Anyone Have Ideas of Activities for a 1 Yr Old?

Hi!
I am not sure what exactly you are looking for in the way of entertainment. If you are looking for classes I would look in to your local recreation center. I took a mommy and me swim class with my son when he was one. We also took a mommy and me tumbling class. And we never attended, but I heard great things about kindermusik classes at the rec centers.

We started story time at our local library right before he turned one as well.

And here are some suggested I gave to someone last week with a similar question to yours (she was looking for free entertainment):

We go to Cabelas to get out of the house. It's right down the street and my son loves to feed the koi and look at the aquarium.

Ridgmar Mall is about 20 minutes from Keller. They have a great indoor toddler playground. We can make a whole day of this..playground, lunch at the food court(sometimes we buy one, sometimes we bring one), go to the indoor fountains. Occasionally, I get really lucky, he falls asleep and I get some time to browse the mall. Go here in the morning, later in the afternoon the kids get bigger and rowdy.

And the Ft Worth Modern Art Museum is free on Wednesdays. You may want to double check what exhibits they have running before you go - they are not always kid friendly, depending on your comfort level. I have been pleasantly surprised that those visits have gone well. I think and hope my 3 year old is learning how to behave in a museum. Sometimes we bring snacks and go eat outside near the water for a break (you have to cut through the restaurant to get here, but the staff always lets us through). And he loves to hear the echoes in the sculpture out front! We have been doing this trip since he was about a year old.

Glenview Baptist church opens their indoor playground to the public on certain days of the week. Get there early, they fill up quick and may have to turn you away.http://www.glenviewchurch.org/apps/articles/default.asp?a...

A Day Out with Thomas is free too. It's Mar. 27-29 and April 3-5. The train ride does cost and it's a little pricey. Food and souvenirs cost too and (I think they only take cash). But most of the stuff is free!!! We have been two years in a row and managed to leave without spending a penny (we packed snacks and drinks of our own). They have bubble stations, free Thomas tattoos, bounce houses, a kid powered train, a model train exhibit, lego and block building stations and story times. Everything of course has a Thomas the Tank Engine theme. Last year we didn't buy tickets to ride the train and my then two year old had no issues with that. He never realized you could ride Thomas, he just thought you could watch him. http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/news_tours.asp

The Botanical gardens is a favorite picnic spot. Lots of neat trails and a little play area. It's especially fun in late October when there is the monarch butterfly migration - butterflies are EVERYWHERE! When my guy was smaller I learned to bring the stroller. It never got used hiking out, but coming back to the car it sure did! It's a lot easier to push that stroller than hike with him on my hip!

We went to The US Treasury off 287 and did that that tour. In all honesty we could have just spent the day riding the shuttle bus from the check-in point to the tour facility and he would have been absolutely thrilled. It's free and close. He did get a little bored with the tour, but he liked the hands on exhibits we played with before and afterward.

The Ft Worth Zoo is half priced on Wednesdays. We always bring a picnic. And admission to the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science costs $9 for adults, but toddlers are free. They have a terrific section just for children that includes water play, dress up, building and nature. But my son was just as fascinated with all the exhibits we saw throughout the museum. They have a dino dig that is especially nice, because it is inside

Hope this helps!

There are some neat ideas in "The Toddler's Busy Book" by Trish Kuffner. The book has 365 games and activities for 1 1/2 to 3 year olds. I'd recommend borrowing it from the library to see if there are things that might interest you and your son before you buy it.

Now that it's getting warmer..go to the park, reading time at Barnes and Noble...Library reading time...at mall they have those play areas (I know dirty..but bring wipes and hand santizer)..I remember not knowing what to do with my older child at this age..sometimes just walking around Wal-mart was our entertainment! How about introducing crayons and coloring? Play-doh!

My daughter is a year old too and I'm always looking for ways to keep her entertained. One of our favorite things to do is to go to the library. We live in Frisco and the library is really fabulous, they have an entire floor dedicated to children. They have story times for different age groups starting with newborns. Her favorite thing to do at the library is crawl around and look at books, play with the puppets, look out the big windows, climb in the little chairs, and interact with the other children.

Play-places at malls are great too. However you do have to be careful with smaller children because they tend to get mowed over by older kids who aren't paying attention.

Ha ha I just realiezed who you are! Hey Jess!! You should come up and check out the library with me sometime, S really does love it and it keeps her entertained for a long time!

J.

I'm not sure where you live but I highly recommend the Children's Museum at the Nature and Science Museum. It is perfect for little ones, and there is a room just for 0 to 2 year olds. I might be slightly off on the prices but I think a family membership is $90 per year and includes free admission to the museum for everyone plus State Fair passes. I also like the Dallas Zoo. The Dallas World Aquarium is full of great things for little ones to see but it's a bit pricey.