Does anyone else have a 3 year old that doesn't play????

[firststeps]

DS1 has never really played with anything, he has a very short attention span and gets bored easily. If we are having a morning or afternoon round the house I feel that he just wanders around aimlessly or terrorising DS2 who is almost 1 and will quite happily play for about 10 mins or so. When I play with him he gets bored after about 5 minutes and wanders off. He has no interest in the TV (not that I would want him to watch it all day but 20 minutes or so would be nice!!!) My friends' children seem capable of playing by themselves for 20-30 minutes or so or at least watching a programme on the TV - is DS weird or does anyone else have a child like this?!?

My dd is nearly 3 and also is a reluctant player so to speak! She gets bored with most things after 5 mins, the things that entertain her the most at the mo are coins which she loves, stones and marbles - she will sit and 'play' by which I mean putting the afore mentioned things in and out of different containers for a while. She doesn't really seem interested in toys. She does like drawing and play do - I suppose more 'doind things' rather than imaginative play. I think since she has been at nursery she has got a bit better (she just goes for one day a wk) and she loves telly - too much really! xX

I wouldn't worry too much, my eldest seemed to be better at playing outseide the home and was less interested in her own toys.

I would expect him to be doing some different kinds of play- for example putting some ideas together in play such as pretending to feed teddy/pretending to talk on the phone etc-even if for short time.

what kind of toys does he like and what does he do with them (if only for a a little while?)

firststeps, perhaps he has outgrown some of his toys. I only say this as my DS was like this at this age for a while until he was introduced to Power Rangers/spiderman etc, then he started to play imaginative role play type games all the time (and still does).

My ds doesn't hold much attention to any of his toys, apart from cars, cars and more cars! Loves his garage and as many cars as he can play with. This will keep him entertained throughout the day. He has just turned 3 and recieved lots of toys for his birthday, but he has gone back to the cars again.

What I will say is, I am childminder and look after younger children, my ds will walk around aimlessy as well throughout the day whilst they are here, unless I sit and give him my attention at points of the day. As soon as the mindees leave for the day he gets involved in his play. I think he is too eager to find out whats going on all the time. Might be a case with you ds.

oh well - at least he isn't the only one!! Think you could be right scattyspice - I think he is bored with some of his toys - it's hard with DS2 around as DS1 can't play with his small cars etc as DS2 just puts them in his mouth and I know toys that are suitable for DS2 are boring for DS1 .......

I had that problem too firststeps!

did you just have to ride it out til your second lo could play with the older toys scattyspice? I am really struggling to find toys that are suitable for them both to play with

Can you put the toys on a table where ds2 can't reach them? And then put a toddler chewable version within ds2's reach. We used to do this.

Dd1 had a farm with tiny bits and dd2 had a special larger version cow. Similarly with toy cars. DD1 had the little ones, dd2 the chunkier ones.

And with cooking, dd2 (and eventually dd3) would be "raisin monitor" - so older child would cook - gingerbread people usually - and baby/toddler sit at the other end of the table and slowly work through a little pot of raisins, or bash a little rolling pin around with a teeny bit of dough.