To ask when did your child stop playing with toys?

[Forthepurposesofthetape]

My dd is seven and in year 2 and loves imaginative play with dolls and play figures or whatever you give her, she's always making characters and stories. I was talking to a couple of mums at the school gate whose children are in dd's year and they said how hard it is to buy birthday presents for their children because they don't play with toys any more. I felt genuinely surprised, it did seem quite young to grow out of toys. I'm sure I was still playing with toys when I was ten! I'm just obviously letting dd do what she likes but I am a little curious as to whether it's something they do grow out of a bit more quickly nowadays.

Oh this makes me sad. I agree it is mostly the fault of games consoles/iPads. My kids do have my old iPad to play on but it's only when we are on long car journeys or we take it on holiday with some films downloaded onto it etc. At home, my 2 (aged 4 & 9) play with toys loads. DS1 plays with lego, and other construction-type stuff but not so much with the imaginative play things now (like play mobil, toy tool set etc). He likes to draw, and also really enjoys the science kit type things that you mention. In the last year there has definitely been a move away from the imaginative play type things but there are still plenty of 'toys' he can play with that don't involve a screen.

I'm 63 and I still play with Lego. First I had DC to join in (and they still play with it), now DGC!

I played with barbies until I was 12
6 year old dd is more in to playing schools, board games , arts and crafts and outdoor sports. She is getting very hard to buy for .
She will still build duplo/ LEGO maybe once a week and put her lol dolls in a lego house but that’s about it!
Also she doesn’t have a games console and only watches the iPad on a Sunday

I think we put the Lego and Playmobil away just before last Christmas, DD is 11.

She stopped playing with dolls/Barbies a bit earlier but would get them out when one of her friends came over as she was still playing a lot with it. Pretend play items were given away when she was 9.

At 7 we would spend a fortune on Lego and Disney princesses.

I do think some children do not play a lot, one of DD's friends is such a case. Lovely girl but only interested in arts & craft, make up (far too early), movies, Ipad etc.

I love Lego, Scalextric, board games, jigsaw puzzles etc. DH likes most of those (though less of the board games) and likes to make the teddies dance too (and did before DS). Science kits are really fun, and books are always good, plus instruments/ bikes/ balls/ racquets/ scooters, but there are always toys or games that can work too for variety. I'm afraid the school mums you spoke to lack imagination, maybe that's where their poor kids get it from.

7 is so young! Can't imagine my 5 year old outgrowing toys in the next 2 years. I used to "help" my little sister play with her toys at 12!

Dd is 11. She still plays with dolls, play doh, Lego and various other toys. We are going away for a few days and she has packed a bath with clothes and "food" for her doll.

My DC are almost 7, almost 8 and 9. They haven’t played with toys aside from Lego and knex for a year or so. They ride around on bikes and scooters, get outside plenty, read and draw lots and yes, they have games consoles and iPads (for restricted times).

My DD’s have a big dolls house in their bedroom but it’s largely gone untouched for the past 6 months. I’ve simply accepted they’re growing up.

DS is 7. He loves his train tracks and has elaborate train scenarios. Also plays with his toddler brother’s Happyland stuff! He likes puzzles and board games and all kinds of arty things. We are a minimal/no screen family so he has toys and books to entertain himself and has an impressive board game collection as a result.

10 and in year 6. Loves her toys. Barbie style ones, Lego, sometimes still cuddlies etc. Though often she will go for crafting/ drawing. She does have tablet/ phone. But i discourage those. Tablet she uses more for music. Long may it continue....

I remember playing with Barbie type dolls in the first year of high school, but feeling embarrassed about it and hiding them away when anyone came in to my room (even my Mum- who wouldn’t have cared at all looking back!). 7 seems so young!

This year aged 10.
My DD asked for a reborn for Christmas with all the accessories, she loved to play with figures etc.
She was 10 after Christmas, she hasn't bothered with it, lots of her peers stopped earlier, so I suppose it's time.

I had plenty of toys as a child however I sometimes (quite often) used to enjoy just sitting in a comfy chair and daydreaming... i still do it now. I used to write stories and make my own magazines aswell.

