Learning for 1 year old babies happens in your arms, on the floor and at the dinner table, not on a screen. This page is written for parents, grandparents and carers of children from birth to 2 years. It tells you what your baby is learning, the first words to say every day in Hindi and English, and simple, free activities you can do at home. The rest of CodingMarble Kids starts at age 2; until then, you are your baby's best teacher.
Why this page has no game for your baby
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP, 2022) says children below 2 years should not be exposed to any type of screen. The only exception is an occasional video call with close family who live far away. The WHO (2019) advises no screen time under 1 year and no sedentary screen time for 1-year-olds. The American Academy of Pediatrics says babies under 18 months learn best from real-world interactions. IAP also asks families not to watch screens while playing with a baby, or with the baby in the same room.
So we do not offer baby learning videos or baby learning apps here. Read this page, remember three ideas, then put the phone down and play.
What should a 1 year old be learning?
A 1 year old is learning to talk, to move and to understand people. The milestones below come from the CDC checklists, which describe what about 75% of children do by each age.
| Age | Talking and understanding | Moving and doing | With people |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months | Waves bye-bye; calls you "mama", "dada" or a special name; understands "no" | Pulls up to stand; may take steps holding furniture | Plays games like peekaboo and pat-a-cake |
| 15 months | Says 1-2 words besides mama and dada; looks at a familiar thing when you name it; points to ask for help | Takes a few steps alone; feeds self with fingers; stacks 2 small objects | Copies other children; shows you objects; claps when excited |
| 18 months | Says 3 or more words besides mama and dada; follows a one-step direction without gestures | Walks alone; scribbles; drinks from an open cup; climbs on and off the sofa | Points to show you something interesting; helps with dressing |
| 24 months | Says two words together ("more milk"); points to things in a book | Kicks a ball; runs; eats with a spoon | Notices when others are hurt or upset |
Baby learning to walk and baby learning to crawl vary a lot: the WHO window for walking alone runs from about 8 to 18 months. Your child will not match every row, and that is normal.
First words to say every day, in Hindi and English
Most children say about 50 words somewhere between 15 and 24 months, with wide variation. Words in either language count. Say these during daily routines, in whichever language your family speaks, and add the second language alongside:
- People: mummy (मम्मी, माँ), papa (पापा), dadi-nani (दादी-नानी), and your baby's own name.
- Social words: hi, bye (टाटा), no (नहीं), yes (हाँ), namaste (नमस्ते).
- Animals and their sounds: dog (कुत्ता, bhow-bhow), cat (बिल्ली, meow), cow (गाय, moo), crow (कौआ, kaa-kaa), bird (चिड़िया, chee-chee).
- Food and drink: milk (दूध), water (पानी), banana (केला), mango (आम), roti (रोटी).
- Body parts: nose (नाक), eyes (आँख), ears (कान), hand (हाथ), feet (पैर).
- Things and actions: ball (गेंद), shoes (जूते), moon (चाँद), go (चलो), up (ऊपर), more (और), all gone (खत्म).
Pick one "word of the day" and use it ten times: "Banana! Here is your banana. Yellow banana. Banana केला." Repetition in real moments is how baby learning English words, or Hindi words, really works.
How to use the site's audio together
If you want to check how a word sounds in Hindi or English, open a word list on a page such as animal sounds, body parts name or fruits name, scroll to "For grown-ups" and press 🔊. Listen yourself, away from your baby. Then say the word to your baby while holding the real banana, touching the real nose or pointing at the real cow. Your voice and face teach far more than a recording. Once your child turns 2, those same pages become short games you can play side by side.
Learning activities for 1 year old babies at home
These free learning activities for 1 year old children use what you already have. Do each for a few minutes, several times a day.
Talk through your day
Describe what you do: "Now we wash hands. Water is cold! Soap, soap, soap." Pause and wait for a sound or a look, then answer it. Experts call this "serve and return", and India's Navchetana framework for ages 0-3 sums it up in three words: love, talk, play.
Songs and rhymes
Sing learning rhymes for 1 year old babies with actions: चंदा मामा दूर के, मछली जल की रानी है, "Twinkle twinkle" and "Wheels on the bus". Baby learning songs with hand movements help your baby join in before they can talk.
Picture books and baby learning cards
Choose learning books for 1 year old babies with one big, real photo on each page. Point, name and wait. Make your own baby learning book with family photos: दादी, the dog next door, the auto-rickshaw. Printed picture cards of animals and fruits work the same way; hold up the card next to the real thing.
Montessori activities for 1 year old babies
- Posting: push bottle caps or large wooden blocks through a hole in a box lid.
- Treasure basket: a basket of safe objects (steel katori, wooden spoon, cloth, big pine cone) to explore.
- Stack and knock: stack two or three steel glasses and let your baby knock them down. Count "one, two, three".
- Pouring: in the bath, pour water from one mug to another.
Colours, counting and ABC for a 1 year old
Color learning for 1 year old babies is simply naming: "red ball", "yellow banana". Do not quiz. Counting means "one for you, one for me" and "more?". For abc learning for 1 year old children, sing the alphabet song and read books; letter drills are not useful at this age, and a study found "baby media" did not teach infants to read.
Move, move, move
Children aged 1-2 need at least 180 minutes of active play spread through the day and 11-14 hours of sleep, and should not be strapped into a pram or high chair for more than 1 hour at a time (WHO). Try a morning walk, climbing stairs with you, dancing, sand and water play, and a bath splash.
What are good learning toys for a 1 year old?
The best toys for 1 year old learning are simple and open-ended: a ball, stacking cups, chunky blocks, a push-along toy, board books, a doll, pots and spoons, and a few animal figures. Toys that talk or flash all by themselves leave less for your child to do. You are the most important "toy": a toy becomes a lesson when you name it, play with it and take turns.
What to teach an 18 month old toddler
Between 18 and 24 months, many toddlers go through a word burst. Teach names of body parts ("Where is your nose?"), simple instructions ("Give the ball to papa"), animal sounds, and words for feelings ("You are happy!"). Let your toddler help: carry a spoon to the table, put socks in the basket, wipe spills. Scribble together with a chunky crayon on big paper.
Parents often search for online learning for 1 year olds or learning charts for 1 year old babies. A chart on the wall does little by itself; what helps is learning with your 1 year old in the moment. If you like printed baby learning pictures, print a word list from one of our pages and use it as a picture chart you point to together at eye level. The on-screen learning games for toddlers here are meant for age 2 and up, when toddler learning can include short, shared play on a screen.
Two languages, and when to talk to a doctor
Speaking Hindi, English or another home language does not delay speech. Bilingual babies reach first words at the same time as other babies. A simple plan is one parent, one language, or one language at home and one outside.
Milestones are a guide, not a test, and this page is not a screening tool. Talk to your paediatrician if your child has lost skills they once had, is not babbling or pointing by about 12 months, has very few words at 24 months, or if you are worried for any reason. Doctors usually check development at 9, 18 and 30 months.
When your child turns 2, move to games for 2 year olds and read the Parent Corner for screen-time guidance and a 10-minute daily plan.
