Structured play or free play for toddler (16 months)

[DC1stTimeMummy]

Hello all,

I was wondering when your toddler plays is this structured (activities with an instruction/ guidance from you) or free play (they choose what to play with & how)? Or do you do a mixture of both throughout the day?

Also, do you have any good toys you have brought that your toddler enjoys to play with? Or even, have you made something your toddler loves doing? Photos of these will be great or website links!

Thank you!

Some free play so they are not reliant on you to amuse them and can develop independence, some play alongside adding to but not taking over play and a bit of suggestions like prompts by putting out messy activities.

I mean, mine has minimal concept of free play with toys - free play is emptying out the cupboards, taking things off shelves, banging things together, opening and closing doors, walking round the garden touching the washing and the shrubs etc. I’m not sure I do any ‘structured’ play beyond sitting with him and occasionally helping while he plays with duplo or reading him books. I’ve never set up a tuff tray or sensory stations or anything like that - he just wouldn’t be interested.

His current schemes include tipping and pouring so you can set up things to support this like pouring and scooping rice. Providing pots boxes and bags to collect transport and empty. Don't forget at this age attention and focus is short so if you get 4 minutes at any one thing your very lucky....the time out concept for two plus is based on a minute per year becouse to them z minute feels like an hour for us so if your lo is managing a few minutes play that's exactly appropriate for their age. You can encourage focus by having less toys out they then play for longer with each one. The play you describe is exactly what I would expect.

I think free play (or at least child led) is far better than too much structure while they are still small - they learn so much by investigating.

Things I always leave within reach:
Some stacking toys (I rotate between a few - colourful plastic ones on a spoke, a train thingy with spikes on yhe carriages, soft blocks in different sizes. All readily available on Amazon or in charity shops)
A shape sorter
A bead maze
Small ball pond
Board books
Those are the things I've found all 3 of mine have enjoyed for free play. If they want interaction, I'll see what they go for and then join in with them - if they are stacking, I'll make a big stack for them, or make a stack in a different way e.g. soon the cups upside down so the tower I wider at the top. If they are playing with balls, I'll get one out and roll it back and forth and then roll it to them and ask for it back. I then to think the important thing is to follow their interest and seen interested too, and to narrate while playing - "you had the green block! Green block ON blue block. Mummy has the yellow block. Fall down!" (Etc until your head explodes )

Honestly ive found the more guided/structured atoy is, the less use you'll get out of it. A flashy expensive toy definitely gets their attention, but once they've pressed everybutton a couple of times that's it. Something that challenges them e.g. stacking, rolling, sorting will give many hours of entertainment.

Guided things that mine have enjoyed (but mostly after the age of 2!):
Wooden single piece puzzles e.g. they have to put the animal in the right hole. But chunky pieces are best for this.
Train set - didn't use it as its supposed to be used until MUCH later, but did enjoy rolling thetrains around and stacking them on each other. Go for Bigjigs or something that is compatible withlots of different brands so you can expand your collection of they enjoy it.
Drawing/painting - my eldest LOVED her easel. It got a huge amount of use. You need a really sturdy one for toddlers though. They almost alwayd prefer the whitevoard size as it's very easy for them to make marks, but make sure you take paper on sometimes and encourage them to use crayons as it helps to strengthen their hands for writing with pens later.

Free play with me sitting there. He only really likes cars. He’ll play with cars for ages as long as I’m sitting nearby and not trying to do anything I might enjoy

@Lady1576

Free play with me sitting there. He only really likes cars. He’ll play with cars for ages as long as I’m sitting nearby and not trying to do anything I might enjoy

Lol yes, God forbid you read a book or something! I play tickle games or peek a boo with my daughter and read to her but mostly just watch her play and pull her back if she's doing something unsafe! She would never let me knit or read or sort the mail alongside but I can usually squeeze in some good quality time on my phone!

BookFiendForLife

Yes exactly!!!

I have a 16 month old DD and am 28 weeks pregnant. I have had some low energy days in the last few months so lots of free play while I sit on the rug and encourage her. She likes blocks, stacking cups, balls, a cardboard box, wooden animals. She also likes cuddling teddies, redecorating the Xmas tree and she'll always bring over books if she wants me to read them to her.