to think 7 years old is still too young to stop playing with toys?

[SoggySocksAgain]

Something my relative said that surprised me. They said that at 7 years old, they can't imagine their LO will be playing with toys for much longer. Really? Surely they'll be playing with toys until at least 10-11? We were discussing their birthday and it made me realise how we expect our children to grow up far too quickly.

I also played with toys till about 11. When I stopped it was more because I felt I “should” than because I wanted to. Of course I still play with “toys” - board games and computer games, and I potter in the garden which is basically “going out to play” for grown ups.

Toys inspire creative thinking and we should never stop playing with them. The toy type might change. So sad that someone thinks 8 is too old fortoys. My ds is 10 and I want to pause time cos in a year he goes to secondary and will be forced to leave behind his lovely young boy ways.

Depends what toys? If they are talking things for smaller children / preschoolers then yes. But all kids play with toys of some sort! A trampoline / football/ games console / board game / drawing set / walkie talkie / yo-yo / skateboard / roller skates / Lego / craft kit these are all toys!

Never too old, I got a twerking llama for my 41st birthday. I love it!

DS2 is 13 and still plays with toys. Mainly Lego. But before lockdown him and his friends were often out playing with lightsabers/sticks which self ID as lightsabers.

My sil thinks her son, who is 5, is too old for toys and has stopped buying them for him. Some people are just stupid

Playing is invaluable. It builds our brain. It makes us cleverer. Play has a purpose in human development. Being allowed to, and knowing how to play is extremely important. Not everyone knows how to play, that itself is a skill, but the more you play the more your brain is working and developing. It is incredibly important to nurture and foster a child's play. It should absolutely be encouraged. So much research has been done on the topic that proves how good it us for us. Being able to sit alone and "just play" is one of the best things you can do for development. How many adults have gadgets and desk toys etc that they enjoy payying with for no obvious purpose?
A seven year old child should definitely be playing. (I feel strongly i wrote a thesis on it!)

That's madness. My eldest two are 10 and 9 and most definitely play with toys. Lego, train sets, toy cars, cuddly toys, magnetic tiles, marble runs, hula hoops, toy soldiers, plastic swords. My ten year old still takes Octonauts into the bath sometimes!

I played with Sindy dolls into my early teens. My best friend was a year younger than me, and she also liked playing with dolls. We expanded our play to cover more mature themes (boyfriends, jobs etc) but still got pleasure from it. I don't know if we were particularly unusual?

@PorpentiaScamander lightsabers which self ID?

One of the silver linings of the last couple of months has been more time to play and rediscover old toys during screen free time.

At 7 and 9, mine still love Brio trains, Duplo, Lego, vehicles, board games, figurines, cuddly animals, collecting cards, anything that can be used as a weapon... Sticks are a favourite and there is a collection by the front door and in each car.
My 9yo recently adopted a pet brick on a recent walk that now patiently lives withthe sticks and gets a nice pat each time he passes. It's very well trained... stays really well

It's really sweet that they gravitate back to their favourites from years ago.

I've had to temporarily confiscate many a small toy from y7s that was being distracting (returned at the end of the lesson). It's great that they do still play at 11-12.

My little one is almost 8 years old. She plays with barbies, dolls, Lego, make believe, role play and anything else she has. She loves it.

Other members of the family who are roughly the same age don't actually know how to play. They sit on their iPads watching YouTube and other sites.

I am glad my LO can play and enjoy the things children are meant to enjoy.

I love seeing her push her dolls pram into town so proudly. I think that's the way it is meant to be

My DH is 53 and loves to play with his "Boys Toys" - the trainset which comes out every Christmas which has now grown to chunt ist way through the whole flat, (complete with lighting in the carriages and steam blowing out) the remote controlled helicopter which he flies through the living room. the battery operated drum sticks that light up and bash around - luckily no need for actual drums.He got those from my Mum in his Christmas stocking a few years ago - she didn't have to live with them!

@Caplin A Booty Shakin' Llama? If so, we have two

I guess it depends what they mean by toys...eg, if they only mean dolls/teddies/playmobile/blocks etc.
An 8 year old might spend all their inside time wanting to draw/do crafts/write stories and then their outside time on a scooter, so still 'age appropriate'

I never much liked baby dolls, but I played barbies till I started secondary school (and still got them out to 'tidy' them till I was about 14!)

DS still plays with The wooden train set. He has a younger brother who loves it, which is probably why we still hAve it out, but DS is 12yo and still really enjoys it.

DDs are 7&nearly 9. These last few weeks, having more time, have unleashed their creativity and imagination with playing. There are definitely toys on the birthday list.

Elder DD also enjoys computer games and rather complex board games.

Playing is something that develops as you age.

DS is about to turn 7 and I'm getting rid of a lot of his toys. There are a few he still loves to play with though - dinosaurs, race cars, nerf guns 🙄 plus lots of board games and building things like Lego.

My 9 year old loves a barbie, Lego, her soft toys, grosseries etc.. no sign of an end to playing in this house! She and I have a morning of Lego planned 🥰

Dd is nearly 11 😭 and she hasn't played with 'toys' for years.
We had a massive clear out of her bedroom about 18 months ago, and the only things that made the cut were-
Build a bears plus clothes.
Loom bands - very occasionally plays with
Top model books and colouring stuff - occasionally will sit and colour
Board games
Lego - builds sets but rarely plays with it
1 barbie- hasnt touched since clearout
2 nerf guns and the nerf crossbow- hasn't touched since clearout

She is massively into craft, cross stitch and embroidery at the moment, so that's what she does in her spare time.

DD2 is 9 and isn't returning to school, but her sister has. They've been playing 99% nicely through lockdown. Now DD2 is here and on her own for part of the day (I'm self-employed building a small online shop - still working for a couple of hours a day to keep the momentum up) I hear her chatting away to her toys. Particularly the Porg we got from Disney last year. The Porg I borrow to Instagram...

She's not going to be encouraged to stop playing by me

Dgc are 9, 7 and 3 ( birthdays in next couple of months ) they all still play with toys .
Lots of role play going on during lockdown - I wonder if they need escapism as much as we do ?
Little one is shattered trying to keep up with her siblings !

I definitely still played with toys until I was about 12. Lego, playmobil and dolls house were ones which lasted a long time. I hope children dont stop playing with toys at age 7, but it wouldnt surprise me that some do. Kids seem to grow up quickly now and are more interested in video games.

Depends on the child, I have 2 boys very much different.

Older one player with all sorts and was into all the latest crazes at the time

Younger one (10) never played with toys even as a baby, he wanted to explore and build things, (at 10 he’s into raspberry PI, coding, building his own gaming PC (which he’s done) building furniture, Fantasy worlds etc.)

My 9 year old doesn't play with toys much. She will occasionally join in if her little sister is playing with dolls or something but she is more interested in dressing them up and creating nurseries for them etc than actually playing with them.