My First School · Level 1 · Age 1· A 1 Year Old Curriculum (12–24 Months)
1 Year Old Curriculum Where play turns into learning.
A play-based curriculum for 1 year-olds (12–23 months), built on spiral learning and designed to grow with your toddler all year long.
You don’t need flashcards. You need a plan for today.
- 12 themed units
- 240 daily activities
- 6 skill areas
- 10–15 min a day
$97 one-time payment
That’s $8 a month over the year — no subscription, no logins.
Not sure yet? Try the free sample first →
The Pinterest Trap
You don’t need more ideas. You need a plan.
Two hundred saved reels. Forty bookmarked Pinterest boards. Three sensory bins that needed kinetic sand you didn’t have, and one that ended with rice in your couch (and tears — yours).
Pinterest gives you inspiration. It does not give you Tuesday. It does not tell you what to do at 9:42 on a rainy Wednesday in February when your fourteen-month-old has thrown the wooden ring stacker for the eleventh time and you still have six hours until bedtime.
This does.
What’s inside
a full year of 1 year old curriculum, already planned Already planned.
Open to any unit. Pick a day. Do one activity. That’s the whole system.
12
Themed units
One per month, matched to what your baby is developmentally ready for from 12 to 23 months.
48
Weeks of plans
Four weeks per unit. Monday through Friday. The fridge-magnet version of toddlerhood.
240
Real activities
Each with materials you already own, ten-minute setups, and exactly what to say.
6
Skill areas
First Words. Fine Motor. Gross Motor. Sensory. Object Permanence. Social-Emotional.
The weekly rhythm
One skill a day. Monday through Friday.
Monday
First Words
Songs, naming, pointing, simple back-and-forth talk.
Tuesday
Fine Motor
Pincer, dropping, threading, stacking, sticker peel.
Wednesday
Gross Motor
Climbing, walking practice, throwing, big moves.
Thursday
Sensory
Safe textures, water, dough, cold and warm, smells.
Friday
Social-Emotional
Bonding, sharing, kindness, comfort, helping.
If Tuesday slips, do it on Wednesday. Having a plan matters more than following it perfectly.
The twelve units
A theme for every month of the first year.
Each month is matched to a developmental window — what your baby’s brain is ready for right now.
01
12 months
Getting to Know You
Bonding, face recognition, first body parts, the rhythm of play.
02
13 months
Hello, Hands
Pincer grasp, banging, clapping, waving — the hands wake up.
04
15 months
Where Did It Go?
Object permanence — hiding games, in and out, peekaboo evolves.
05
16 months
Sounds All Around
Animal sounds, environmental sounds, the first big word burst.
06
17 months
Big Feelings
Naming emotions, gentle hands, comforting, sharing — the social brain wakes up.
07
18 months
Little Helper
Imitation, household play, pretend, words for daily life.
09
20 months
Two-Word Wonders
Combining words — “more milk,” “big truck,” “mama up” — and growing vocabulary fast.
10
21 months
I Can Do It
Independence — self-feeding with a spoon, dressing help, simple choices.
11
22 months
Curious Climber
Gross motor mastery — running, climbing, balance, jumping.
12
23 months
Ready for Two
Pretend play, problem solving, transitions — synthesizing the year.
Peek inside
Here’s what this Monday looks like.
Unit 1 · Week 1 · One play idea per day · 10–15 minutes each
Monday
First Words
Mirror Hello
Sit together at a mirror. Point to baby and say their name. Point to you and say “Mama.” Repeat slowly. Laugh, wave, kiss the mirror.
Tuesday
Fine Motor
Soft Scarf Pull
Tie 2–3 cotton scarves loosely and stuff into an empty wipes box. Show baby how to pull. Cheer each pull. Re-stuff together.
Wednesday
Gross Motor
Roll It Back
Sit on the floor a few feet apart, legs in a V. Roll a soft ball to baby and say “roll.” Help them push it back. Build to 3–5 rolls.
Thursday
Sensory
Warm Towel Snuggle
Warm a clean towel in the dryer for 1 minute. Wrap baby’s hands or feet and slowly uncover. Talk about “warm,” “soft,” “cozy.”
Friday
Social-Emotional
I See You
Hide your face behind your hands, then pop out: “I see you!” Pause longer each round to build anticipation. Try a couch or door next.
The method
Same skills. Growing challenge.
A one-year-old doesn’t master first words in a week. Walking, object permanence, language — all built through hundreds of small repeated moments, across months, not days. This is called spiral learning, and it’s the gold standard for how very young children master big developmental tasks. Every skill area reappears every single week of the year. What changes is how we practice it — simpler at 12 months, more complex at 23 months.
