Children do not play with toys

[peppajay]

Am I the only one whose children do not play with toys on a regular basis?? It is my fault partly as we are a very active and I never ried on toys or tv to entertain my children. We are always out and about so have really needed a house full of toys. We have toys my dd has hundreds of dolls and buggies but have never done play sets really. My son has loads of cars and jigsaws but no great big imaginext play sets. We did buy him a few playmobil things last Xmas but they have never really been played with. They don't watch tv or DVD's either and we don't have satellite or cable so characters from tv are lost on them. I do try getting them to watch tv but they find it boring. We have been to the cinema once to a £1 showing of the par express but they lasted half he and then were so bored we left. Again my own fault because I never even put the tv for them till my eldest was 4 as I didn't see the need!! All backfired on me now though! They have no idea what a minion is or who I Carly is!! Today it has rained all day and we have been in all day as had loads of jobs to catch up on as I do voluntary work some if the week now so some of the weekend I have to catch up on jobs. I wish now I had bought them more toys when they were younger because perhaps they would have taught themselves how to play. Any ideas of any good toys or things I can get them so they can play which aren't tv related. They are 7 girl and 5 boy. Thanks x

[KnickersOnOnesHead]

My DS (5) is mad on dinosaurs and trains and can play happily for hours on his own with both.

DD (6) has a huge set of littlest pet shop that she can play nicely with for a while.

[Dilidali]

I have a room FULL of toys, she's playing as we speak with a clothes peg and the leaves we picked up today from the garden. She's a bit older than your eldest.

Would they like to learn to play cards? A board game?

[mercibucket]

Sounds like imaginative play is not their thing

Maybe just look at indoor sports eg table tennis set you can put on kitchen table

Or sports on a wii

[fuzzpig]

With toys, the simpler the better. Simple things are much more versatile and more likely to be played with IME.

They are the perfect age for a big box of lego bricks.

[KnickersOnOnesHead]

Oh yes, mine will play for hours with lego too. We have a huge box full that they fight over daily! :D

[Artandco]

Art things- clay/ mod roc/ paint/ paper/ pencils etc

Cooking - at 5 and 7 between them they could problem make muffins alone from a packet with instructions and you just put in oven. Or chop ingredients for dinner

Lego

Puzzles and books

[lljkk]

I don't know what a minion or Carly is (minion from Despicable me movie?). Don't think DC would know, either.

That's weird that they're so inured to videos. We didn't have a telly. DC then 3 & 5 were terrified by The Incredibles movie because they couldn't handle peril; just were not used to it in drama.

What do they do instead, OP?

[fuzzpig]

Oh and you aren't missing anything with the icarly it's a bunch of shite :o

[valiumredhead]

What do they do then when you're at home if they're not watching the Telly or playing?

[peppajay]

We do have art and craft things but they always like me to sit and make things with them but I need something to keep them amused without the need for 'me'! Sounds a bit mean but I do need to do things that don't involve them sometimes when they are home I would never spend a whe day not interacting with them. So many of my friends just stick a DVD on for their kids and they get do much done!!! Lego is a fab idea we used to have duplo when they were little will have to get some and try that!!

[LittleRobots]

Its a bit sad that they don't know how to play. Most small children's learning is through play and important way of acting out internal dialogues. Isn't there some quote about play being a child's work.

Surely they played when smaller? Or did they have a ft nanny? In which case what did they do? What sort of play did they enjoy at pre school or reception as this might lead into something the like as older children (eg play doh to fimo modeling, or drawing to better art and craft supplies)

There are schemes with children's centres and sure start (and home start workers) that can help you play with your child but they tend to be aimed at under 5s.

[peppajay]

If we are home they just moan partly because they are not used to it. Fine if the weather is good because they play outside. My dd will play with her dolls but only prob 15 mins at a time. We love parks walks and swimming and most of our time is spent doing that x

[Passthecake30]

My dd is coming up to 4, ds is 5 1/2, they have a ton of toys but prefer to spend all day up at the table writing/shredding/cutting and making a mess. Every now and then we say no more paper....and ds moons about and dd makes a mess with dolls/play food...

Ds seems to have lost interest in all toys apart from my IPad. They are used to staying in but since he started school he just isn't bothered playing with any toys at all, no idea what I am going to do at Xmas.

[heidihole]

They are perfect age for a train set. That provides hours of fun setting up different track layouts.

Do they like games consoles? Nintendo etc?

[peppajay]

When they were little when we were home I did nothing but play and interact with them and did all my jobs when they were sleeping so they have never really had to entertain themselves as I was either playing with them or at the park or at a toddler group with them. They loved Todd groups and would happily play with diff things there it is more as they have got older they struggle with the playing thing they would prob play all day if either I or another adult would play with them and I do still do this but also have things to do!!

[purrtrillpadpadpad]

Maybe your dd wants to play with interesting toys like Lego and jigsaws? I mean how interesting can dolls be?

[Ragwort]

My DS never like toys much, he just wasn't into 'imaginative' play - he is happy enough though, he loved anything to do with sport even from a very young age but was just not interested in 'toys' - and is he the only child in the world who was just not into duplo & lego? . He enjoyed board games from a young age.

He didn't like train sets/scaletrix/play farm/easel/dinosaurs etc etc - we are old fogeys so he was never given technological stuff until he was old enough to buy it with his own birthday or Christmas money .

Hasn't done his any harm, he is doing well at secondary school, very sporty and at least he always has a tidy bedroom !

[valiumredhead]

The trick is to sit down with arts and crafts stuff and then leave then to it, then pop back, then leave then to it again.

Lego, construction kits, train set?

[Bakingtins]

How about some games they can play together? Favourites in our house;
Lego shave the sheep
Orchard toys shopping game
UNO
Qwirkle
Chess (5yr old a bit young, maybe)
Rory's story cubes

Also Lego, wooden train set, wooden farm, Playmobil still popular.

[Sunnysummer]

I don't think that toys and TV are actually related, we grew up with no TV and still played lots with toys. If your DC are less into imaginative play then perhaps Lego and active toys like puzzles could be very successful, or can they do activities like building playdough shapes or making their own books (kids I worked with use to love making pop up books for siblings, grandparents with a little help from us with cutting and pasting).

[LittleRobots]

I being able to entertain yourself is a really important skill for children to learn. Maybe you can build up to it in smaller increments if they're really not used to playing on their own at all?

My daughters have very good imaginations (partly personality, partly encouraged as I think its important) however I remember not being into imaginative play so much myself (as I hadn't been encouraged much when young).

I found as a child I needed structure, something to follow - so perhaps instead of full on "just play" you could scaffold into it, with more structured ides - there's some good ones above - craft "kits" where you challenge them to see how much they can do without calling you for help, similarly cooking kits. Smaller lego kits to begin with so they have something to follow and a sense of completion. What about puzzle books? I was really into logic problems but it may be something else that gets your children. Reading? Not exactly the same as "playing" but still something that might get them less dependent on you.

The older one might well be able to come up with ideas.

[LittleRobots]

Oh and another one not seeing the link with tv?

We didn't use tv at all with the first child but have been converted to cbeebies on occasion now I have two. I love how educational some of them have been and they have given them something to talk about at times at school. I don't think its necessary but I don't think occasional television is evil either, and used here if I'm needing a quick 10minutes in the kitchen without them!

[valiumredhead]

I'm a bit confused tbh, I was out at the park every day come rain or shine when ds was little but he still played when we go home, no one can be out all day

It's not good for children to be 'organised' all the time, personally I'd cut the going out back, get some Lego and leave them to it.