mandatory, and which ones are needed just so that the adult can carve out time for his own affairs.
How to entertain a baby
While the baby is small, games and activities with them are very simple. A baby up to a year old can be easily carried away with a bright rattle. This age is most associated with the development of different sensations. The kid is interested in everything: to feel, hear, see, lick. It is on acquaintance with different sensations that it is best to direct your efforts.
Together with the crumb, you can sort out rags of different textures, press the buttons of a musical toy, consider large pictures in books. Sometimes the mother can leave the child, leaving him with a rotating musical mobile or in a developing rug, where you can touch and examine a lot of things. However, by the end of the first year of life, the child masters movement in space: either he confidently and very quickly crawls and stands at the support, or he tries to take the first steps. From that moment on, his interest is more and more directed to the study of the world around him, and mom needs to be puzzled by new ideas for activities for the baby.
Spending time with a baby of 1-2 years old
At the age of 1-2 years, the best playmate is the mother. Of course, the company of peers will also be interesting for the child, but children develop precisely in the process of joint activities with an adult. What can you do with your child?
- Blowing bubbles... Usually, all kids love to watch colorful soap bubbles fly and watch the "magic" of transforming water into multi-colored iridescent bubbles. They will be interested in where so many bursting balls come from, and the child will definitely want to try blowing a soap bubble himself. This activity can stretch until the solution in the bottle runs out.
- Artistic creativity. A one-year-old baby will gladly paint with finger paints, at 2 years old the child will already quite cope with liquid gouache, watercolors, pencils and felt-tip pens. It makes no sense for a mother to actively participate in the painting process: let the child himself study the properties of paints, mix colors and make his own discoveries. In this process, an adult is only required to properly organize the artist's "workplace" and slightly direct his actions.
Creative activities with toddlers from 1 year old - drawing with finger paints
- Modeling. Offer your baby some modeling dough or regular soft plasticine. You can show the baby how to roll a ball, sausage, how to make a cake. You should not demand specific results or teach your child to sculpt specific shapes: it is always interesting for kids to study the properties of the material themselves. The advantage of this activity is the development of motor skills.
We make from dough for modeling
- Reading of books. Children of 1-2 years old are not yet able to perceive long prose and catch the plot thread. As much as we love fairy tales, 1-2 years is the age of poems and rhymes. Small poems on topics understandable and familiar to the child will be just right. At the same time, parents should not "reinvent the wheel" and give preference to the classics of children's literature. Also, children are very fond of special musical children's books.
- Role-playing games. At about 1.5 years old, babies become interested in role-playing games. In such a game, the child imitates the adult, performing the actions that he himself observes on a daily basis. The most popular subjects for babies are to feed the doll, swaddle it, ride it in a stroller, and put it to bed. True, many manipulations are still inaccessible to the baby, so you cannot do without the help of your mother. The older the child, the more "advanced" the plots of his games become.
- Active games. Not a single day with a child should do without them. Do not sit constantly at the table with brushes, plasticine and books ?! Be sure to run and jump, warm up. For example, you can entertain your toddler with a game of catch-up. If the child still does not know how not to run, but also to walk confidently - you can roll a ball on the floor, jump on a fitball.
- We play toys. It is not enough to make the whole nursery with different toys. A child can master them only with an adult, so moms and dads should definitely be included in such games. For kids 1-2 years old, cubes, pyramids, musical instruments, frames with inserts, constructors with large details are ideal.
Toys for a child 1-2 years old
- Air balloons. Kids love to play with balloons. You can draw on the ball, you can inflate and let go without tying it - it will be very fun and whistle quickly during the deflation process. The child will be surprised and interested in how a light and large ball can be made from such a small piece of rubber. (From personal experience: a small inflated balloon was tucked into the boy's T-shirt (like a big tummy). His joyful surprise knew no bounds. For 10 minutes he ran with the happy face of the owner of a miracle under the T-shirt! Http://club-mam.com/parenting/chem -zanyat-rebyenka-v-1-2-goda.html)
How to keep your child busy
"Distracting" activities for the baby (1-2 years old)
Sometimes a mom needs to keep her baby busy to do planned household chores or just take a break. Leaving a child idle and unattended is not safe, so it is better to offer him some interesting activity.
- Paper expanse. Both at 1 year old and at 2 years old, babies show great interest in rustling paper, tearing it or wrinkling it. The safest option is to give the little one a roll of toilet paper. The perforated paper is interesting to tear off the sheets, and what a pleasure it is to unwind the roll and see what is in the middle. Newspapers and magazines rustle great, but it is not advisable to give them to the baby: newspapers are heavily stained with paint, and the sheets of glossy magazines have sharp edges that can easily hurt you.
- A bag of surprises. We put different items in a textile bag or a gift bag and give it to the baby. Children are interested in taking out objects one by one, examining them, folding them back. By the way, many kids love to rustle with bags from the supermarket. This is not the best activity for a child: the baby can put a bag on his head, bite off and inhale a piece of cellophane. Such games are possible only under the careful supervision of an adult.
- Kitchenware. If mom needs to cook dinner, you can take the baby with you to the kitchen. All kids love plastic containers, silicone spatulas, pots, spoons and cooks.
- We pour, we pour. For a long time, a child can be captivated by such a meditative activity as pouring water from a container into a container or pouring cereals. To play, you need a large basin, which we fill either with water or with something loose (large pasta, beans) and different jars, boxes, bottles. If the child is playing with pasta or cereals, choose such an option so that the particles are large.
GREAT games for the little ones
- We include in household chores. In some situations, you can not try to keep your child busy for a while, but do household chores together. For example, give him a damp cloth and show him how to dust off. At 2 years old, the baby will be able to wield a baby brush for the floor and even wash dishes. You can put the little one on a stable supply near the sink, turn on the tap with water, lather up with a sponge and let the plastic dishes wash.
- Interactive toys and cartoons. Of course, it is better for a child to watch cartoons together with adults, but sometimes the mother needs to concentrate well and not be distracted by the child at all for 15-20 minutes. You should not abuse this method and "turn off" the baby from the everyday life of the family, because observing the actions of adults gives much more for development than the most "developing" cartoon.
It is better to alternate joint and separate classes, while it is imperative to give the child the opportunity to get bored, to laze around and come up with a game for himself. Constant slipping of ready-made games and activities inhibits the creative development of the baby and dulls his cognitive activity.
Let's summarize.
- Entertainment with an adult:
- Bubble;
- Air balloons;
- Painting with paints (finger, watercolors, gouache);
- Modeling with dough or soft plasticine;
- Books (music is possible);
- Role-playing and active games;
- Games with toys;
- Child's independent pastime:
- Toilet paper / newspapers / magazines;
- Rustling packages;
- Overflowing water;
- Pouring of croup;
- Help on thinking: washing dishes / cleaning;
- Cartoons.
We read further:Raising a child up to one year: advice for parents, games and toys >>>
5 ways to keep your child busy without toys (part 1)
6 ways to keep your child entertained without toys (part 2)