Watch “First Words” grow across the year:
12 months
Mirror Hello — name baby and parent in the mirror
14 months
Read and Pause — leave the last word out of a familiar phrase
16 months
Cow Says Moo — first animal sound mimicry
18 months
Two-Step Ask — “get the ball, give it to Daddy”
20 months
More Please — combining two words
22 months
Three-Word Sentences — “Mama wants juice”
A note from Alexa
You don’t need to be a teacher. You don’t need fancy materials. You don’t need to do every single activity. What you need is here.
Alexa Torrijos is an early childhood educator, sensory play teacher, and mom of two. She started teaching play more than 20 years ago — as Education Director at the Boys & Girls Club, where she helped 56 kids raise their grades using the same play-based methods baked into this curriculum. Today, her work has been featured on PBS Kids South Florida, and her resources are used by families, teachers, and speech-language pathologists across the country. Her mission is simple: show you that teaching at home can be joyful, stress-free, and full of play.
An honest check
Is this the right fit?
A quick gut-check before you commit. We’d rather you get the right thing than the wrong thing on sale.
This is for you if
- Your toddler is between 12 and 23 months
- You want a roadmap, not two hundred more saved Pinterest ideas
- You want screen-free play that doesn’t require buying twenty new toys
- You want structure that flexes — not a strict schedule that punishes you when life happens
You want a homeschool curriculum for your 1 year old that’s play-based, not worksheet-based
This isn’t for you if
- Your 1 year old is younger than 12 months — start with the free 0–12 content first
- You’d rather use a screen-based app — this is paper, hands, and your living room floor
By year’s end
What your baby will actually do.
Every baby develops on their own timeline — this is a guide, not a test. But this is what a year of consistent play-based learning tends to look like.
12–14 months
Starting Out
- Takes first steps
- Says 1–3 words clearly
- Waves bye-bye
- Points to ask for things
- Plays peekaboo back
15–17 months
Walking & Words
- Walks well alone
- Says 5–10 words
- Imitates household tasks
- Knows 3+ body parts
- Drinks from a cup with help
18–20 months
The Word Burst
- Says 10–20 words
- Runs (sometimes wobbly)
- Stacks 3–4 blocks
- Names familiar pictures
- Follows simple instructions
21–23 months
Ready for Two
- Combines two words
- Vocabulary of 50+ words
- Jumps with both feet
- Pretend plays simply
- Uses spoon mostly well
A guide, not a checklist. Every child arrives in their own time.
What moms are saying
From the moms already inside.
Used by families across the country — including these two Level 1 moms:
★★★★★
“I was teaching her MOOOOO and after only like 3 times she mimicked MMMM… she couldn’t get the OOOO part, but she is only 11 months old, I considered that success! Also, the songs — I sang them, and when I stopped she began to hum.”
Sesali B. · Mom of 11-month-old, FL · Level 1 buyer
★★★★★
“The activities were a good fit for my 13.5-month-old. I liked the variety, and the instructions were easy to understand. She LOVES music. We sang ‘I Am Special’ 3 times in a row. A couple days later I sang it to her and paused before ‘mommy’ — and of course she said ‘daddy’!”
Kayla · Mom of 13.5-month-old · Level 1 buyer
My First School · Level 1
a full year of 1 year old curriculum to play right on your living room floor.
Seventy-one pages. Twelve monthly themes. Two hundred and forty activities. One mom-tested rhythm that works.
Here’s everything you’re getting
- My First School Curriculum Level 1 — 12 themed units, 48 weeks, 240 daily activities. The complete year-long roadmap.
- Spiral-learning method — six skill areas, revisited every week, growing in complexity. The same approach used in early-childhood research.
- Milestone guidance — built into every unit, so you know what to expect and when (and when not) to worry.
- Lifetime access & free updates — buy once, use again for your next child.
$97
instant digital download · lifetime access
PDF download · Print-friendly · No subscription · Yours forever
🌱
Not sure yet? Try a free week first.
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Questions
Asked & answered.
Do I need to do this every day?
What materials do I need to buy?
My baby is closer to 12 months, will this still work?
Do the months have to go in order?
What if my baby won’t sit still for fifteen minutes?
Is this a printable, an app, or a book?
I bought a different curriculum before and never used it. Why would this be different?
Will this work if my baby is in daycare?
Is this a good curriculum for an 18 month old?
Ready to begin
The first year, intentionally.
Twelve months. Two hundred and forty activities. One small rhythm that turns ordinary days into the start of everything.
$97 · One-time payment · Lifetime access