To you, it's as dull as anything, but to your young child, the laundry and all those other chores you find less than entertaining are new and thrilling. Your child will want to take her time exploring the house and the everyday world around you just as much as she'll want to run around a museum or look at the animals in a zoo.

In fact, it will be helpful to both you and your child if you explore the house together. If she wants to take things out of cupboards, help rather than discourage her (take away anything glass or sharp, of course). Don't worry, because, at this age, cleaning up is as fun for your child as making a mess. Have her help you put all of the items back in the cupboard.

Cars and Large Machines

Most children love toy cars because they roll and mimic something children see and experience every day. You can buy inexpensive play rugs that have streets and roads printed on them. These are made to encourage young children to play with their cars and make houses and other buildings in the town printed on the rug.

Train stations, airports, and any other places that feature a form of transportation are exciting to a one-year-old (or even an older child). If you're ever looking for something to do one afternoon, consider just going to your local train station when a train is scheduled to come in. Or, if you can, take a train ride from your town to the next town — have someone meet you at the station, or take the train back. Your child will love this experience.

If your child is ever stressed or bored, bring him outside and let him sit in the front seat of the car with you (don't start it!). He'll love touching the steering wheel and looking out the window. If your child is fascinated with trucks and cars, take him for walks around town where vehicles are parked. Keep him in his stroller, but point out the colors, the wheels, and the noises the vehicles make. This is the kind of outing that a young child loves, even though you're actually just spending time in a parking lot.

Computers

There are numerous computer products on the market that claim to help your child — even a very young child — learn to read, use computers, and do math. However, computer games and even programs that teach skills are no better at improving intelligence or thinking skills than building blocks or banging on cans. At this age, children's brains will grow more if they are stimulated by sensory experiences and free-form play.

Clothes

While you see clothes as practical garments that your child needs to get in and out of (often more than once a day), your child sees an opportunity for playtime. Look! Socks go on and off! Look! I can pull my shirt over my head and no one can see me! (Or so she thinks.) As a parent who needs to get things done, how do you teach your child to not play with her clothes? Think realistically and compromise.

First, if you know your child enjoys playing with clothes, give her some things to enjoy before you try to get her dressed. Then, if she resists getting dressed even after playing, give her one object to enjoy — a scarf or a hat — while you explain that some of her clothes have to be on and that she needs to wear the clothes you've decided on.

Some children become obsessed with certain items of clothing, wanting to only wear their orange shirt or their pink socks, for example. It's a good idea to indulge this obsession if you can. It's not worth struggling over and it shows them that you encourage their interests. They will become less obsessed the calmer you are about it.

Some children hate getting dressed, and some can't stop fidgeting for long enough to get their clothes on. If clothes are a struggle with your child, don't turn the situation into a daily problem. If you make the mistake of waging a big getting-dressed battle every day, you are letting your one-year-old control the situation. To solve this, figure out what your child wants — does she want to choose her own clothes? Let her. Does she want to play? Set limits, and explain that she can play before and after she gets dressed. Make sure the clothes you choose are very easy for her to get into. Keep your cool, too. It's only clothes, and this is definitely one of those things she will become less interested in over time.

Cleaning

If you're dusting, he'll want to dust. If you're vacuuming, he'll want to play with the vacuum. Children do not see cleaning as a chore. If you do a lot of it, they will think it is something wonderful and they will want to do it, too. Encourage this as much as possible. This is not because you need a little helper (their help may not actually “help”) but because they are developing their confidence about growing up. Many of the physical motions of cleaning are also wonderful for their development. Here are some ways your one-year-old can enjoy cleaning with you:

• Dropping clothes in a laundry basket

• Being on the bed while you make it

• Putting toys into a toy chest

• Carrying clean clothes into his room

• Using a rag to dust

Cooking

Young children love to help with cooking. They will enjoy playing in toy kitchens and will want to play with your pots, pans, bowls, and spoons, too. This is, once again, a way in which they can imitate you. It is also a wonderful way for them to develop their fine motor skills — stirring, patting, and rolling are all great for their hands and their hand-eye coordination.

Plastic utensils and cookery are the perfect toys for children this age. Bowls especially lend themselves to creative play, as they can suddenly turn from a bowl to a hat, or from a building block to a house for a doll.