Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. When you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I earn a commission at no cost to you. See my entire disclosure policy for all the boring details.
13 Month olds are so busy and cute. But truthfully, they can be really tiring as well. They’re old enough to have opinions but not always advanced enough in their language development to communicate those opinions clearly.
As someone who has gone through this stage with 5 kids, I can confidently say…. this too shall pass!!
Still, 13 month olds are learning all the time. Their brain development is advancing so quickly as they learn cause and effective, acquire new language skills, and figure out how the world works.
You Don’t Need a Fancy Toddler Play Room
You guys. We are so old school and boring. We have blocks, magnetic tiles, little push carts and make believe toys and that’s it!
There are so many fun activities your young toddlers can do, and many of them are super simple things you can set up in your living room. Don’t put pressure on yourself to create these perfect instagram worthy playrooms. We’ve never had any of that!!! (Come follow me @mrsreneecook if you want a look at REAL mom life at home.)
I just go about our normal life… sometimes toddlers go off and play, sometimes they follow me and “help” with the laundry, house cleaning, or whatever.
Once we started homeschooling, the toddler in residence sorta just followed the big kids around and copied them. “Writing” on paper, playing nearby, emptying drawers, dumping out art supplies. Haha we have a daily clean up time when we reset the house.
But, what do they play with!?! I have lots of ideas below!! But first… A quick recommendation.
Best Toddler Parenting Book
I strongly suggest reading this book during your child’s one year old year! Though it’s geared towards two year olds, much of the philosophy will help you as your parent your tiny person at age 13 months as well.
13 Month Old Toddler Activity & Play Ideas
1. Play with stacking toys
Stacking toys are a great way to improve a toddler’s hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. You can use blocks or cups for this activity.
2. Sing nursery rhymes
Singing nursery rhymes is not only a fun activity, but it also helps to promote language development in young children.
Nursery rhymes introduce all kinds of new words that your child won’t hear in every day life. Besides passing down cultural traditions, nursery rhymes play on your child’s natural ability to memorize language patterns in a brilliant way.
We love board book versions of nursery rhymes! You can find lots at the library too.
3. Play peek-a-boo
Playing peek-a-boo with your 13-month-old is a fun and interactive way to improve their cognitive development and sense of object permanence.
2 fun versions of peekaboo are to put the towel over their head and let them pull it off OR put a towel over your head and let them realize they can pull it off. Kids think this is such a fun game. I play it on the changing table a lot too.
4. Play with sensory bins
Sensory play is a great way to introduce young children to different textures and stimulate their senses. You can fill a bin with items such as rice, water, or sand, and let your toddler explore.
Keep the bin simple – less is more. I always used larger dried pasta at first because it’s easier to clean up. As the kids got older, I might use rice or beans.
When introducing a sensory bin to a young child, it’s important to keep it simple. You want to avoid overwhelming your child with too many items or textures. Start with just one or two items in the bin, such as rice or water, and let your child explore. As they become more comfortable with the bin, you can add more items or textures. Remember that less is more when it comes to sensory bins for young children.
Tips for No Dumping on the Floor
Toddlers love to explore and experiment, which means they might be tempted to dump the contents of the sensory bin on the floor. To avoid this, it’s a good idea to implement a no dumping on the floor rule from the beginning.
Explain to your child that the contents of the bin need to stay inside the bin, and gently guide their hands back to the bin if they try to dump it. You can also model appropriate behavior by keeping the contents of the bin inside the bin yourself. As your child becomes more comfortable with the sensory bin, they will learn to explore and experiment without the need to dump it on the floor.
If the child looks at you, smiles cutely, and then intentionally dumps it out, try a brief time out. Remove the child from the area and set them on the floor facing a corner. Say “that’s a no. Time out.” Turn around for 10 seconds. Then go back to the child and walk them over to the bin. Say, “Keep the pasta in the bin.”
If they do it again, take the bin away for today.
If they just can’t handle it or you can’t handle the mess, try again when they’re a little older. 2-5 year olds LOVE sensory bins so you don’t HAVE to start them at 13 months.
This brand has cute sensory bins on amazon!
Remember to supervise your 13 month old closely while they explore the bin. If you’re worried about them eating the objects, they’re probably too young.
5. Read books
Reading books with your 13-month-old is a great way to promote literacy and language development. Choose books with colorful pictures and simple text.
Some of my younger kids’ first words came from reading the same books over and over. Eventually, I’d pause to let the child fill in the word. “Goodnight________” (They’d fill in moon.)
Pointing helps with language skills too. Then they start to copy you and point.
A few of our 1 year olds’ favorite board books are:
- Dear Zoo (super cute animal + flap book)
- First 100 Words
- First 100 Trucks
- ABC book with letter sounds – this one is so cute and not very obnoxious!! I’m very picky with noisemaking books/ toys.
