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OT: At what age do kids stop "playing?"
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I actually did a Google search on this, but then I realized that I didn’t want to know when most of the world quits playing with toys…I needed information from a better source. 🙂
I’m watching my kiddos grow up and got to thinking about when they’ll start to move away from the Legos, dolls, dollhouses, blocks….you get the idea. I love the fact that they’ve been “young” longer than most, but I wondered at what point I might see them move on. (They’re 12 and 10. And our 2-year-old helps keep them young, for at least a little bit every day. 😉 )
Just curious about how/when that transition occurred, for all of you that have been there before. Thanks for any input.
For my oldest DS – right around age 11. Well, I say that, but he’s obsessed with Rubik’s Cubes. That’s his new “toy”.
My 10YO DS didn’t really ever play with toys. Really. I know that sounds strange, but his toys were trees and bugs and other creepy crawlies. The only thing I bought that even resembled a toy was a kids’ camera for him to take pictures of his nature finds.
My girls are 7 and 6 so they’re not even close yet.
My kids are still young enough, I can’t say. I do know that there was a big transition around 11 or 12 for my brother (who is many years my junior!). He’s 14 now, still enjoys Lego, but more for the challenge of building it, not for “playing” with it. I found around 11 is when he really came out of the “play” stage – swing sets, playing with Lego, action figures, trading cards etc…
My three oldest are 10 (dd), 11 (ds) and 13 (dd). My son still plays with legos mostly everyday and once in awhile he still pulls out his matchbox cars but he is starting to listen to music since DH gave him an old ipod. My 10 yr old plays with dolls a bit and some fairy collection she has but she is starting to let go of that. My 13 yr old was around 11. Now all she does with all her free time is draw or sleep.
I think it depends on the kid. My now 18 and 19 year olds (both boys) moved out of it around 12 but it was gradual. They would go without playing with toys for awhile and then play again. This went on for probably a year.
My now 14 year old moved out of toys when he was 10-11 but he was never much of a toy kid. He did do legos but otherwise always liked nature stuff and survival/camping/fishing stuff.
My now 13 year old, on the other hand, still plays with toys all the time and shows no indication of stopping anytime soon. He enjoys playing with his younger siblings. He does do “older” kids stuff – Rubics cubes, older kid books, etc – but still enjoys the younger too.
Enjoy it while it lasts!
My dd 11 is gradually coming out of it. No more barbies, but she will play with 6 year old sister, my little ponies or AG dolls, on occasion. She spends more time reading and playing fiddle right now. She will play outside with the other two. They watch old shows like Bonanza, the Virginian, and The Big Valley. She still acts those out.
It definitely makes it hard buying gifts for her now! Kind of a sad time 🙁
My oldest daughter is 11yo, and I notice her playing less and less. She still enjoys board games/card games, but playing “house” or “babies” is down to about once a month, I think. I think she spends most of her free time reading or working with her chickens or outside helping her dad on our farm.
Oh, and about my non-toy-playing 10YO: He has always loved board games. Ever since he was 5 and could understand board games he’s loved them. Not CandyLand or Chutes and Ladders – he much prefers math-oriented games, especially Monopoly.
When my oldest turned 11, I noticed that she was steering away from playing with the younger siblings. They do still play card games and some board games, but she used to be the director of pretend play. Now… not so much. 🙁 However, she does STILL love to play with dolls. And, she will gladly read aloud to our youngest, who is 9 years younger than she. But her favorite thing to do is sit in a corner with a good book. 😉
They don’t really have to stop. My kids are 13, 14, and 17 and they still use the toys–just in different ways. They have a married 22 yr old brother too and they all play when they’re together. You know, they use the baby dolls to kidnap or some other ridiculous thing. Their imaginations go on forever. Legos are out all of the time. They have an elaborate Thomas the train track set up right now. They used blocks and all kinds of other toys to prop it up and make crazy spiraling turns etc. Pretending is the most fun for them. I hope they never stop.
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