https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 06:04:38 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601645 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 09:06:06 +0000 nana87 2601645@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>lo doesn't play independently that much, but some activities that she does stay really focused on by herself include: watertable with soapy water, plastic toys, and paintbrushes--she likes to "clean" her toys with the brushes. also magnets/magnet board--we have little animals and letters, and she ends up singing the abcs to herself. she also likes to fill up her shopping cart or a laundry basket with toys (mostly play food or doll accesories but really everything/anything) and then move it around our apt/dump it out somewhere else. VERY messy, but keeps her busy, lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601567 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 07:13:15 +0000 SweetiePie 2601567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh, also, I saw this a month or so back and bookmarked it. I'd like to try some of them as he gets a little older! But some are good for now I just haven't gotten to it. I think in the winter when we are outside less I'll be doing more crafts. </p> <p><a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/popsugarmoms/the-best-toddler-crafts-for-little-hands-arr7?utm_term=.urrAJne9j#.qeQb8eqaO" rel="nofollow">https://www.buzzfeed.com/popsugarmoms/the-best-toddler-crafts-for-little-hands-arr7?utm_term=.urrAJne9j#.qeQb8eqaO</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601564 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 07:08:25 +0000 SweetiePie 2601564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: Mine is a lot younger (23 months) but playdoh is definitely a huge help with independent play. He will sit there for a good 30-40 mins with playdoh (which is pretty long for him). I give him one color at a time (since he'll still not understand mixing and making a mess of it) and I got a bunch of Melissa and Doug tools for playdoh. I do have to come over occasionally to ball it back together or he'll ask for a bunch of small balls. But that takes less than a minute and then he goes back to playing with them himself. </p> <p>What about water color paints? They aren't terribly messy. Or even those books with different colored dots and you just paint with water? (Like the paint is built into the page). </p> <p>I also give my son construction paper and a glue stick and a few items to paste to the page. Like pompoms, tissue paper and felt circles. Maybe it's because he's young but he doesn't care that it's not a specific thing, he just likes gluing stuff.</p> <p>Also, if you have a house with a deck or porch, my sister gets different sized paint brushes (art project and even home project ones) and water. And they "paint" on the deck or concrete in front. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601555 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 06:49:56 +0000 looch 2601555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: I honestly thought my son would never do it, but it happened! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601217 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 14:28:38 +0000 PinkElephant 2601217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: Do you allow any screen time? If so, I wonder if a set of character figures from a show/movie she likes might spark her interest imaginative play...in the sense that if she's seen an episode of Daniel Tiger, it might giver her an idea of what her Daniel Tiger figures are supposed to do/how they can "interact" with each other.</p> <p>I'm not usually a fan of this type of stuff (character things), but I can see how it works. FWIW, my four year old is now an AWESOME pretender of all things, and often has her two year old sister playing that they're going to the Olympics, or on an Airplane, or cooking lunch for all their dolls before the dolls have ballet class....but it took awhile to get there. Some of it may just be age. She still doesn't have the skill to do too much building on her own, though she loves doing it with me or DH. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601150 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 12:46:23 +0000 My Only Sunshine 2601150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: Much to my dismay, my daughter will play with those dang Sofia characters for like an hour but only play with the special montessori/STEM activities I think are so great for like 15 minutes. Argh!</p> <p>Other things she'll do by herself as long as I'm nearby are watercolor painting and those Invisible Ink books like this: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bendon-Disney-Princess-Imagine-Book/dp/B00A1AJWYO" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Bendon-Disney-Princess-Imagine-Book/dp/B00A1AJWYO</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601093 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 11:14:31 +0000 JerricaBenton 2601093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Dollhouses (we have calico critters), Legos and beads/jewelry making type keep looking busy for an hour at a time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601068 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:40:40 +0000 catlady 2601068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@caterw: Ahh those are so cute!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601067 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:38:08 +0000 caterw 2601067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I forgot DD also really likes her Calico Critters dollhouse (dollhouse with various little animal families). I took away all of the extremely small pieces, but she is perfectly content to play with the clothes and furniture for up to half an hour at a time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601065 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:35:21 +0000 catlady 2601065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@caterw: These are great craft ideas. Thanks, will try them!</p> <p>@looch: @Foodnerd81: Thanks for chiming in. Glad to know it's a bit of a process. Good idea to set up a "station".