What age to children actually 'play' with toys?

[u32ng]

My 11m DS still just eats/throws/waves about/bats about his toys. He doesn't really 'play' with them. He doesn't 'broom' cars, stack cups (just demolishes the stack and throws the cups off the laminate haha) or role play with objects.

Is it just because he's too young just now? I don't really know what age that they're supposed to properly play with things.

I think well over one. I forget now, but I think my son could do shape sorters at around 20 months. Stacking cups maybe a bit younger. They'll still benefit from playing with them, even if it doesn't look like playing as such.

He's already playing with the stacking cups - destroying the towers you build is as much part of playing as building them which is quite a lot more complex activity.

Stacking cups is common in the 12-18 month time.

That sounds perfectly age appropriate. They don't start really playing with stuff until about 18 months in my experience. Proper imaginative play comes after that.

My son is the same age and plays in the same way, the only things he uses as intended are drums where he is able to hold the stick and hit them. He has a wave drum at home and they use drums at Boogie Mites.

I am not sure what age they play properly, my oldest is nearly four but autistic so still doesn't play in a traditional sense. Mainly he likes to line things up (which the little one then wrecks).

My ds is 12 months and does play with some toys, he has a wooden farm yard with 3 buildings, he likes to puthis animals in the barn or house, he says woof woof when he picks up the dog and his version of a pig noise for the pigs, he can't do any of the other sounds. He bashes his xylophone and blows whistles, he says brum with cars and likes to push his cars around on his toy garage. He throws and catches balls ( badly!) he can do his shape sorter but he doesn't enjoy it much, he can't stack cups.