No mess, 1-year-olds

Nothing to mop up afterward. 45 ideas

Burn energy
Action Songs
3–15 min 6 mo–5 yrs Low mess
Nothing to gather
Good for siblings
Burn energy
Copy Me
3–12 min 10 mo–4 yrs Low mess
Nothing to gather
Burn energy
I'm Going To Get You
3–12 min 12 mo–4 yrs Low mess
Nothing to gather
Learn something
Peekaboo
3–10 min 4 mo–2 yrs Low mess
Nothing to gather
Learn something
Where Is Your Nose?
3–10 min 9 mo–3 yrs Low mess
Nothing to gather
Learn something
Color Hunt
5–15 min 20 mo–6 yrs Low mess
Nothing to gather
Good for siblings
Learn something
Find It on Every Page
5–20 min 18 mo–6 yrs Low mess
- a picture book
Burn energy
Freeze Dance
5–15 min 18 mo–9 yrs Low mess
Nothing to gather
Learn something
Stack And Knock Down
5–20 min 9 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- cups or chunky blocks
Learn something
Sticker Rescue
5–15 min 15 mo–4 yrs Low mess
- stickers
Good for siblings
Learn something
Where Did It Go?
5–15 min 7 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- two or three cups
- a small toy
Learn something
Who Is That?
5–15 min 4 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- a mirror
Burn energy
Cabinet Concert
5–20 min 8 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- pans, bowls and trays
- a wooden spoon
Learn something
Painter's Tape Peel
5–15 min 12 mo–3 yrs Low mess
- painter's tape
Learn something
Scarf Pull-Through
5–20 min 8 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- a cardboard tube or container
- scarves or fabric strips
Learn something
Endless Pulling Box
5–20 min 7 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- a box or tub with a small opening
- scarves or fabric strips
Burn energy
Rolling Bottle Chase
5–15 min 6–18 months Low mess
- a clear plastic bottle
- rice, beans or pasta
- strong tape for the lid
Learn something
Tummy-Time Squish Bag
5–15 min 3–12 months Low mess
- a gallon zip-top bag
- clear hair gel
- duct tape or strong tape
Good for siblings
Burn energy
Laundry Basket Push
10–20 min 18 mo–4 yrs Low mess
- a laundry basket
- stuffed animals
Learn something
Animal Line-Up
10–20 min 18 mo–4 yrs Low mess
- painter's tape
- toy animals or cars
Learn something
Ball Tub
10–20 min 8–20 months Low mess
- a laundry basket
- soft balls or rolled socks
Learn something
Bath Cups
10–25 min 8 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- a shallow bath
- a few cups
Burn energy
Kitchen Cabinet Band
10–25 min 12 mo–6 yrs Low mess
- pans, bowls or trays
- wooden spoons
Learn something
Lid and Container Match
10–20 min 12 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- plastic containers with lids
Learn something
Muffin Tin Drop
10–25 min 12 mo–3 yrs Low mess
- a muffin tin or ice tray
- large objects to drop in
Learn something
Muffin Tin Pasta Sort
10–20 min 18 mo–4 yrs Low mess
- a muffin tin
- three pasta shapes, mixed
Learn something
Sticker Line-Up
10–20 min 18 mo–4 yrs Low mess
- dot stickers
- paper
- a marker
Good for siblings
Burn energy
Stuffy Toss
10–25 min 15 mo–6 yrs Low mess
- stuffed animals
- a chair or cushion to land them on
Good for siblings
Burn energy
Pillow Path
10–20 min 18 mo–5 yrs Low mess
- pillows or couch cushions
Learn something
Sticky Wall
10–25 min 10 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- masking tape
Learn something
Ball Drop
10–25 min 9 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- a cardboard tube
- balls that fit through it
Good for siblings
Burn energy
Chair Tunnel Crawl
10–25 min 12 mo–4 yrs Low mess
- dining chairs
- a blanket or big towel
Learn something
Posting Box
10–40 min 12 mo–3 yrs Low mess
- a box with a lid
Learn something
Treasure Basket
10–30 min 6–20 months Low mess
- a shallow basket
Learn something
Texture Crawl
10–25 min 7 mo–2 yrs Low mess
- tape
- three or four different surfaces
Learn something
Water Painting
15–45 min 18 mo–7 yrs Low mess
- water
- a bucket
- a brush or sponge
Learn something
Bath Pouring Station
15–40 min 12 mo–6 yrs Low mess
- a bath, sink or tub of water
- cups and containers
Good for siblings
Burn energy
Couch Cushion Mountain
15–30 min 18 mo–5 yrs Low mess
- couch cushions and pillows
Learn something
Sticky Window Collage
15–40 min 18 mo–6 yrs Low mess
- tape
Learn something
Feed the Monster
10–20 min 15 mo–4 yrs Low mess
- a cardboard box
- a marker to draw the face
- monster food: pom-poms, rolled socks or soft balls
Good for siblings
Burn energy
Bubble Wrap Stomp
5–15 min 12 mo–4 yrs Low mess
- bubble wrapto buy
- tape to hold it down
Learn something
Pom-Pom Push
10–20 min 12 mo–3 yrs Low mess
- a container with a lid
- pom-pomsto buy
Learn something
Pom-Pom Drop
10–25 min 15 mo–3 yrs Low mess
- cardboard tubes
- painter's tape
- pom-pomsto buy
Good for siblings
Burn energy
Sticky Target
10–20 min 18 mo–6 yrs Low mess
- clear contact paperto buy
- painter's tape
- scrap paper to scrunch into balls
Good for siblings
Learn something
Stuffed Animal Picnic
15–40 min 18 mo–5 yrs Low mess
- play food or a tea setto buy
- stuffed animals

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