My poor toddler seems to have no toys

[WideLegJeans]

Worthy of playing with and so the cutlery basket has been taken from the dishwasher (sans cutlery) and he is currently running away from me and screams when I try and get it back. Yesterday was a watch and the day before was my ray bans! Ah the joy he brings to my life.

Yep, my child has zero interest in any of her toys and prefers cardboard boxes / raiding the recycling box / pulling over the bin / ripping up loo roll etc etc etc

My toddler only liked the cupboard full of baking trays and then moved on to an empty large plastic milk container with a handle. I cut part of it away and she would fill it with other empty plastic bottles. Bet they don’t sell that in Hamleys!

Mine had a cupboard in the kitchen with old pots and pans. Spent hours playing there and ignoring all proper toys.

Yup, 3yo DD likes a) the Tupperware drawer b) the sink c) sitting in my car pretending to drive. Not sure why I keep buying Duplo!

My sons fav toy was the silicone cupcake cases!

I might introduce the recycling to him. Although he isn't keen on introduced "toys". He much prefers stealing forbidden items and running away after he has shown me of course. His favourite night comforter at the moment is an old baby spoon. I extract it from his hand once he is asleep but no matter how hard I try to get him a normal comforter he likes the spoon 🤦‍♀️

The cheapest bag of megabloks is definitely the most-loved toy here, no idea why all the other lovely toys go unloved!!

Although he isn't keen on introduced "toys".
That's easy then. Tell him he mustn't play with the recycling. Go and have a cup of coffee.

Empty boxes always wowed here.

Yep, my child has zero interest in any of her toys and prefers cardboard boxes / raiding the recycling box / pulling over the bin / ripping up loo roll etc etc etc

Newsflash - your 'child' is a cat. Look closely. The tail and fur will be a dead giveaway.

My 2 year old is like this, he has so many toys but instead plays with the tupperwear and the dial on the washing machine.

My son used to love the spatula, he used to take it in his pram whilst we took the dog out, he’s ‘normal’ now and likes his Lego!

My child is currently drinking water out of a potty.
Fortunately she isn't potty trained yet so the potty has never been used.

We had a distinct fondness for the baking trays, and the pots in their drawer, for quite a while here too.

And 2 plastic jugs from the kitchen in the bath when visiting DMIL's house.

She had loads of actual toys to play with - but these were what she sought out...

A relative of mine would play for hours as a 2/3 YO with those kitchen sponges with the green scrubby bit on them.

They also had all of the real toy similar things - Duplo, Stickle Bricks, shape sorters etc, but no, they wanted to play with the sponges.

Another one could be kept quiet for hours if left (supervised of course) in the garden near the pebbled borders with a watering can, as there's nothing more interesting to a 4 YO than dropping small stones into a watering can.

It doesn't get better.

Mine is 4, has literally thousands of pounds worth of toys.

Has spent the weekend playing with a large Amazon box and a sticker found in the woods

Mine is best friends with the Henry vacuum cleaner. Would happily spend all day pulling the lead out and winding it back in.

And making off with the empty milk drums.

Throughout my childhood my favourite toy was my mum’s button tin, full of assorted buttons, poppers and random stuff.

I hear you! We are currently trying to pack as we are moving in a few weeks. And when I say pack, I mean i put stuff in a box and my dysfunctional toddler removes it and puts it in another box. I believe in the world of Montessori this is called transference, but in my world it's called a pain in the fucking arse!!!!

@SchoolMarks

Although he isn't keen on introduced "toys". That's easy then. Tell him he mustn't play with the recycling. Go and have a cup of coffee.

This actually worked with my youngest 😁

I had a large cardboard box and chucked in some crayons and stickers. Told him he wasn't allowed in and left him to it. Came back to find him decorating the inside of the box. Kept him amused for ages.

I can't claim the credit for the idea of decorating the box, I got that from somewhere else, but can't recall where. But it works.

Hehe! Toddlers & their inventive play... I love this thread.

Mine loved empty boxes , ignoring the toys that came in them... days of fun painting & sellotaping into trains, houses or whatever, ignoring the actual Wendy house they had.

Flour stolen from mummy's cupboard was far more fun than playsand... and daddy's credit cards down the stripped wooden floor boards apparently better than the shape sorters. Anyone's house keys were fair game for teethers or hiding games... blankets and half the sofa cushions for making forts .., cats better than teddy bears for cuddles (had to step in multiple times)

Boring old (new) toys were looked at with disdain after a brief play. They did play with them but the inventiveness of what could be seen as a "toy" that was fair game kept me on my toes...

Oh I nostalgically miss those days .... (surly teens now)... but it was frantic and needed multitude of childlocks & a mum-head on 360 swivel all the time (I have 3...)

Swing and safe climbing set in the garden to play with? "No mum we prefer to climb this huge tree like Laurel Bush so you have to climb up to get us , grabbing a little leg... as we are so FAST...!"

I got mine painting outside walls with a large brush and a bucket of water having explained that they had to leave it as Daddy would finish it later.

@Hidinginstaircupboard

Hehe! Toddlers & their inventive play... I love this thread.

Mine loved empty boxes , ignoring the toys that came in them... days of fun painting & sellotaping into trains, houses or whatever, ignoring the actual Wendy house they had.

Flour stolen from mummy's cupboard was far more fun than playsand... and daddy's credit cards down the stripped wooden floor boards apparently better than the shape sorters. Anyone's house keys were fair game for teethers or hiding games... blankets and half the sofa cushions for making forts .., cats better than teddy bears for cuddles (had to step in multiple times)

Boring old (new) toys were looked at with disdain after a brief play. They did play with them but the inventiveness of what could be seen as a "toy" that was fair game kept me on my toes...

Oh I nostalgically miss those days .... (surly teens now)... but it was frantic and needed multitude of childlocks & a mum-head on 360 swivel all the time (I have 3...)

Swing and safe climbing set in the garden to play with? "No mum we prefer to climb this huge tree like Laurel Bush so you have to climb up to get us , grabbing a little leg... as we are so FAST...!"

Empty cardboard boxes are the best toy. We wasted a fortune on toys when they just played with the boxes.

Years ago they were called wanky baskets on here Or actually, wnaky baskets due to someone's type...

Basically fill a box with household stuff; wee measuring spoons, tumble dryer ball, wooden spoon and pot for drumming, remote control with no batteries, etc, etc. My kids messed around with that stuff for hours.

Google it, it's a thing! Heuristic play baskets.