# Does anyone else have a toddler that doesn't play with toys?



## Hoopin' Mama (Sep 9, 2004)

Ds is 25 months, and he does not play with his toys much. I really want to buy one nice toy from Santa, and give him a stocking, but I am starting to think I shouldn't bother.

He has been like this since he was an infant. I bought the squish, the soft doll, the whoozit, I made a taggie blanket. Never played with any of it. He was given a beautiful wooden waldorf teething rattle, paid no attention to it.

Last year for Christmas I picked his gift with such care. Doesn't play with it at all. I have tried rotating toys, to keep them fresh and exciting, but he is still not so interested.

He has always wanted to play with real things. Right now, an old phone is his favorite. I can almost guarantee if I got him a play phone, he would ignore it. He's not interested in crayons or playdough. But he looooves a pen and black permanent marker. For his birthday I got him a latches board, because he loves the latches on dh's guitar case. He doesn't play with it much. He loves flashlights and headlamps, so I got him a Thomas the Train flashlight at a used toy store. Ignores it.

My friend brought over a bag of cheap plastic dinosaurs and matchbox cars. He loves them. The problem is, I don't want to buy those kinds of things. They break easy, and are possibly made by little hands. And there are small parts that are breaking off, although he doesn't generally put stuff in his mouth.

On one hand, it makes life a little more simple. But, I would like to buy him one nice well-made toy for Christmas, I just don't know if I should bother. Also, it is so hard to get anything done because he just wants to get into our things. He currently likes to wrap things around his neck







: so I can't leave him unattended with many regular household items. And he's broken two phones, one pair of headphones, two remotes, one cell phone, etc...

Anyone else have a toddler that has no interest in toys???


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## Bartock (Feb 2, 2006)

My ds is almost 6 but yes he was the exact same way, he never played with toys, he played with anything non toy







Even still know he has a room full of toys, but would rather play with a stick he found out side with a piece of tape wrapped around it and it is a magic wand, stuff like that. I have been told that it's okay not to play with toys because it shows that they are very creative and imaginative, and yes as he has gotten older, he sure plays with some weird things and is creative with them.


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## Bartock (Feb 2, 2006)

OH ya his 14mo brother plays more with DS cars than he does


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## Hoopin' Mama (Sep 9, 2004)

Yeah, I do like the creative side to it.
Part of me just wants to buy toys. I love Rosie Hippos catalog, and Magic Cabin. If I buy just one, we can afford it


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## ShabbyChic (Feb 24, 2003)

I had to read this aloud to DH. We both chuckled. Our oldest DD, who is almost 6 has NEVER and continues to NEVER play with toys. She paints, she draws, she sings, she dances, she lines 6 imaginary friends up and plays with all of them for hours. It used to leave me wondering when she was a toddler why she never played with anything. We just had our conference for Kindergarten. They told us that she is the most "analytically advanced" Kindergartener they have EVER seen. They said that they have a student from the Teachers College working in the classroom and they are testing out some new ideas. They said that she is the only one of 17 children that got it. And not just like they sort of got it and she got it more. That they couldn't come close to understanding and she 100% got it. They said that they have never said it ever before, that she is "spectacularly brilliant". So, there you go. Definately keep letting him play around with what suits him. That's what we did. You have no idea how many things a wooden spoon can be. Or that 2 sponges, a marble, 3 washcloths and 2 empty tubes of bath gel can be a spaceship.


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## Jill515 (Oct 14, 2008)

I realize these posts are old, but I indeed have a 2 1/2 year old son who does not play much with toys. He prefers real household items and random objects like rocks, necklaces, blankets, coins, marbles, spoons... anything small and shiny he can put in his pockets. He does play pretend that he is a dog or that he's in preschool by reading to his stuffed animals. He will occasionally play with blocks or his other toys, but usually only after my pleading with him to do so. He is very bright. Knows his alphabet, can count to 20, knows his colors and shapes, loves music, sings the words to most songs, and has memorized word-for-word many of his bedtime stories. His memory is uncanny. I am just concerned that his "play" seems so odd as compared to other kids his age. Most other boys at 2-3 will play with cars and trucks all day; he will push one around for maybe 5 minutes. He mastered all the puzzles he has, so he doesn't play with them anymore either. Have either of you had any issues with this as your children got older? Are they just bored with conventional toys? What can I do to stimulate his play? Any ideas/guidance would be so helpful and set my mind at ease. Thanks!


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