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Is it possible to teach very young children, say 12-24 mo, to play with toys? It seems all of the kids I work with just walk around, climb on items, dump/throw toys, etc. Not one of them sits down to play with anything. Is it the age? I've seriously thought about doing away with all toys and just keeping a few boxes to climb on, a couple totes of bean bags to dump, etc. Would make clean up easier.
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This is exactly our issue! I swap toys out every 3 months and we do an art project..music...circle time through out the day but they are not interested! No matter how fun we try to make it! My ages are 2-4 years and they have NO imagination nor do they try even after we get involved! They would rather lay around and talk or pick on one another. I honestly blame technology and non parental involvement without involving technology! But I am interested in responses from other providers
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Yes! That IS their play at that age. It supports what they're learning: walking, climbing, throwing... They have to move.
Why not? It's not a "lazy" response just to make clean up easier. It's a curriculum decision based on observation of their interests. Give them something to dump, something to throw, something to climb.Last edited by Blackcat31; 11-18-2015, 07:02 AM.Comment
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Up until 18 months or so I find they don't really play with toys. But the kind of "play" they are doing is teaching them something. When I have ones that young (I don't right now), I don't let them in the play room. I keep them in the living room with a bin of toys. Many times, the bins become the toy.Comment
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I agree, that is their play! They have to have time to develop skills. They don't come into the world ready to go! I've even had 2's not play much with toys. A little in the kitchen area, loved the sensory table, loved pushing grocery carts around, etc.
That year my 2's didn't start to play with very many toys until they were about 2 1/2!Comment
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Oh, and they also loved to fill buckets (I had some Easter buckets that ended up in the play area). They'd fill those up and walk around with them perfectly happy.Comment
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Now this would be hard for me! Especially if 3-4's didn't play, didn't get into circle time, songs, creative art, etc. and then wanted to lay around. A tough group.This is exactly our issue! I swap toys out every 3 months and we do an art project..music...circle time through out the day but they are not interested! No matter how fun we try to make it! My ages are 2-4 years and they have NO imagination nor do they try even after we get involved! They would rather lay around and talk or pick on one another. I honestly blame technology and non parental involvement without involving technology! But I am interested in responses from other providersComment
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When I reopened I had a group of older ones who were like this. I dropped all my planning and bare minimum structure. All free play. Little to no direction from me. It took a couple of painful weeks and then they got it. Then I slowly started adding activities back in. When they started to get too dependent on adult led stuff, back to free play.This is exactly our issue! I swap toys out every 3 months and we do an art project..music...circle time through out the day but they are not interested! No matter how fun we try to make it! My ages are 2-4 years and they have NO imagination nor do they try even after we get involved! They would rather lay around and talk or pick on one another. I honestly blame technology and non parental involvement without involving technology! But I am interested in responses from other providers
Give them the gift of boredom.
ETA: I have a 3 yo who is like this right now. I spend Monday letting him readjust to playing independently. Usually by Tuesday we are good to go back to our routine of circle, art, etc. He had a month long stretch where he could not play no matter what. Lay around. Complained. Etc. Turns out, he had been spending a ton of time on the ipad at home. Worst inventions ever.Comment
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I have 3 under 2. I cleared out most of the toys. Left a few baskets with toys for dumping. Have a few other toys out and that's it. You described their free play to a tee. I have noticed changes over the past few weeks (stacking blocks, caring for babies, etc) and have made some switches based on that but generally there's a lot of dumping.
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it seems that I am lucky. Even my infants (13mo) are able to play with toys.Comment
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Firstworldproblems
We should not have to teach kids to play.Attached FilesComment
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