Activities for a 13-Month-Old

Featured activities for a 13-month-old

One activity from each domain, chosen for 13 months: 13 activities in the library start at exactly 13 months. Other months feature different activities.

Why these fit at 13 months

• Copy My Box Moves

  You and your child each get an empty box; you do one simple action with yours, pause, and see whether they copy it, a playful imitation game. Why now: its band (13-20 months) starts at exactly 13 months. Model "my turn" while you play; if it is too hard, start with an action that makes a sound, like drumming on the box, which is easier to copy.

• Photo Wall Flap Hunt

  Your child lifts sticky-note flaps to find family photos taped to the wall while you name each person, building understanding of familiar names. Why now: its band (13-22 months) starts at exactly 13 months. Model "Who's that?" while you play; if it is too hard, use a single photo and lift the flap together, naming the person the moment the face appears.

• Sofa Climb, Feet-First Down

  The child climbs onto a low sofa and learns to get down by turning onto the tummy and sliding off feet first, a safer way off furniture. Why now: its band (13-22 months) starts at exactly 13 months. Model "up" while you play; if it is too hard, guide their hips through the turn onto the tummy and let them do the sliding part.

• Lid Slot Posting Tub

  Your child posts large jar lids through a slot cut in a food-container lid, practising an aimed release, turning the wrist and the in-and-gone surprise. Why now: its band (13-22 months) starts at exactly 13 months. Model "in" while you play; if it is too hard, take the lid off the tub so your child first drops the jar lids into the open container.

• Playground Copycat Watch

  At a playground with other toddlers, you sit nearby, narrate what another child is doing and offer the same kind of toy, so your child can watch and copy. Why now: its band (13-24 months) starts at exactly 13 months. Model "look" while you play; if it is too hard, stay on a bench with your child on your lap and simply narrate what one other child is doing.

• High-Chair Tray Wipe-Down

  After a meal, your child copies you wiping the tray with a damp sponge, a simple way to join cleanup and imitate real household work. Why now: its band (13-21 months) starts at exactly 13 months. Model "wipe" while you play; if it is too hard, let them pat the tray with the sponge instead of wiping in a stripe.

• Scarf Float Up-and-Down Song

  You sing a short up-and-down song while tossing a light scarf; your child watches it drift, reaches, then copies the toss and the song's actions. Why now: its band (13-22 months) starts at exactly 13 months. Model "up" while you play; if it is too hard, drop the scarf from just above their hands so they can catch it as you sing.

• One Sock Ball per Cup

  Your toddler drops rolled-up adult socks into the cups of a muffin tin, one per cup, hearing 'one', 'another' and 'full' as the tin fills. Why now: its band (13-22 months) starts at exactly 13 months. Model "one" while you play; if it is too hard, cover all but two or three cups with a tea towel so there are only a few spaces to fill.

Activities for a 13-month-old by domain

Counted by each activity's main domain: 6 cognitive, 6 gross motor, 6 practical life, 5 pretend and creative, 5 language, 5 social-emotional, 4 fine motor and 3 early concepts.

No-prep menu for a 13-month-old

On a chaotic day pick any two. 20 of the 40 activities that fit at 13 months need nothing set up and last 10 minutes or less; here are 6.

• Name the Feeling as It Happens (2-5 min, indoors or out): no materials needed; it practices naming feelings.
• Walk-to-Me Hallway Steps (3-8 min, indoors): materials: a clear stretch of hallway or floor and a sofa edge to start from; it practices walking on their own.
• Bubble Squat-and-Pop (3-8 min, indoors or out): materials: a bottle of bubble solution and a wand (the adult holds it); it practices squatting to play.
• Colander Cage Peekaboo (3-6 min, indoors): materials: a plastic colander with smooth edges and a soft ball or favorite toy; it practices finding hidden objects.
• High-Chair Tray Wipe-Down (2-5 min, indoors): materials: two small damp sponges, squeezed out and the high-chair tray or a low table; it practices tidying up.
• Window Watch Talk (3-8 min, indoors): materials: a window with something to watch (street, yard, birds, rain); it practices pointing to show.

What is emerging at 13 months

Between checklist ages CDC uses the earlier one, so at 13 months the 12-month checklist (10 milestones) still applies, 1 month after it. The next checklist comes at 15 months, 2 months away; 4 of its items, each with a matching activity:

• Holds up or brings an object they like to show you. At 13 months you can practice it with Window Watch Talk (3-8 min).
• Attempts one or two words besides "mama" or "dada", even partial ones like "wa" for water. At 13 months you can practice it with Sock Puppet Hello (3-8 min).
• Copies what other children do in play, such as tipping toys out of a box after another child does. At 13 months you can practice it with Stir the Pot Like Me (5-15 min).
• Feeds themselves some food with their fingers. At 13 months you can practice it with Blanket Picnic Finger Lunch (10-20 min).

Indoor and outdoor play at 13 months

A 7-day sample week for a 13-month-old

Two short focus activities a day, rotating domains the way our evidence-based program does, plus one practical-life moment and a few words to model. Everything else is free play, meals, outdoor time, books and sleep.

Growing into next: 14 to 16 months

40 activities start in the next 3 months. Offer them once and watch; if they do not click yet, put them away for a few weeks.

• Big Cup, Little Cup Bath Pour: from 14 months (1 ahead), early concepts, practices size words.
• Cleanup Song Bucket Drop: from 14 months (1 ahead), practical life, practices tidying up.
• Clear Tub Ask for Help: from 14 months (1 ahead), language, practices pointing to ask.
• Peekaboo Sleeve Push: from 14 months (1 ahead), practical life, practices helping with dressing.
• Stir the Pretend Soup: from 14 months (1 ahead), pretend and creative, practices simple pretend play.

More for 13 months