During his second year, your baby will progress by leaps and bounds: in a few months, he will acquire walking and language, improve his fine motor skills and his understanding.
These new abilities will allow him to share more complex games with you than before, which will give him the immense pride of feeling great!
Discover with us some ideas for activities to support his development and share moments of complicity with him.
FROM 1 YEAR: MY OWN CUPBOARD
For your baby, your daily world is a fascinating and mysterious world that he dreams of exploring! He likes to go through every cupboard, every corner, every drawer, but you don't always agree with him unpacking all your things.
To give him the pleasure of exploring while limiting damage, give him a cupboard at his height in your kitchen. Place safe utensils there, such as plastic boxes, spoons, colanders, etc., and let him rummage and discover the items as he pleases.
FROM 1 YEAR OLD: OH THE ANIMALS! Most children love watching and touching animals: if you have a dog or cat at home, you probably already know this.
Occasionally, take your baby to the zoo or a pet store that is just as interesting to him. Meet all the animals, naming them and imitating their cries when you know them, and let your little one look at them at will.
He will be delighted with this exotic expedition which will allow him to multiply his discoveries!
FROM 15 MONTHS: GOOD NIGHT FRIENDS Bedtime is sometimes difficult for toddlers.
To transition more easily from daytime activities to preparation for sleep, you can establish a goodnight ritual: take your baby in your arms and walk through the main rooms of the house together to say “goodnight” to those present as well as to the most familiar objects: "good night daddy", "good night big brother", "good night teddy bears", "good night kitchen"...
Repeated every day, this transition will help him move smoothly towards sleep.
FROM 15 MONTHS: TO THE POOL If your child loves bathing and water games, treat him or her to the swimming pool. Holding him close to you, enter the water very gradually so as not to surprise him.
Then, holding him under the armpits, let him experience the pleasure of swimming, of jumping in the air to fall back into the water, of splashing while waving his little feet...
Of course, never let go of him and remember to wash and moisturize him well after leaving to rid his delicate skin of chlorine residue.
FROM 18 MONTHS: ASSAULTING THE STAIRS If you have a staircase in your house, you have certainly secured it with barriers to prevent baby from falling.
However, remember to give your child the opportunity to practice going up and down the steps: it is a very training exercise for their mobility.
Climbing up on all fours will probably not require much training, but going down is much more difficult: show him that he can go down either on his buttocks, by sitting successively on each step, or by turning around. facing the stairs, and descending slowly while holding on to the upper steps.
He will be very proud of himself when he succeeds!
FROM 18 MONTHS: LIKE A PIGGY BANK To stimulate your child's fine motor skills, get a large metal box with a soft plastic lid (for example a can of infant milk) and around ten small jar lids.
With a cutter, cut a rectangular slot in the lid of the box, slightly larger than the lids of small pots. With the help of your child, decorate the box with paint, stickers, glued wrapping paper, etc. When it is completely dry, present it to your child along with the small jar caps, then show them how to slide them into the slot.
When he has put them all in, help him remove the large lid to collect them.
FROM 21 MONTHS: LET'S WALK IN RHYTHM Children love discovering the motor capabilities of their body.
Take advantage of a moment when your little one is walking quietly to stand next to him and walk at his pace. Then suddenly start walking very slowly, emphasizing the slowness of your movements. Then, suddenly accelerate by making rapid movements with your arms.
Then adopt a comical gait, lifting your knees high with each step. Each time, encourage your child to do the same: he will be very amused to discover all these new ways of walking!
FROM 21 MONTHS: FINGER PAINTING Your child is still a little small to handle brushes, but he can already paint with his fingers. Tape several large sheets of paper against a wall (overlapping them slightly to avoid spillage), equip your budding artist with an apron with sleeves and pour a little paint of different bright colors into hollow containers. Invite your child to dip the tip of a finger in the color they prefer and make a trace on the sheet.
You can also show him how to lightly press his entire hand into the paint and then onto the paper to create a beautiful imprint. Room for creativity!
FROM 2 YEARS OLD: OBSTACLE COURSE Your child is now very agile, and he will be happy to take on small motor challenges. At home or in the garden, make an obstacle course for him: inside, you can use cushions to trace a path, a soft tunnel to cross, construction game bars to climb over, a stool to climb on. ..
Outside, look for logs to jump on, large stones to turn around, a beam to walk on, etc.
The first time, go through the entire circuit guiding your little one by the hand, then let him practice on his own: he will be very proud to complete it!