Fun Indoor Things to Do with Your 1 Yr Child?

1 year olds, do not sit still.
Their attention spans are not even fully developed.
Not even 6 year olds sit still.
Kids, need activity... that is physical activity. This helps them develop and it also get out their pent up energy... and they can nap... better.

Just hop around, put on music and "dance" to the beat, kids this age can learn "rhythm" for example. Play follow the leader. Roll a ball back and forth. Put pillows on the floor and let her hop on it in a path. Make pretend houses using sheets and blankets and big boxes.

The best time for energetic play is in the morning. Then have a mid-morning snack. Then an early lunch by 11:00am. Then... nap time. Then the afternoon can be quiet time or just independent play.
Kids ALSO need to have, their own play too. Meaning, letting THEM... just explore and do things without it being all done for them. This is all a part of them developing skills.

Give her a big cardboard box. They will play for hours with a big cardboard box or a laundry basket. Climb in and out, put toys in, dump them out.

Make a 'fort' with a few chairs and blankets. Roll a ball back and forth. Dance to the music, shake that booty. Give her a big spoon and a bowl or ice cream bucket and she will stir and stir. My friends granddaughter loves to clean. She gives her an old towel and that child will wipe down everything in sight.

With 1 - 2 year olds it can be really simple. The simplest and silliest things keep them busy for hours.

rolling a soft ball back and forth
throwing scarves around
tossing a ball or crumpled paper into a box or basket

What you need
1. Bath Tub or medium/small sized plastic pool
2. Washable Paints (crayola is a good brand)
3. Dollar Store Shaving Cream
4. Camera
5. Happy baby in a diaper!

Now insert happy baby into bathtub with shaving cream and paint let them mix and paint all over, be sure to take photos.

This also works with pudding, katsup or paints with paper (bathtub is a good container for the mess and it's "self cleaning").

A "ride" on a large blanket or comforter around the living room can be fun too. Lay munchkin on blanket (mine liked to be on his belly) and then briskly walk around a clear area of the house randomly stopping to look at things or for a tickle fest.

You can also figure out different ways that you can include your 1yr old in your daily household chores like: find the socks in the clean laundry.

You can find things to do, but try to keep the time expectations short - attention span is not what you want it to be. Oh and as far as reading I did it while my son was on the go and while I was sitting - eventually he would crawl over to see what was going on.

We have the zoo, and in the zoo there is an indoor play place.
Childrens museum

In the home.. dance party, my kids love music.
My daughter loves to put things in and out of things.-legos
Take out the tupperwear and pans and have a band practice
Color, paint

My son and daughter both loved moving larger blocks from one container to another (not actually building anything, just moving them). They also loved when I would take a 9x13 cake pan and put water in two cups. Let them pour from one to another. Loads of fun. :)

Put uncooked rice in a dishpan and bury toys (or rocks, or shells) in the rice. Let her dig through the rice with a spoon. Let her have a long bath with lots of toys while you blow bubbles for her. Honestly, at that age we spent as much time outdoors or on outings as possible.

Bathtub play with bubbles and toys--serves two purposes--fun and cleaning.

Balloons in the house was the best. Blow them up and play volleyball/tennis....back and forth and tire her out in the process. Sit at opposite sides and roll a ball back and forth. Play blocks with her or the rings on the stem from fisher price. My youngest loved those things, she could play with them for hours!!!

Blocks or stacking cups (like Solo) I build and GodzillaBaby knocks down. Seriously, my arms would fall off before my little ones would tire of this. Bad Momma note: you can put on Mommy TV while you do this and still have fun with your little one. :) Also, I bring in our Little Tykes slide and mini trampoline, wipe them down and they have a blast on their indoor playground.
So, for books, memorize a small poem (or song) with hand movements, think, where is Thumkin or the Itsy Bitsy spider and do those. At your Library they should have the baby magazine Babybug. The last pages always have a little ditty like that. Worth a look-see, and if your Lib doesn't have it, they are worth the subscription. Heavy coated pages, great illustrations and SHORT stories. My kids love them- we scored a bunch at the Library book sale.
You can also read to her while she plays. She will eventually get interested in what you are doing and want to take part.
HTH

Yeah, one year olds aren't very exciting. They don"t really "play" yet, but they love to use their senses and explore.
Just make sure you have lots of balls and blocks (for rolling and stacking/crashing) lots of water and sand play (or snow if that's what you have in CT) and keep a cabinet "open" in every room. They love pots and pans and spoons and any other "goody" they can get their hands on.
As long as they were safe and busy I was able to get stuff done, even if it was in short spurts.
Mine loved to be outside a LOT (me too!) even when it was cold and wet and yucky so make sure you do that every day as well.

There is a way to make home made playdo that is safe to eat. Made with flower and few other items. I say find the recipe make it and then the both of squish it around and make shapes

Ummm...one year olds don't sit for long. Do quiet activities when she is in the mood or you will both be frustrated.

open books with GREAT pictures (go to library and ask for suggestions)
Point to pictures, say words, ask her to point to things.

take out pots and pans (or plastic containers to be quieter) and have a band.

small plastic slide brought indoors - so much fun

I worry about chocking at that age - or I would say a large bin with dried beans (dried rice can leave dust that aggravates asthma). Cheerios have hole in middle.

Rolling balls - balloons are fun, but can pop and scare child or be chocking hazard if you miss a piece.

Imitate her - let her take the lead.

Blocks, stack them up, knock them down. Stack them up, knock them down. put them in a basket, take them out. Put them in, take them out.

See if fabric store has a broken tube for home decorating fabric (better luck getting it for free if you ask for broken one). roll ball through hole, talk through hole, etc

Put shaving cream in as big a clear zip close plastic bag you have (when a little older, put directly on formica table or counter). Squeeze. Draw lines. If in the bag, add a little paint and mush around.

Bath time with toys - small nonbreakable cups, bowls, empty and rinsed shampoo bottles.

Go to the library for story time - look around for books on activities for 1 yr old. Many have puzzles and other fun activities

Make puppet from old socks, have puppet tell story

Music and dancing.

You don't need to buy fancy toys

I could go on and on - but I know that when mine were little there were days I could not think of an activity to save my life.