They do not know how to play...

[Sunshine44]

How do I get my daycare kids to play? Use their imaginations?

I have two 1 yr olds, some 2 year olds and a 3 year old. The 3 year old can do some activities and comes up with games to play, things to do, but still needs direction.

I feel lost lately because none of the kids seem to know how to play. I have toys out and they do not seem to know what to do with them. They walk around holding them, try to throw them, fight over them. They do everything BUT play with them.

Do I need to sit with them every step of the way and show them how to play? I would love to have toys set out and the kids pick what they want to play with, but maybe this is not the best way?

Should I bring out certain toys and say hey- let's play with this!

I do not mind having to show the kids how to play and doing games/toys with them, but when I try it turns to chaos, the littles run a muck (throwing things/ignoring me) and the older ones either zone out or get too excited and start going bonkers.

Advice??

[Sunshine44]

I should add that I have cut back what they have available to them and they have been a bit better, but still not actually playing.

They usually dump things out of buckets and play with the buckets (sit in them, put them on their heads) or throw and fight over the toys.

[Sunchimes]

I think dumping and sitting in the tubs is what 1 year olds do--at least mine do. It's a way of exploring sound, and feel, and texture. It is part of their job at this age. By 3, they should be learning to play, but dumping is play at one.

[Sunshine44]

What about 2 yr olds?

I'm not so worried about the 1 yr olds, I know they are young. I feel 2 yr olds, almost 3 yrs should be able to find toys and play, use their imagination in some way. Not just sit and stare at me and fight.

[Sunchimes]

I dug out one of my old child development books. Unless kids have changed in the last 35 years, this is what it says about 2, nearly 3 year olds and play.
They need a lot of free play with teacher initiated activities. They are just beginning to interact and play with other children.

If you back up to 18 mo to 24 mo, it says that they are just beginning to use pretend play.

I have no idea if I'm doing it right or wrong, but with my girls, I spend 75% of the day sitting in the floor with them. Sometimes, I just watch them dump and wander and I stay quiet. Sometimes, when they look lost, I play with them, sort of guiding them. Sometimes, I round them all up and have all 3 playing something different with me. You can't really stop a child from playing when they are ready to play. It's so much more than having lots of toys. In the olden days, kids might not have had anything to play with beyond a yoyo or a corn cob doll, but they played. Your kids will too.

[cheerfuldom]

It might help to set up a baby zone to separate the kids. perhaps the activities are too babyish in your effort to include the 1 year olds. secondly, don't forget that there are plenty of ways to play with a toy. as long as they are not hurting each other, I don't have a problem with one of my toddlers that empties and then fills the containers she can find (play purses and such). she may not be able to sit down and put together the mr. potato heads but she is playing, in her own way. i also don't sit down and play with the kids all the time, that can turn into them expecting to be entertained. i do start activities though. like today I got out the puppets and put them on and started a game of introducing them to each other.....the other kids follow and "talk" to the other kids puppets and pretty soon, they are understanding what a puppet is for and I can step back and go back to cleaning up while they chatter away.

[Sunshine44]

Thanks Cheer, I don't have any way of separating them. How long should they be able to sit and play?

I have blocks out and the little ones throw them around, then the big ones dump the bucket and walk away.

Outside they just kind of sit around also. It is like they need direction all the time. Why is this? I have plenty to play with and it is like they do not understand play time!

[SilverSabre25]

I dug out one of my old child development books. Unless kids have changed in the last 35 years, this is what it says about 2, nearly 3 year olds and play.
They need a lot of free play with teacher initiated activities. They are just beginning to interact and play with other children.

If you back up to 18 mo to 24 mo, it says that they are just beginning to use pretend play.

This. IME the 18 month-almost-2.5 group doesn't really play in the way we, as adults, recognize play. The exception is if they have a strong-personality older child leading them along in the wake of the older child's games.

There are a lot of other things going on developmentally in that year to year and a half, that don't fully involve play-as-we-know-it.

[Sunshine44]

So Silver- what should they be doing? Throwing toys and fighting is not acceptable and that seems to be all they do. All day I'm stopping them from throwing and fighting. If they do stop fighting and throwing then they just stand there staring.

It is really like they stand around doing nothing! It isn't that they are taking toys and doing what they want with them. They will grab a block, stand there and stare at me. Throw the block. then sit and stare at me. Then someone else grabs the block, they run over and fight for the block.

I personally just feel that they should be able to find a toy and do something besides throw it.

[Ariana]

When I worked in a centre of 18-2.5 year olds it was all throwing and fighting. When I started my daycare I had a 4-5 yr old in my care and my daughter was only 16 months. She learned how to "play" based on watching the older kid! I have actually never seen a child under 2.5 play with toys (unless it was making something in the kitchen). Now she'll take any objects, even her noodles at dinner and pretend they're talking to eachother and make up elaborate scenarios. I currently have an 18 month old and when she first started it was throwing everything...now after 6 wks she's slowly starting to play somewhat just by observing the older kids (who are 2 and 3 that learned from the 5 yr old).

[SilverSabre25]

So Silver- what should they be doing? Throwing toys and fighting is not acceptable and that seems to be all they do. All day I'm stopping them from throwing and fighting. If they do stop fighting and throwing then they just stand there staring.

It is really like they stand around doing nothing! It isn't that they are taking toys and doing what they want with them. They will grab a block, stand there and stare at me. Throw the block. then sit and stare at me. Then someone else grabs the block, they run over and fight for the block.

I personally just feel that they should be able to find a toy and do something besides throw it.

