What is your 4 year old's staple toy/activity that they choose to play, and do so on their own?

[Flowerspowers]

When we go on play dates (mostly with boys for some reason) they seem sorted toy wise-train set or Lego-which they happily play on their own and it can be added to so the child can 'invest' in it too. My DD will happily draw and do crafts alone but will only play with her doll's house, happyland town etc with someone else. I play as much as I can but it would be helpful if there was something she could enjoy alone some of the time. Or may be I am expecting too much...

My DS (4.3) plays with his lego on his own. He doesn't necessarily build much on his own but plays with and adds to the creations we have made together.

The other thing he often does by himself is play snakes and ladders! We have a rug that is a snakes and ladders board and a big sponge dice. He uses two toy cars and makes them play against each other. Lasts for ages. I am fully prepared to accept he my just be weird.

Play doh
Kitchen (makes pretend cakes mostly)
jigsaw puzzles (large floor ones more than the smaller ones which she likes me to play with her)
and yes, craft or art things keep her amused for quite long periods

My LO is the opposite of your DD. He will play with his car collection alone or his toy kitchen (he makes everyone bowls of pasta!) But will only paint or draw if I sit with him.

Is your DD an only child? Does she got to nursery? I find my LO, because he's an only child and has a full time nanny wants more adult attention than his friends with siblings or who go to nursery. It's not a concern, just an observation.

Watching with interest as my DD (4.9) is like yours OP. She's fine drawing or colouring or looking at books but it drives me mad how there's very few of her toys she will play with on her own.

What she will play with alone for a short while is play doh, hama beads and brushing hair/dressing dolls.

DD is 4, she plays happily by herself for ages with her barbie dolls, lego, small world type toys, knex, wooden railway, anything role play related, teddies, etc, etc... He's never really got into 'organised' craft, but happily makes books and so forth.

DS is 6. At 4 he played by himself with his die cast tanks and/or top trumps. And that was that. It took him another year to 'get' independent play. Thankfully he has 'got' it now, and will play happily with anything role play related or write stories, build lego models etc.

So there is hope, perhaps your DD just needs a little more time.

But some toys are better played with others.

If she has stuff she does solo e.g. crafts then so be it! That's great.

My ds plays lego solo but plays playmobil with DH and me at times. I don't think anything of it really.

My 4yo dd also best at playing alone with drawing and colouring. Occasionally she will do dolls house, happyland, simple lego /duplo on her own, but only if she is in the right mood (and if i ever suggest she plays with any of them on her own because I have something to do, she insists that's impossible! )

Lego. My 4.9 yr old has been obsessed for about a year and will happily make all sorts of creations.

The second thing that keeps him occupied is his brother (3.3yrs). Despite the quarrelling siblings are the best child entertainment device ever!

Someone gave us a huge amount of old Polly Pockets plus related accessories, and DD can't get enough of these at the moment, sometimes in collaboration with some plasticky horses of unknown origin, and some My Little ponies.

Colouring/drawing, trying to write, playing with her kidizoom camera, barbie dolls.

Oh yes, as up thread, we have 4dds - she plays with them a lot. Games like 'pussy cats' the mind boggles....

They fight a whole lot too!

Thanks for sharing your experience. DD does go to nursery and has done for 3 years. She has a sibling but she's only 6 months old so not yet a full on playmate.

Yes it's great that she's so keen on arts and crafts-also writing letters.

I don't want to say no to her invite to play and I want her to be happy in the way she spends her time.