Creative / Art Activities for 1-Year-Olds

Let your toddler tear colorful paper into pieces and glue them onto a background — tearing builds fine motor skills and results are beautiful.

Stick painter's tape in lines on paper before your toddler paints over everything — peel the tape off to reveal clean white lines underneath for a wow moment.

Give your toddler large stickers and paper to create art — peeling and placing stickers is a wonderfully challenging fine motor activity.

Cut kitchen sponges into simple shapes and let your toddler dip and stamp colorful prints on paper — a satisfying first printmaking project with easy cleanup.

Hand your baby their first chunky crayons and watch the magic of intentional mark-making begin — scribbling is the very start of writing and drawing.

Dip toy car wheels in paint and roll them across paper — your toddler will love zooming cars through color to create swirling patterns.

Spread edible pudding paint on a tray and let your baby swirl their fingers through it — a taste-safe, colorful, open-ended art experience for little hands.

Collect leaves, petals, and grass on a walk, then stick them onto contact paper for a beautiful nature collage — art meets outdoor exploration for toddlers.

Freeze washable paint in ice cube trays with popsicle stick handles, then let your toddler draw with melting paint cubes on paper.

Make taste-safe playdough from marshmallows and powdered sugar for your baby to squish, poke, and pull apart — a first sculpting experience.

Place paper over textured surfaces and rub crayons across to reveal hidden patterns — a simple, magical art technique toddlers can do with everyday objects.

Clip cotton balls into clothespins for toddler-friendly painting — soft dabbing creates textured art while practicing grip and coordination.

Tape contact paper sticky-side-out and let your baby stick soft materials to it — a taste-safe collage that builds fine motor skills.

Turn a big cardboard box into a play house and let your toddler decorate it with crayons, stickers, and paint — a building and art project rolled into one.

Use soft fruit halves dipped in edible paint to make prints with your baby — a taste-safe first art project that creates a beautiful keepsake.

Press your baby's hands and feet into non-toxic washable paint to capture tiny prints on paper — a meaningful art project that preserves this fleeting stage.

Set up an easel and let your toddler paint freely. Builds creativity, fine motor skills, and color exploration.

Build towers and knock them down! Toddlers learn cause and effect, spatial skills, and patience.

Create adorable foot print art with your baby using non-toxic paint. A fun sensory experience they'll love.