My son recently turned 1 and just looking for ideas to help keep him stimulated. He has a strong need for stimulation and is probably getting frustrated that he cannot communicate his needs yet. His sister (who is borderline DYS) had similar needs, but she is quite a bit older now and I conveniently forgot how needy she was:) Most likely he is bright, but it is way to early to worry about that right now.

Could you just remind me of some good activities or toys (or books) to do with him at this age? I need some fresh ideas:)

For reference, he is at the point where he wants me to carry him (even though he has been walking for months) and name everything in the house, garden, etc. He would do it for hours if I had time.

Magnatiles! Duplo blocks (the big ones, I think that is what they are called). Have you tried teaching him some sign language? We had really good luck with our boys with it -- it helped because they could at least communicate 15-20 needs or wants.

And, patience. I'm not sure where one gets it but I think it helps. ;-)

Conventional wisdom is that the best stimulation is child-led, therefore naming things around the house and garden which he is interested in sounds ideal.

You may wish to make a deal with him that you can keep naming things for him IF he walks alongside you so that your hands are free to do the work you set out to do. Often if a parent/caregiver talks about the work they are doing, a child may be fascinated. If you pull out a weed you can talk about its colors, its roots, how it is not good to eat, how removing it allows more nutrients and water and space for the other plants, etc. If you are digging in the garden and give him toy tools, he may have some fun emulating you. Kids learn a lot from watching role models.

Thanks....I think I just need to be reminded to have patience with him. The sign language is a good idea. I started it but did not push it. We do stack a lot with blocks..we have those large cardboard ones. I finally took the lid off the sandbox last night and he had a load of fun, but had sand everywhere..

Indigo...I think you are right, I need to find ways of incorporating him into my activities (and talking to him at the same time).

Mainly I just need reminding that this is a hard age and I need to have patience. ..and based on experience with my daughter, I try not to talk about their latest milestones with mothers that have kids similarly aged as I get blank stares like you child is doing what?

It's worth doing, even if you don't get signs back. We signed at our DS for months and months and didn't get signs back for what seemed like ages, especially when other parents we knew were getting signs back from their kid at 6 (or even 3) months!

And then, around 14 months, he started signing like crazy. I've since learned that he is the type of kid that will watch and absorb for a long while, and then when ready, delve in and do it like he'd been doing it all along. (He just did this with reading... went from about K-level to 4th-grade level in 3 months.)

My favorite part about him signing was learning very specifically what he was thinking about. We almost never got the "needs" signs (hungry, wet, hurt) and nearly always got identification signs (bird, dog, cat, book). He would wake up in the morning and, first thing, sign "book" (as in, "Read me a book"). Some months later, he would pull my leg by signing things that weren't there. For instance, he'd sign "dog" and point, getting me to look, and then when I'd realize there was nothing there, he'd get this wry smile on his face! Talk about an advanced sense of humor...

Back when our dd was 1 yo, one of her favorite things was an alphabet book. It was a large format book, published by DK. Each letter had its own page with lots of good sized photos along with the name of each object.

She was a tiny toddler, and it was comical to see her wobbling toward someone with that giant book. One of her first words was "readabook" and she said it when she was bringing you a book to read to her - often the DK word book.

Thanks all! I started last night to do more signing with him and hopefully that will help facilitate communication. I did not push it as much as I did with his sister because he is the second (I have less time) and he started to "try" to speak much earlier. I swear he would try to say milk around 5/6 months...he currently tries to say a lot, but his mouth just doesn't work like he wants it to.

He is also appearing to catch on to things very quickly and I imagine that I am in for a bit of a ride this coming year. For example, Daddy wasn't home yet and the little one said daddy bye bye and made me go to the garage to see the cars. When he did not see Daddy's car, he expressed his disappointment by crying / whimpering.


I also just need to spend more one on one time before he has his meltdowns...it is just such a challenge with working, trying to get everyone fed at night and balancing the needs of his older sister and her continued need for intellectual stimulation.

We found having a baby sitter once a week or so(she was really good - she was at least MG and great with kids) was very helpful. We would not go out or anything - we would still be at home - but it was nice to have 2 hours or so where we could disengage from DS and catch up on chores and recharge (knowing he would have a good time and be stimulated. I think he had more fun with the sitter than with us ...).

That is a great idea with the sitter...I know the gifted teacher at the local school and bet she could recommend someone

Cooking dinner was a nightmare when DS was that age. It didn't help that we were both working at that time and after a day at daycare DS wanted even more attention. It was also getting close to bedtime so he was extra clingy.

