Things to do with 1 year old.

[FlyingJellyfishintheAttic]

I feel I am letting my DD down. We have one car with DH uses for work, I don't know the area well (been here two years but found out about pregnancy 6 weeks after moving here so haven't explored) so all I have to do is take her to the park each day.

Feel like crap because it's been raining the last three days so we've just been playing indoors.

So many people I know do all these amazing things with their little ones and I have no idea what things I should do for her.

At 1 they are often happy pottering and doing everyday things: Park, walk to the shop etc.

Do you have anything near you, like a library or Children's Centre or church that runs a toddler group?

Not sure what you've got in your local area but these are some of the things I did : swimming, local farm visit, feed the ducks, park, walks in the wood, rainy day puddle jumping, library rhyme time, baking, pinning long sheets of paper to the fence and painting on them, chalk on the patio, paddling pool filled with plastic balls (those light ball pool ones), make villages using train track, duplo, farm animals (basically all his toys 😂).

Wow Monkey that is a lot!

Yes have a library and church. Will find out about groups.

I was in a very similar situation to you when I had DS1, one car that DH used for work and didn't know the area. I eventually realised there are TONS of things you can do in the house with little ones, leaving the house and taking them to exciting places isn't the be all and end all.

You can do a lot of sensory play at home, but a cheap table cloth/waterproof mat and play with cooked pasta, mash potato, painting using hands and feet, use empty bottles and rice to make noisy music toys, a washing up bowl full of bubbles (bubble bath) and playing. When he was a bit older we would throw a sheet over the dining table and hide underneath and use the light from my phone to make shadows.

Hi OP,

Don't worry about your baby. I year olds just need love and security, baths, food, cuddles and to be talked to a lot. All the baby stuff is for the grown ups to help us stay sane and socialised!

Stuff I used to do:
Baby music. TBH we were lucky - the local group was brilliant and both DC are very musical now, whereas DH and I are not. Maybe that one was more for the babies than me.
Baby yoga
Church playgroup
NCT coffee mornings (I wasn't a member of NCT but got invited along anyway
Library story time and sing alongs
Trips to the playpark
Rides on buses and trains (they love this!)
Feeding the ducks
Trips to shopping centres (they loved this too - all the colours and lights)
City farm (but petting/feeding any passing animal will do )
Splashing in puddles

It's a good idea, just so you get to make some friends and have people to call upon if you need a babysitter or a hand when you feel ill.

Depending on budget there's classes such as HartBeeps and a rhythm Time which are structured play things. Library normally has a stay and play. Local art gallery- he was happy being pushed round then eating my cake in the cafe. They also have some family activities.

I regularly travel an hour each way by bus. We use the time for naps, singing, reading etc

I cannot stress how much we love our local library. They have a stay and play thing once a week, and bookbug sessions, but you can just go in anytime and play with the toys books etc. Better for my 2 yo than the 9mo but he likes it too.
Also when DD was smaller (and still now really) just the supermarket was an adventure. Now she just wants to go to the cafe

Also both mine love Jo Jingles classes

I know most of mumsnet is practically allergic to Facebook, but most areas now have local family/parents/mums groups that are an incredible source of information about the area. My local mums group on Facebook is very active and very useful. People even use it to arrange meet ups sometimes.

Have you got the Hoop app? It tells you what activities are on in your area, it's really helpful!