Kids love to play outside and even it’s too hot as the summers, or the weather is cooling off like in the fall, there is always something to do and let them play outside to practice some gross motor skills.
I try to plan our weekly schedule ahead of time to reduce downtime or get myself in a situation where I don’t know what to do with Manny. For summer, there are a lot of activities you can do outside and integrate learning as you do it with water, while during the fall you can do skip the water if the day is cooler and do other exploratory activities.
Don’t be bored at home! choose one or all of these activities and head outside for some outdoor fun. Outdoor games for 1 year olds are crucial for their development.
1. Walk barefoot in the grass
head over to the park or go outside your house, take your baby’s shoes off and let her walk barefoot in the grass. It is a great sensory experience as she feels different textures in the ground. She will practice her balance as she needs to walk in uneven surfaces, but still safe to fall if she loses balance.
2. Take a walk to look for flowers
The world – and everything in it – is new for your baby. Take a walk or a stroller ride and look for different types of flowers. What colors do you see? are they soft? are the small?
3. look for butterflies
What a magical animal this is. The best part is that usually, you can just head out the door and not have to go too far to find them. Keep an eye this week for them and point them out when you see them. Then, share a still photograph and talk about what you saw.
If you want to travel somewhere this week, then head over to Butterfly World as your field trip and take this activity to the max.
4. find a rainbow in your sprinkler or water from a garden hose
Playing with water is my default activity with Manny. It is the easiest way to keep him happy and playing for a long time. Integrate learning with a water activity by finding a rainbow in your sprinkler water. You can then do other activities that you can teach your baby about the rainbow.
5. look at the clouds
Look up! there’s a world of learning above you. Take a blanket and lay on the grass over the sunset. Take this opportunity to learn about the clouds, is sunny? what about when is cloudy? Share with your baby what you see, how clouds move and what colors they are.
6. point out different insects to your toddler
We might not like insects but toddlers are very curious about learning about these little creatures. Capture a firefly, or show her a mosquito or even a spider.
Remember that your toddler is just learning and absorbing everything around them. Use outdoor games for 1 year olds like the above mentioned to teach them about the world we live in. Homeschooling your 1 year old is just that – teaching them about the world. Let your one year old start seeing her surroundings and be aware of what they see. Point to them what you see outside, and take every opportunity as a learning opportunity.