That's a tough one--most of what they're learning at that age is the "rules" and "laws" of playing and interacting. Can I take a toy? What does 'taking' mean, anyway? What happens if i throw it? Will that happen again? and again? Is it the same every single time? It's frustrating and maddening but they are checking the limits, seeing if they stay the same each time.

Simple toys that can easily be used by several children at once are probably your best bet. If they are liking throwing, give them an outlet--several soft squishy balls or bean bags. Give them a "Can Throw" to counteract all the "Can't Throws." Give them simple letter blocks, simple puzzles, a small play kitchen with some bowls and spoons and simple play food. A couple of dolls and maybe some baby bottles and blankets.

Try to make sure that if you tell them they can't do something, reinforce it with something they CAN do. They will NEVER learn to do right if all they're told is what's wrong, if that makes sense. "No throw blocks! YES throw balls," as you guide them to something they CAN throw (or "No throw toys! Throw OUTSIDE. We will go OUTSIDE later and THEN you can throw.") or "No hit friends! Gentle touch," and take their hand and MODEL the gentle touch .

It's hard, it really is. Toddlers are TOUGH to have in a group setting. They really, really do best with an older child to model playing. If you have no older child, consider spending time sitting and playing with them to model the playing.

[Unregistered]

How do I get my daycare kids to play? Use their imaginations?

I have two 1 yr olds, some 2 year olds and a 3 year old. The 3 year old can do some activities and comes up with games to play, things to do, but still needs direction.

I feel lost lately because none of the kids seem to know how to play. I have toys out and they do not seem to know what to do with them. They walk around holding them, try to throw them, fight over them. They do everything BUT play with them.

Do I need to sit with them every step of the way and show them how to play? I would love to have toys set out and the kids pick what they want to play with, but maybe this is not the best way?

Should I bring out certain toys and say hey- let's play with this!

I do not mind having to show the kids how to play and doing games/toys with them, but when I try it turns to chaos, the littles run a muck (throwing things/ignoring me) and the older ones either zone out or get too excited and start going bonkers.

Advice??

I would like more advice on this subject too! What do you do with the under two crowd?

I am in your world too. I have tons of the peek a boo blocks and all they do is throw them, I had to take them out of there area. I have tons of toys and they act bored and just don't seem to know what to do with themselves, other then cry to be picked up or entertained by me, which is not always possible for me to do. They clear off my shelves in two seconds flat, just throwing to throw, dumping to dump. What toys do you allow this age group and how many and any advice would be great. They also like to climb and stand on everything. I get worn out from the word "No"

Go figure they are little angels right now with the blocks and the block box, playing together- not the usual for me.

I would still love ideas on what you do with this little group of the 1-2 age. I could have wrote your post-

[greenhouse]

My 2 are 15 mo and 22 mo. The 15 mo old never plays- but he likes physical interaction- climbing, pushing walkers and just wandering around. My 22 mo olds son loves playing with toys, drawing, reading. He has always been able to keep himself occupied from early on. I'm trying so hard to foster that in dcb, but I'm really struggling as well. They do not interact well with each other either.

[beachgrl]

My two toddlers 17 mo, do some dragging out and dumping but they also play with the toddler toys, kitchen toys, dolls, hats, play food, science bugs and bog catchers, toddler manipulatives, play dough, felt board, color-very briefly on that, puppets, play phones/vacuums, love dragging out and even looking at books in our reading center, pull toys, toy cars and trains and plastic animals, music instruments..they wander from center to center and we clean up as they get too much out so they dont trip over everything but they play pretty well inside and out.

[Heidi]

It sounds a lot like my group.

I have 2 15mo's, and a 21 month old. I also have a 3yo dcg full time and her 4yo brother around preshool. It was a lot tougher when he was here all day, as well.

Before 2 1/2, I think "normal" play is a lot of wandering, exploring, and dumping. I would take out anything that could "bean" someone...hard blocks, etc.

How about attaching some large, low bins to some sort of base, like a felt covered board? Something heavy enough they can't lift & dump!.

Kind of a home-made one of these (see below) but not as fancy:


Fill the containers with toddler friendly stuff. Soft blocks and balls, cardboard boxes stuffed with newspaper and covered in contact paper, paper towel rolls with the same, baby dolls and bottles, those softer plastic cars, several sets of stacking buckets, oatmeal containers, washclothes, small blankets or square scarves. Bring inside several smaller riding toys or push carts, and something to climb on (at my house, I put the gate on my carpeted stairs so that they can only go up 2 steps, serves as a toddler climber). You could also use an old crib mattress and some fabric covered foam pieces.

If they wander around staring at you, that;s ok. If that's what they choose to do, then fine. Don't feel guilty, and don't feel like it's your job to entertain them. My dck's have heard "go play with toys" about a million times in the last 6 months, and they are now finally getting it. I will cuddle them, I will help them with things, I will lead an activity, I will feed them, tuck them in, change them, and joke around and be silly with them. But, playing "with" them is on my terms, not on theirs. God gave them their own brains and their own bodies, and they need to use them.

If you can make an area that the 3yo can "get away" and do "big girl stuff", she might enjoy that. Her needs are a little different, so even if it's just a small table in the kitchen with a low shelf or cupboard nearby with her own choices, she will appreciate it. If one of the others is an older two and she wants them to join her, you can do that as it's appropriate for them.
]

Usually while I am making lunch, everyone sits at the table, and I get out puzzles or crayons or their Kazoos, or blocks. It's our "activity time" for right now, because that is when I can supervise them best. Sometimes we do the same thing in the afternoon, and we make a project (after snack). It's not how I would LIKE it to be, I'd prefer if they could do those things by free choice. But, my particular group is not ready for that, so for now, it's this way.