Still not playing with toys

[Chloevalentine]

We had over a friend who turned 3 in January and los cousin who's 8.5 and the 3&8 year old played so nicely together with toys and pretend using imagination but my lo who's will be 3 end of June doesn't play the same. I always assume it's just the age and hopefully it is.  They would be playing and he would be climbing the wall behind  them or throwing rocks etc not even interested in what they are doing. It's almost like he doesn't know how to play?! He also would take toys and throw them in the air or at them.

[15milner]

At age 3 children, developmentally children are usually at the stage of 'playing alongside' each other. In a pre-school / early years setting, you would typically see children playing with same toys, but on their own rather than all involved in a large involved game together.  3 year olds may not be even interested in what older children will be doing.  There is quite a difference in a child who has just turned 3, a child who is mid-3years and a child who isn't 3 until June.

In this situation your friends 3YO  may have different play experiences to your not-yet 3 year old.  Are there older sibling that they normally play with / go to pre-school etc / does the older 8 year old have a younger sibling to entertain or play with.  It may just be that there was a different range of toys to play with and the 8yo loved to play with it, etc.

All sorts of things going on here.. don't worry about it with your not-yet 3 year old.

xx
 

[Chloevalentine]

Thanks it's just hard because my lo doesn't really entertain himself and is not interested in toys never has been. It's hard to occupy him all day just the two of us. He's much more interested in water play in sink helping me cook listening and or watching music on tv and dancing or playing outdoors. But this can be exhausting and it's a lot of pressure on me to occupy and entertain.

[clazzat]

My 9, 7 and nearly-5 year olds don't play with toys - some of them just don't. We have no small world play and very little solitary imaginative play. They play with each other or do something physical - when the weather is good they are outside just about all day.

It is really hard to engage them when they are that young and not interested in toys, and I spent most of my time out of the house when they were that age. I would try to involve him as much as you can when you are doing things (my los love hoovering and doing the washing up, and they really enjoy "cleaning" the windows) - there is a surprising amount that a 3yo can do to help with cooking, for example. I also tried to make sure that there were plenty of more physical things to do - our skateboard gets used a lot, as does the trampoline - and plenty of balls to throw.