My DS (11) loves jigsaws and board games and still has very imaginative play with his WWE figures. He enjoys all types of sports. Music and xbox so quite rounded.

My Daughter prefers art/craft activities and anything to do with anime or geology. Never really been an imaginative player with dolls, small world collections etc. She has always definitely been harder to buy for.

Neither of them enjoy books which really saddens me.

We've just moved and now have a playroom so had a big clear out of toys. My DDs are 9 & 11 read and draw and play in the garden and build dens and do science

and play board games and play with the table football and play with lego. They told me to throw out the dolls. DS (6) still plays with the small world toys a lot. The eldest has a mobile phone but otherwise they have an old desktop in the playroom but no other electronic devices.

I once asked my child's friend (aged 6) what toys he liked to play with at home (he'd come for a play date). He looked at me with a mixture of confusion and like I was mad for asking such a question. He honestly couldn't tell me what toys he played with at home. A few years later I found out he only ever played on his games console.
My two in upper juniors still like Playmobil/Lego/imaginary games. They are allowed to use their games console for an hour a day at the weekend or if friends come to play. They can play on their tablets as much as they like.

DD is nearly 7 & is starting to lose interest in a lot of her toys. Playmobil is being sold (her choice), Brio train set hasn't come out for ages so will probably be sold. Playdough was binned & the unopened pots & cutters were sent to charity shop a while ago. She still has loads of soft toys though, & has tea parties with them on the floor, & reads to them a lot.

Probably about 10 or 11, but he still does Lego occasionally.
Although, I have nieces and nephews, so last week he was running around my sisters garden dressed as Spiderman crossed with a Disney Princess playing football with my nephew whilst simultaneously having a tea party with my niece, her barbie dolls and Teddy bears. He won't admit it, being a cool 13 year old, but he loved it haha 😂

My eldest is 11 and still plays, particularly with younger siblings.
None of them need toys to play - they'll start coming up with some sort of role play wherever they are. But they all still enjoy toys too. Recently building lego totally degenerated, because they were pretending the mini figures were doing the building, and got too distracted by giving them all haircuts and makeovers.
Next door neighbour is 10 and "hasn't played with toys for years." But if DC ever invite her in, she makes a beeline for the Playmobil.

My ds is 7 and still plays imaginary games (dress ups mostly and making dens, he has never been keen on playing with teddies/action figures etc) I don't think I would buy him anything new though for this as he has plenty of dress ups.

He also tells me he plays imaginative games with his friends at school at playtimes. They pretend to be different superhero and video game characters.

When it comes to present buying I would still buy him Lego as he loves playing Lego and plays with it daily. He doesn't play imaginative games with it though. I would also buy craft supplies as he loves craft and drawing.

I remember still playing with my Barbies when I was 13

My Mum took all my toys away and gave them to my younger sister just before I started secondary school.

My own DC seem to slowly shift in years 7 and 8 - more Minecraft and puzzle games on devices and more crafting or little writing or drawing projects though they still want to keep their toys they don’t tend to play as such.

My 9 nearly 10 year old still plays with toys.

My dd1 is nearly 10 and plays with her Schleich horse set. Dd2 doesn’t really play with toys and she’s nearly 8. She was never into dolls, more into fluffy toys.

Thanks for posting this, OP.

I've noticed that when I look after my grandchildren, they don't seem to know how to amuse themselves without me directing their activities. I admit I'm a bit unnerved by it. Don't get me wrong, I love doing things with them, but sometimes it would be good if they could occupy themselves for an hour or so. There are masses of books and toys at my house.

I understand why their busy, hard-working parents plug them into their devices, and I know they get a lot from playing on them, but they also need device-free time, imho. It's all about balance. They need to be bored, I think, so that they think up things for themselves.

It depends on who's here. If DS13 has friends over they're inevitably upstairs gaming. If he has nobody else here he'll join in with DS8 playing with Lego, nerf guns, building forts under his bed, being Thor on the trampoline or just messing about outdoors. DS8 is much more into his playing, still, and because he's the youngest I want him to play a while longer yet.

Both DC ask for Lego sets every birthday and christmas which I love.