Block Tower

• Balancing blocks helps your child develop fine motor hand skills.wooden blocks image by Ramona smiers from Fotolia.com
  
  Provide your baby with a set of blocks to explore and build with. By 12 months of age, most babies will be able to begin stacking blocks on top of each other and knocking them down. Play with your baby by helping him stack the blocks and cheering when they topple over. Place blocks behind an obstacle and encourage your baby to move the obstacle in order to reach the desired block. This helps your baby expand his problem solving abilities.
  
  

Sign Language

• Turn learning simple signs into a game to help your baby learn the basics of early comminucation.ILY I love you initialed in sign language and red heart image by Steve Johnson from Fotolia.com
  
  Learn the American Sign Language signs for "more," "eat" and "help" (see "Resources"). Model the signs for your baby at appropriate times beginning around 12 months of age. Move your baby's hands in the motion of the signs as you say the word. Help your baby learn these signs by making up games. Offer your baby a Cheerio and set a Cheerio in front of yourself. Eat your Cheerio and act surprised that it is gone. Giggle about your predicament and sign "more." Set a new Cheerio in front of yourself. Help your baby follow the same steps. Have her eat her Cheerio and ask for more. Continue to play the game to reinforce the sign for "more."
  
  

Third Object

• Give your child a simple problem to solve with her hands.Cute caucasian blond toddler image by DNF-Style from Fotolia.com
  
  Give your baby two objects to hold and inspect. Offer her a third object even though both her hands are full. Allow her to decide how she can best obtain the third item. Give her time to problem solve and struggle a bit with how she may keep the two items she has and also investigate the third item. Often, babies will solve this simple problem by moving the two original items to one hand and grasping the third. Other times babies will empty both hands, grasp the new item and then collect the other two items. Setting up simple problems like this for your baby to solve improves her fine motor ability as well as her problem solving skills.
  
  

Shape Sorting

• Purchase a skill building toy.shape sorter image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
  
  Purchase a shape sorter toy. For a 12 month old, find a shape sorter with large, easy-to-manipulate blocks, only four or five types of shapes to sort and an easy to lift lid to replay the activity. Allow your child to explore with the blocks. Model how to put the blocks in the holes. Lift the lid and show your baby how to retrieve the blocks when they are all inside the container. Praise your child enthusiastically for her efforts in putting the shapes into the corresponding holes.