Toddlers who aren't interested in toys.. how to keep entertained

[duckling3]

I have an almost 2 year old who is not particularly interested in toys.

I'm finding that he (& I) struggle to keep him entertained during the times at home. We get out and about a lot which is lovely but I'm finding the times at home quite challenging.

He enjoys baking, and helping with some jobs around the house, or reading together, but other than that if we are home he just wants to watch tv. I'm ok with some tv time but not all the time.

I thought maybe we just didn't have toys that interested him so took him to a toy shop to chose something himself, but he didn't want anything, just wanted to go outside and we came out with nothing.

If anyone else has had a toddler whose not interested in toys... What kind of things did you do to help them entertain themselves whilst at home? I'm in need of some inspiration!

You Tube - nursery rhymes and mini episodes of peppa and ben and holly.

My daughter is as bored with toys, never actually played with anything she had. Now almost 7 and she is a whizz on an iPad and her switch, teaching her grandparents how to Google and prefers to read

She is more interested in facts than toys.

Her favourite toy is an interactive globe

I would actually keep offering time to play with toys, with no pressure, but the TV off. Keep it really short and play with his toys, with him. If he wanders off, move on with the day. Mine is ~ 4 or 5 months on from yours. At nearly 2 he was exactly the same. I was out all the time or finding tasks to do he could ‘help’ with and consoling myself with ‘at least I won’t be spending all my cash on toys’.

In the last few weeks he has suddenly become more interested with the idea of toys and ‘play’. Toys still only hold his attention for maybe 20-30 minutes before he wants to go outside or explore the house, but it’s definitely getting better. He’ll even play alone with his toys for 10 minutes now (unthinkable half a year ago!)

Now maybe this would have happened anyway…but I like to tell myself enforcing some ‘toy time’ has expedited his understanding and enjoyment of ‘play’. Who knows 😬

I've found during phases when my toddlers watched YouTube (when we stopped the ball) they went off their toys as their concentration levels stopped. When they go for days without screens they got much more into their toys and books.

You could use a toy library to kept refreshing toys?

@Michellebops this could we'll be how things turns out for my son too. Nursery rhymes is a good idea .. wonder if I could try nursery rhymes audio book style.. might give it a go and see

@AliceW89 I am continuing to encourage the toys, and maybe in time he will be more engaged. I wish I could console myself on saving toy money.. I'm sure I've wasted tons of money in trying to find things he's interested in 😂 it's a tough balance, I don't want to waste money, but also feel like I need to provide age appropriate and engaging toys.

@83DanishMum a toy library is a great idea. Not sure if there is one near me but I'lol definately look into it, that would
Be great!

Toy rotation. Do it every week or two weeks. Don't have a huge amount out.

Nursery rhymes, alphabet and numbers.
My son learnt these at 2 when he wasn't into toys.

He's 3 now and a lot more interested in toys. He never used to touch them at one point.

Offer natual toys.. recycled boxrs.
Heristic toys..

Join tuff tray groups.

Mine doesn’t like toys much

Mainly outdoors, sandpit ( all year), balance bike, scooter, walks in woods, playground. Swimming. Reading books. We bake a lot ( pancakes, muffins, pizza dough)

Only toys he likes really are magformers. He’s half getting into schleich animals, so I will buy some play sets like the treehouse for Christmas.

He might be ready for more imagination play type things? "Baking" with some of your kitchen stuff or going to the "shops" in different rooms in the house to buy stuff?

Mine was like this , he is 9 now . Didn't play with garages , toy houses , little figures anything really . We went out a lot ! Looked at books , played memory games and board games .

Give him little chores, pretend play/dress up, sand, clay, walking and collecting stuff. My DC literally never played with toys but used to be sent all over the house is to pick things up.

I'd try open ended toys like Duplo, wooden bricks, magnatiles and sit and play with them yourself and see if he joins in, but don't pressure him too.

Does he like puzzles? They're kind of a 'job' type toy i.e there is a clear objective which he might prefer of he isn't to cars/trains etc.

I'd make him a few different treasure baskets to explore, fill with everyday objects things like tape measures, magnifying glass, calculator, coins and money box to post them in, velcro, feathers, boxes/tins/jars with different types of lid, notepad and a pen etc etc.

Does he like drawing, mark making, playdoh, stickers?

Give him jobs to do, spray bottle and a cloth and he can 'clean', give him a basket of socks to fold/pair up, get him a dustpan and brush and let him sweep, take some tins out of the cupboard and let him out them back/stack them up/carry them round, put some dry pasta in a bowl and let him stir/divide into a muffin tray.

DS didn't like toys much, however if he had his toolbox (or even better real tools to play with) then he was happy.

He did play with bath toys though and would love having a splashy bath to play in.

Switch tv off he will play with toys

My dd was just like this. I didn't know what to do with her. Unfortunately TV and playing computer games were the only things that really interested her. Luckily it cause no harm as she graduate school and college with honors and is a successful professional.

Work out what schema he is in and give him something related to that schema. My daughter used to spend hours playing with twenty pieces of uncooked pasta in a large manilla envelope.

To save money or not spend so much, check out the charity shops for toys.

how about baskets/boxes of things like sticks, pebbles, pine cones, etc… a wheelbarrow he can use indoors (if you’re inside doing jobs etc..)

get some kitchen pans out and dried pasta

mine have always liked taking cushions off sofa and making Dens etc..

large cardboard box he can sit in with pens/pencils can scribble on sides.

some ‘real’ tools? Again charity shop

My toddler is into toys so not quite the same situation, but I love the Instagram page busytoddler for suggestions for easy, age-appropriate activities to do together. She also has a website.

Maybe going to a playgroup where he can see other children playing with toys will help too? Also might help you work out what he's interested in.

Thanks for all the replies, really helpful to get some suggestions and other opinions.

We've tried playgroups & toddler classes but he wasn't interested so much in toys.. he gravitates towards active things,, trike riding, climbing stairs, running up and down ramp, trying to leg it out the door 🙃

I'll look into schemas - thanks

Den making is a great idea, I think he might enjoy that! So is getting him Some real tools... I've noticed if we're doing jobs, he wants to play with the same real objects, not so much a toy version of the same.

Honestly avoid YouTube, my 4 year old must have spent about 6 months on there if you add it all up, and it really is rubbish. It’s so easy for them to finish up a parent-approved peppa video or whatever and then end up watching shit - other kids playing with toys, just so irritating. So I am not allowing my new baby to do YouTube (let’s see how that goes 😄). What about things like play doh and kinetic sand? 4 year old will play with that ALONE for an hour! Or moonsand which you can make - think it’s 1 cup baby oil to 8 cups flour.
My 7 year old can’t do anything alone and never really plays with toys so I feel your pain. He just needs to be with people! At 2 it was a lot of puzzles, and being out a lot! And orchard toys board games.