So, your child won’t play with toys. They aren’t the only ones. As parents, it can seem like no matter how creative we try to be or how perfect we think our latest toy purchase is, kids seem to grow bored of their toys – and fast! There are some perfectly good reasons for this and some simple solutions to help you make playtime more fun!
- The toys aren’t age appropriate. Age-appropriateness is a major factor when it comes to how much a child enjoys a toy. Consider the manufacturer’s suggested age range as a guideline (not a rule!), factor in your child’s development, and whether they’ve already developed the skills needed for a particular toy – or if they’re not quite there yet. Check out our curriculum to learn more about which skills are developed at which ages before your next shopping trip.
- Their brain is growing – fast. By the time children are 3, their brains have reached 80 percent of their adult volume. Due to this rapid growth, your child may grow bored of a toy after only a few days – but hey, this is kind of amazing! Try rotating your toys to keep your child on their toes or consider renting.
- They have too many toys. That’s right. According to our educational expert, Sudha Nistala, too many toys leads to too much stimulation, which can overwhelm a child and lead them to shut things out. Consider rotating a few toys at a time or purging some of your collection based on which toys your child adores.
- You’re not engaged enough – or, gasp, too engaged. We are our child’s first playmate, yes, but we also need to give them space to learn and grow. Our experts suggest giving your child a few minutes to tinker with a toy on their own on a few different occasions before jumping in to assist – they will learn a ton! Also, keep up the conversation and encourage your little one to explain their thought process without correcting them.
- Your child just isn’t interested right now. We sometimes forget that kids are just little humans who have their own likes, dislikes and preferences, so it makes perfect sense that our mini ME’s are the same in this manner! Keep introducing different toys every few weeks to see which kinds pique their interest – trust us, they will love to play even if it’s not with the toys you had expected.
- Every child is different and it’s no surprise that when it comes to playtime, our little ones like to keep us on our toes. But, there’s a reason why there are so many toys on the market – kids inherently love to play!
Don’t lose hope with playtime. Instead, consider these factors when you shop for toys and take a shot at renting toys for a few months if you want to get a better idea of what your child will go gaga over!