- Blue Hat, Green Hat
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
- From Head to Toe
These are all books I don’t mind reading too… there are so many terrible children’s books out there. Ha! If you’re going to read to your kids a lot, might as well invest in books you love to read again and again.
6. Play with balls
Rolling and throwing balls is a fun way to improve a toddler’s gross motor skills. It’s fun to have a variety of balls around the house… I just get those big giant ones from the tall elastic bins at Walmart or Target. We’ve also had large bouncy balls, stress balls, etc. They seem to just find their way into our house.
This is a cute toddler ball set my little guy got for his birthday.
This is a cute 1 year old basketball hoop! (pictured below)
7. Play with play-dough
Play-dough is a great way to improve a toddler’s fine motor skills and encourage creativity.
Here’s a cute starter playdough tools kit. I’ve purchased playdough and sometimes made my own with basic recipes that include cream of tarter!
8. Dance to music
Dancing to music is a fun and interactive way to improve a toddler’s gross motor skills and sense of rhythm.
9. Play with cardboard boxes
Toddlers love to play with boxes! You can turn a cardboard box into a fort or a playhouse, or simply let your toddler climb inside and explore.
10. Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to improve a toddler’s problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination. Choose puzzles with large, easy-to-handle pieces.
These are our favorite chunky puzzles for young toddlers.
11. Shape sorters
Shape sorters are a great way to improve a toddler’s problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination. Choose a shape sorter with large, easy-to-handle pieces.
This is the perfect first shape sorter for a 13-month-old baby brain development.
As they get older, you can switch to a more complex one like this for building increased cognitive skills.
Remember, for kids, all new skills come through play!!!
12. Finger painting
Finger painting is a fun way to encourage creativity and improve a toddler’s fine motor skills. It’s one of those sensory activities that most 1 year olds just love.
Here are some suggestions for places to set up finger painting at home or outside:
- Highchair tray: You can set up a finger painting activity on your child’s high chair tray. This is a great option for younger toddlers who may need more support and supervision.
- Plastic tablecloth: Lay down a plastic tablecloth on the floor or table to contain any mess. This is a great option for toddlers who like to move around while they paint.
- Bathtub: Finger painting in the bathtub is a fun and easy way to contain the mess. You can use washable paint and simply rinse everything off when you’re done.
- Outdoor play area: Finger painting outside is a great way to minimize mess and allow your child to enjoy the outdoors. You can set up a painting station on a plastic table or even on a piece of cardboard.
When it comes to keeping the mess contained during finger painting, here are some tips and ideas:
- Use washable paint: Using washable paint makes clean-up a lot easier. You can simply wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth or rinse everything off in the sink or bathtub.
- Dress your child in old clothes: It’s a good idea to dress your child in old clothes that you don’t mind getting messy. You can also consider using a smock or apron to protect their clothes.
- Use a drop cloth or plastic sheet: Laying down a drop cloth or plastic sheet can help contain the mess and make clean-up easier.
- Have wet towels or wipes on hand: Keep a stack of wet towels or wipes nearby to clean up any spills or messes as they happen.
- Supervise closely: Make sure to supervise your child closely during finger painting to ensure they don’t get too messy or make too much of a mess.
13. Play with musical instruments
Toddlers love to make noise! Give your 13-month-old some musical instruments to play with, such as drums or shakers. It’s one of the best activities for young children and if you give them a bag of instruments, they’ll have so much fun.
14. Water play
Playing with water is a great way to improve a toddler’s sensory development and hand-eye coordination. You can use a small tub or container and some bath toys for this activity.
I like a shallow under the bed bin for playing outside.
Inside, we’re all about playing in the sink!! I plop a 1 year old in the sink. By 2-3, they can definitely learn to play at the sink without dumping the water everywhere.
15. Play with stickers
Stickers are a fun and easy way to improve a toddler’s fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Buy some like this that don’t have the backing to deal with; or peel the backing off.
16. Build with blocks
Building with blocks is a fun way to improve a toddler’s problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination. I know people love soft blocks, but my kids have always preferred wooden blocks. I like the container to have a shape sorter too 🙂 Two toys in one!!
17. Play with puppets
Puppets are a great way to encourage imaginative play and language development in young children.
18. Ball pit
A ball pit is a fun way to improve a toddler’s gross motor skills and provide a sensory experience. You can buy a ball pit or make one by filling a small pool with plastic balls.
19. Kitchen Play
Playing with a toy kitchen is a fun way to encourage imaginative play and promote language development. We’ve had toy kitchens, but my kids always seem to prefer playing in the actual kitchen. Haha I have drawers that are a free for all for them.
20. Go on a nature walk
Going on a nature walk is a great way to introduce young children to the outdoors and encourage a love of nature. Point out different plants and animals along the way, and let your toddler explore and collect items like leaves or stones.