Our solution was to have DS involved. It was often messy and sometimes made for some interesting meals when he added extra things in but it was the only way I could get something done. I would give him things to cut up (butter knife), mix, measure, etc. Early on he was in his high chair which I would roll over to be right beside me. A little over a year he would stand on a tall stool at the counter beside me. He quickly graduated to using real knives and is actually a pretty decent cook now.

One of my favorite memories was him tasting things when I wasn't looking - I can still picture his face after he bit into an onion like it was an apple. He would also eat garlic by the clove and go back for more if I wasn't watching.

Good luck!

Alicat, I sent you a PM.

Chay - that is exactly the time I have a challenge with. He is starving, I am trying to cook dinner, everyone needs attention...he wants to eat and to see everything that is going on. I'll have to keep that in mind as he gets older (and think about how to adapt it for him right now).

Thanks to all for responding...I realize some is typical toddler behavior and some is due to his more intense nature likely associated with being bright. I know I am not going to get the eye rolls here if I mention his current capabilities. I have learned to not talk about my kids'current interests with other moms with kids the same age.

Would your family benefit by offering your 1-year-old a healthy snack while you prepare dinner... considering it a first course of the meal? Some kids like fresh blueberries, kiwi slices, or small pieces of cheese. These can easily be prepared ahead of time and be ready-to-serve at a moment's notice.

Some kids might look forward to playing with a plastic bin of food-themed toys and dishes (often sold to stock a toy kitchen) which are brought out only at meal prep time.

Would it work for your family, to have your eldest child engage the 1-year old while you cook? For example, cheering him on while he feeds himself his appetizer? Or having appetizers together? Or joining him in playing with a collection of toy food, possibly naming the objects and their colors for him or describing the taste of their real-life counterparts: A real apple is crunchy, juicy, and sweet.

Indigo is on track....already prepared first food item to take away the hungry monster....and a play kitchen was the favorite thing for my boys to play with while I cooked. We had room for it in the eat in part of our kitchen where they could see me and still be out of my way. When they would see me put something in the microwave...in they would throw something in their microwave. I used the stove, they did. I rummaged through the refrigerator, they did while copying my muttering ....where's the butter? or I know we have a half of a tomato in here somewhere.

For us, wearing my son in an Ergo or Tula was a lifesaver at that age.

Cooking dinner, he really liked to hang out and smell spices from the spice rack.

Age 1 favorite toys included the magnadoodle, wooden trains, mini trampoline, DK books, watercolor paint, balls, cars, and really anything water/bubble related. He could pour soapy water in the sink or bathtub for ages...

Oh, and he had his own cabinet in the kitchen he could reach and access to play with plastic plates, containers, measuring spoons, etc. to keep him busy while I used knives, etc.

Our dd was (and is) stimulation starved. Many have already given many good Ideas. We mainly spent a lot of time letting her explore the world in as many different ways as we could imagine as safely as possible.
The one caution I would like to mention from our mistakes: Adults need sleep. We did not sleep enough. Try to be sure that the adults find some way to get some sleep.

I'm in the same boat as OP. 15 months old and I'm worn out from all the constant stimulation he requires. I am home with him 4 days of the week and his dad is with him 2 days, then we have two nannies that come during the week to give us a bit of a break. They can entertain him and have all the patience in the world for his constant curiosity and movement. That has been our sanity-saver.
For stimulation though, we kept locks off of most of our cabinets/drawers (unsafe stuff locked up in a couple off-limits places) and let him lead where he wants to explore. Often times, we head outside the home to keep things at home from getting completely mundane (we also rotate toys and what is in drawers/cabinets). The yard, parks, museums, aquariums, malls, playgrounds, farms, play places, ice cream shops, coffee houses, or anywhere that will give him some new experience.
During diner, I involve him as much as possible. He throws away all the stuff I need put in the garbage, he is my taste-tester, and stirrer, he hands me my oven mitts, and he gets his chair and dishes ready. If we are doing something, he has to be helping.

Thanks all...we managed to get through that phase😀 He is still challenging and some days are better than others. Mostly he needs a lot of stimulation and is not happy staying at home. He is a really good little boy, he just is constantly investigating every nook and cranny I our house lol. Luckily, I do get a break because I work and he loves his daycare. Just trying to relax and enjoy the ride:)