Activities/toys for 3yr old with very short attention span? Please

[amunt]

Our 3 yr old has a very short attention span and we're finding it difficult to find things for him to do at home which aren't destructive. We've tried lego etc.. but after about 3 minutes he can't be bothered or has lost interest.

Any ideas would be great!

[Tinymrscollings]

Our almost 3 yo has a developmental delay which has left him with a chronically short attention span, not helped by the fact that he can't speak. We've had some help recently to improve his attention span with a view to improving him communication and the following tips are really helping:

• cut down the amount of toys available. We put 90% of the toys away and have three or four things for him to choose from so he doesn't get overwhelmed and start chucking stuff about. We rotate the, regularly according to what he enjoys.

• let him take the lead. So if he goes for the Lego let him do what he wants with it rather than encouraging him to play with it in the 'right' way. If he wants to sort it by colours rather than make a house that's fine

-be present but stand back. This has been the key one for me. Instead of trying to hold his interest just 'be' there with him whilst he plays, interacting if he asks. When you see his interest start to wane then gently suggest a different way of playing with the toys. Eg. If he's been sorting the Lego into piles and starts to throw them or looks like he might wander off, put a couple of bricks together and pop them in front of him. If you time it right you extend the activity for another 5 minutes. This has really, really worked for us.

Good luck! I have bought toys upon toys trying to find something that will hold DS for 5 minutes but I think the toys are less important than developing the skills to keep focussed iyswim

[Tinymrscollings]

I should add you don't need to do the hovering whilst he plays all the time. I do a couple of short stints each day and very gradually he's starting to do it himself.

[Iggly]

Lego is probably too advanced for him. I don't think my ds started playing with his own toys without from until 3 - and even then it was only for short bursts. After that it got longer and longer. Without us forcing it.

He liked cars, playmobil, small world stuff at that age but definitely with us around. Also getting outside and letting him loose with a spade, mud, sand, water etc was always a winner.

[amunt]

Thanks Tinymrscolling and Iggly for great ideas. We have no problem outside as he loves going on the scooter, climbing etc... It's just indoors when I need to cook or give attention to little sister. He also has a development delay with communication problems which means he gets frustrated quickly. Will definitely reduce the number of toys and take a back seat, but ready to get him going again.

[Tinymrscollings]

Totally the same. Outside he'll go and go but I can't spend my life in the park