Activity ideas for 12months?

[5 Little Monkeys]

When I started, I had an 8 month old, 10 month old and 2 two year old's. Singing (I sung the same 4-5 songs and used actions), reading books, free play and listening to music were the main things we did. However, I did start art with them even at 8 months. Here are a few of the things I do with that age (even the older toddlers like them)

*mess free painting 1....cut a piece of construction paper to fit into the large ziploc bags, dip a sponge into paint and put into bag. Zip up the bag and give to child to squeeze. Can add more sponges and paint if wanted

*mess free painting 2...put a piece of paper into a container (I use the lays/pringles cans) and add marbles dipped in paint. Put lid on and give to child to "shake, rattle and roll"

*I buy those canvases from the dollar store and put globs of paint on them and let the kids finger paint with them and than hang on the wall for artwork. My 10 month old dcb didn't really like getting his hands dirty so he used a paintbrush very early on!

*Make pudding and give them a spoonful on a plate. They can play in it or eat it.

*Make sensory bottles....keep pop bottles (I keep the smaller ones) and add coloured water, rice, marbles, glitter, pom poms etc to them. This entertains them FOREVER!!

*Sensory bins filled with rice(messy clean up lol), maccaroni, feathers etc.

*Freeze toys in bigger containers. (this was a fun summer one as we took it outside and it melted as they played with them)

*colouring and stickers were a big hit (still are!), I would put glue on their paper and they stuck whatever supplies I had out that day to the paper.

*put the ball pit balls in a playpen and 1-2 children at a time in there

*when I only had 2 I would put them in swim diapers and they played in the "pool" (bath tub)

*I also put them in the tub to use bath paints/crayons