My kids never play with their toys but I keep seeing things about kids learn through play

[IFionlyhadbrains]

My kids must be really thick They just don't play with any of their toys. Their GP's said they didn't have toys back in the dark ages it was all make believe play and running about.

Aibu to chuck it all out? We have pretty good storage so it's not cluttered, but I've tried open shelves Montessori style filled with dust covered wooden toys and didn't seem keen.

Don’t throw out the toys!

You don’t know if they might pick up an interest in some of them later on. It’s quite likely that they will.

@Whereismymojo my DS is the 5 yo, and he is my shadow unless watching TV. It's equal parts sweet and annoying He sometimes pretends to be a car and drives about or fights a dragon, so I might get two minutes before he asks me to join in, beep beep, chop, chop.

@cheesebubble great ideas, we have all of those already . DD did like the stacking cups for a bit but she is over it now. Funnily DS who's my oldest never ever touched them. She's currently drawing on my shopping list and rug with the biro.

DC2 goes to an outdoor nursery which is very focused on play. They have barely any toys there, but the kids play nonstop with all sorts of items they've gathered in the forest. Every day he comes home with a pile of sticks: "this one's a camera, this one's a spade, this one's a crossbow... etc"

My toddler plays quite a lot with his toys when he's on his own, but when my three kids are together they barely play with toys at all - mostly they rampage through the house in various different characters.

Toys are definitely not necessary for play and one of the beautiful things about children is how they manage to play even in the most dire settings (I remember once we were stuck in a car rental queue at Luton airport for an hour late in the evening and the DC, then aged 2 and 4 ish, spent the entire time travelling to a fictional land they used to often go to. I was quite jealous!)

It's individual, all kids are different. It's not a bad idea to maybe throw out some of them though if you have a lot. My kids love toys but even I don't have heaps of them lying around, I just have a few. A big pile of clutter doesn't scream play with me to kids.

Things like Lego or My Little Pony or whatever appeal more to children slightly older than yours, OP. Little ones can enjoy imaginative play and don't always need a lot of stuff for that! As long as they don't sit in front of screens all day they will be fine.

Also, this may not be a very MN thing to say but those worthy wooden Montessori toys are boring as fuck. I have never seen a child get excited about them.

They are 5 and 18 months

I think there's still time for them to find them.

Best toy buy ever was a 99p shopping trolley -went through all three kids and then to another charity shop in good nick.

Boxes were always popular - though now it's improving them for the cats.

I don't think mine played with lego much till bit older - then they seemed to love it then ignore it again.

Though I think main thing is stuff - any stuff they can interact with and either role play or just explore world with.

My daughter is 6 and has never ever played with toys (not for lack of having them, she has tons). She does like cuddly toys but more to hoard than to play with. She loves anything arty or crafty, is constantly drawing and making things, likes books, would play video games or watch telly all day every day if allowed (she isn't!) but is just not remotely interested in playing with toys.

She will play role play type games with other children but never ever any imaginative play by herself.

Not all kids play with toys, I wouldn’t worry. Sounds like they have a good life! I do think less is more with toys so nothing wrong with thinning out what you’ve got. I wouldn’t get rid of everything as your toddler is still so young and might grow into playing with them.

It depends on the child and it depends on the toy. DS lacks imagination for role play so he was rubbish at make believe games, no much use at playing with a toy fire station etc once he had exhausted re-enacting the fire brigade coming to the neighbours but he loved the farm and, once he started school, he loved the playmobil school and would come home & re-enact the day which meant I quickly learned who got told off on a regular basis and what for!
He does play with toys though as he builds Lego, marble runs, mag-tiles etc.

[quote IFionlyhadbrains]@Whereismymojo my DS is the 5 yo, and he is my shadow unless watching TV. It's equal parts sweet and annoying He sometimes pretends to be a car and drives about or fights a dragon, so I might get two minutes before he asks me to join in, beep beep, chop, chop. [/quote]
He sounds a lot like my 5yo to be honest! Swap the dragon for a soldier fight! Since I read your post yesterday i feel like I short changed my son a little, because I realise he is playing, just differently. He is for example obsessed with guns - he loves play shooting, I have to respond with great drama - and he loves being chased around the house with “safe zones”... whereas his sis takes herself off and plays in fantasy land for hours on her own. But he has never gravitated towards the duplo.... he told me yesterday he is “a science person”

My 6 year old lives toys and role play. Always has.
My 10 year old has never played with toys. He has ASD.

My dc don’t play - lockdown has them hooked on screens.
The youngest is 5 and Im considering getting rid of all toys now. There’s no point keep them all - we have Playmobil, barbies, Lego, crafts, games, jigsaws. All ignored.

@Stitchandapples

My dc don’t play - lockdown has them hooked on screens. The youngest is 5 and Im considering getting rid of all toys now. There’s no point keep them all - we have Playmobil, barbies, Lego, crafts, games, jigsaws. All ignored.

Surely you can limit screentime, for the youngest, anyway? We have to, otherwise our eldest (5) turns into a badly-behaved zombie.

I’ve given up. It hasn’t affected her behaviour but it’s all she wants to do.
I just take her out a lot so she’s not got as much chance to play on it.
She used to play a lot, pre lockdown.