21. Play with DIY Sensory Toys & Bags
You can fill a bag with tempera paint or rice and hot glue it shut for good measure! You can put some small objects like beads or dominoes in the bag and let kids “hunt” for them.
If you don’t like the DIY route, just search on Amazon.
22. Wooden spoon & measuring cups
I have a drawer in the kitchen the kids can go to town on. The dollar store is a great place to grab an assortment of pots, pans, bowls, measuring cups, etc.
23. Pipe Cleaners & Lacing
This will be too hard for some 13 month olds, but some young toddlers are ready. If not, no worries. All kids progress at different paces. Try again around 16 or 19 months if they can’t get it at 13!
Pipe cleaners & large beads at the easiest way to begin lacing. Over time, you can try shoe laces, regular string, smaller beads, or even cheerios on a skewer. 😂 As you can see below, we always had “non toy” toys. Haha Using different things to mix up the same old activity is a great way to practice new skills though.
24. Pipe cleaners & Colander
This one is self explanatory from the picture… If you keep these supplies in a specific spot, it’s something your child may help themselves to as they’re interested.
25. Watch Trucks Outside
Sit outside or let your little one stand at the window and watch the garbage trucks on garbage day. It sounds so simple but young toddlers think watching trucks is a great activity.
When my oldest kids were 2 and 3, the city did construction on our block for a month! It was the best month ever because they’d just sit and play by the front door so that they could watch the workers.
25. Giant Paper Roll
Put a giant paper roll on the table and let your 13 month old sit on the table with some crayons or markers. You can even cover the table completely if you don’t want any chance of the art making it on to the table.
Obviously, use your judgement to decide if your particular toddler can handle sitting on the table safely. But our kids have always been plopped on tables or counters to “help,” so they’re pretty stable. I stay near by and make sure they don’t venture too close to the edge.
(Below – you can see that I didn’t supervise closely enough. LOL. Child number 4…)
26. “Cooking” Nearby
I’d give my toddler a chair to stand on (not a fancy wooden gated stool… just a plain old kitchen chair.)
Then I’d give them 1-2 basic ingredients like oats or dried beans and let them mix and experiment with the different things. The kitchen is a great place to accomplish all kinds of pretend play and fine motor development for free. No fancy toys needed.
Make the same old activity feel like different activities by mixing up the tools you make available.
Reusable silicone muffin containers + a muffin tin + water pouring one day.
The following week, you could do a bowl of oats with a spoon and some tupperware containers with lids for the child to play with.
27. Play With Big Kid Games
One of my top tips for parenting toddlers is giving them lots of access to the adult and big kid stuff as long as it’s safe! Especially once you’re not worried about them eating & choking on small objects.
My toddlers loved to “play” with our magnetic fold up chess set. They’d unclasp the latches, take all the pieces out, pretend to set them up, move them around, put the pieces in a little container, try to put them back where they belonged, etc.
Same with connect 4! They loved to drop those coins in the slots!! Once they figure it out, it can keep them occupied for hours. JK… but, minutes!! Haha which is saying something.
28. Water Table
An outside water table is SO FUN!! It’s one of those designated kid toys I actually think is worth it.
We had this one for YEARS.
Adding watering cans, sand toys, kitchen toys, or hose access is a creative way to keep the water table creative play going on and on. We always just kept a basket of old beach towels very accessible so that kids could easily take wet clothes off and get dried off when they were ready to come in.
No need to fuss over bathing suits and “not getting wet.”
29. Obstacle Course & Gross Motor Play
Creating “obstacle courses” with couch cushions or foam blocks is a great way to help your baby’s development.
This type of play is a little easier if you have big kids around to model going in and out of fort cushions, or climbing over things. But if you toss some pillows on the floor and lay on them, your young toddler will get the idea.
These foam climbing blocks that come in different shapes are super cute too, if you have the room! They’d be fun in a kids’ bedroom or a play area that’s pretty open.
I’ll also say – we love our Nugget. Now, there are several knockoffs!! We have had and used ours for years in many various ways. Highly recommend it. And it’d work for forts + obstacle courses, etc. for your 1 year old.
They’re kinda pricey, but they make a fun gift & the good news is, they last a long time!
29. Special Reading Spot
Our youngest toddler has this cute little chair (several different patterns available) that also unfolds into a bed or tent. He loves to sit on it with his basket of books! This would be the cutest 1 or 2 year old birthday gift!!
Reading books to and with your kids is the best way to foster healthy emotional development and empathy.
30. Paper Ripping
Grab an old magazine or a roll of streamers and show your toddler how to rip the paper. Bonus points for shoving into a coffee tin or some other fun container with a lid.
Kids love ripping paper! I don’t know why, but hey, whatever works!