</p> <p>@My Only Sunshine: Good ideas! I don't think she has enough of these types of toys. I need to get my brain out of STEM mode every so often and buy her a doll like a normal mom. Lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601062 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:30:20 +0000 My Only Sunshine 2601062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: My daughter loves imaginative play too and is 35 months. Little People toys have been a big hit for her to play with on her own. The farm, school, and school bus are her favorites. She also has a Minnie Mouse dollhouse she'll play with for a long time. I got her a set of Sofia the First characters that are about the same size as Little People characters and she plays with those for a long time too. She's very into pretending. I like to listen to her from the kitchen "Okay Minnie now it's time for school. Don't worry, you will like it. Your friend Sofia is there too!"</p> <p>Her play kitchen is also a big hit of semi-independent play. I'll ask her to make me a snack and she'll be gone for a few minutes and emerge with a plate of play food. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601059 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:14:11 +0000 Foodnerd81 2601059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>C (3yrs) is slowly getting better with this. Most often she will play pretty independently but come over to me as part of the pretend play- like she is playing with something and talking away, then she comes over and offers me some "cake" or something. We play together for a minute (while I eat my cake) then I ask her to make me something else, often she will go and play by herself again at that point. In general she plays with her babies by herself pretty well. Crafts are hit or miss- there is a lot of requesting that I do things. Play doh is a good one- I make her sit on a stool at the island so she doesn't make a mess everywhere. And she just got a leapfrog "laptop" for her birthday that keeps her occupied. It seems like 3 has been a turning point with playing better alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601053 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:07:14 +0000 looch 2601053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It took a long time for my son to play independently, one thing I did was to set up things for him in the same room where I was, but not to engage him in play. Now, almost 3 years later, he's content to play alone in the playroom.</p> <p>Art supplies are in the kitchen, he can play with those at any time and he typically chooses them when I am in the kitchen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601052 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:05:07 +0000 caterw 2601052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: DD loves playdough! I gave her a bunch of old cookie cutters and a rolling pin so she can "make cookies". She is also a huge fan of glue sticks with pieces of ripped up construction or tissue paper and stickers- I let her do this solo because she knows that she has to sit on her washable mat in the kitchen and stay on it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601038 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:51:08 +0000 catlady 2601038@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@caterw: What type of crafts does your LO like to do? A big reason we don't break them out more often is that my LO lasts approximately 10 seconds with art stuff (crayons, markers, chalk). She only likes them if I sit with her and she tells me what to draw. She really doesn't like to draw herself.</p> <p>Maybe I should try something else? Play-doh? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601035 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:45:51 +0000 caterw 2601035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with @avivoca: My DD is almost 3 as well and she will do crafts for a really long period of time, but if I just stick her in her room with a toy she gets bored faster. I also recently set up a dress up basket with old costumes of mine, a couple princess dresses, and some random old hats along with DH's lightsabers and Nerf sword which is a HUGE hit... granted, it makes a pretty large mess but it's worth it for how much she loves it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601025 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:17:31 +0000 catlady 2601025@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: Good idea, I need to break out the craft stuff more often. (DH and I both have a tendency to always pull out building toys.) We already try to do a toy rotation but I think we could do it more frequently. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601019 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:12:02 +0000 avivoca 2601019@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've been encouraging this with our social girl too. It's a slow process. We do things like coloring, art projects, and chalk (things she can do herself). I'm working with her on letting her play in the living room while I'm occupied in the kitchen. Sometimes she'll join me, sometimes she plays quietly on the couch with her babies.</p> <p>You could try putting some of her toys away and then switching them out in about a month so they are fresh and new. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/encouraging-independent-play-in-almost-3-year-old#post-2601014 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:09:00 +0000 catlady 2601014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd love some tips on how to encourage more independent play for my 34 month old. I don't know if it is because she is very social (she is a little chatterbox) but she has a hard time playing on her own. Every so often, we find a new toy or puzzle that we keep her focused and occupied for 10-15 min at a time, but she will quickly master it and get bored. Right now, she loves imaginative play and building toys, and I can see why both of these types of play would be more fun with someone else. But with LO2 on the way, I'd like her to get better at entertaining herself for short periods. </p> <p>I have mentioned to DH that it seems she is very needy and his reply is basically "all kids are like this, and some are worse." But I feel like she shouldn't need us entertaining her 100% of the time. Any tips?</p> <p>I do wonder if she is just bored of her toys (we haven't gotten her any new ones in ages) but she has so many already that I don't want to clutter the house any more.</p> <p>I have read some of Janet Lansbury's blog posts but I feel like I already try to do most of her suggestions. </p>