https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 20:37:41 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913599 Wed, 08 Apr 2020 14:44:05 +0000 JJ2626 2913599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all!! We’re going to try a lot of what you suggested but also have patience and be thankful for tiny breaks we get. Luckily, she’s super happy so has been easy enough during this crazy time, but it would of course be nice to get a break. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913377 Sat, 04 Apr 2020 13:12:35 +0000 Littlebit7 2913377@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My older one would play alone for a LONG time as soon as she could sit up. My younger one...nope, he's a leech and wants to be attached to someone...either me, my husband, the cats, or his oder sister. He knows how to play by himself (he's 2) but doesn't want to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913370 Sat, 04 Apr 2020 09:52:21 +0000 snarkybiochemist 2913370@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JJ2626: surprisingly (or not) E's best independent play comes with really open ended toys like blocks or magnatiles or even pompoms and bowls or Tupperware. She has been moving pompoms around the house with tongs and giant tweezers for a good amount of time this morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913360 Sat, 04 Apr 2020 09:33:57 +0000 MrsSRS 2913360@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Art Mom: It may not sound great to you, but as someone in early childhood education it sounds wonderful to me. Independent play is the most important learning our children can do and you're giving your kids a really big gift by insisting on it. You're creating time for them to practice boredom, practice independence, develop their ingenuity, and be creative. What a gift. It's good parenting.</p> <p>Not going to tag everyone, but PPs are correct that 10 minutes is a long time for a two year old, that it takes time to teach, and that birth order and personality matter. Although I would argue that birth order only matters because you unintentionally teach it to the second and third kids because you literally just cannot be with them all the time 😆 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913355 Sat, 04 Apr 2020 09:03:34 +0000 Art Mom 2913355@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it’s personality mix with a few other things. Mine know how to play alone but my 2 year old is more clingy and wants my attention more. But If I want a break (normally when I’m cleaning or whatever.) I just say “mommy is busy right now. Go play.” I know it doesn’t sound great but with 3 kids 3 and under its kinda hard to be with all 3 at once. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913350 Sat, 04 Apr 2020 07:42:48 +0000 wrkbrk 2913350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son did a LITTLE bit at that age. Like in ten minutes blocks a few times a day. Now (4) he will for 30 minutes at a time but he definitely still prefers that we interact with him all day - impossible when we’re working from home like everyone else!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913349 Sat, 04 Apr 2020 07:09:42 +0000 ChitownRo 2913349@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Agreed it’s a birth order thing. My third child started playing independently as a baby. Is 20 months and can play alone for an hour Ish </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913343 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 22:28:38 +0000 bees_knees 2913343@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs.kiwi: seconding the Janet Lansbury rec! My kids have all been great at independent play, even at younger than 2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913342 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 22:23:05 +0000 mrs.kiwi 2913342@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of my only parenting boasts is that all my kids played/play amazingly by themselves. I have to say I trained them starting from infancy so I would not expect a 2yo to magically be able to play by herself for stretches, but certainly she can be trained.</p> <p>Mrssrs has great suggestions!</p> <p>Janet Lansbury used to be suggested a lot on hellobee but I haven’t heard anyone mention her in awhile. You can google her - she has tons of articles/podcasts/etc on teaching your child this skill.</p> <p>Also make sure to give her lots of attention/snuggles during reading/feeding time (bedtime, bath time, whenever you *need* to be there for her)... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913337 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 19:51:52 +0000 MrsSRS 2913337@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Theworkspaceforchildren.com or follow her on insta. She teaches a class on this. </p> <p>You can teach her to do solo play. I do it as a preschool two year old teacher and as a parent. Set her with an activity she likes and a short timer (like three minutes to start) and tell her you are going to do the dishes and won't be available until the timer goes off. Then build on that. But seriously go check out the workspace for children because she walks you through it.</p> <p>Independent play is totally worth teaching any age!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913336 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 19:38:15 +0000 Mommy Finger 2913336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it's a first child thing. :) DS1 is the worst at solo play but DS2 is great at it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913335 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 19:26:38 +0000 ALV91711 2913335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 is 7 and has never been super good at playing on his own. Even now he’d rather play on the main floor where we are than in his room or playroom. DS2 is 19 months and will play by himself in short bursts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913333 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 19:18:05 +0000 Kemma 2913333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>To be honest, she’s probably just enjoying having you home and being able to play with you. But at the same time, don’t feel like you need to constantly entertain your toddler because boredom is a great motivator for imagination! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913331 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 19:12:00 +0000 annem1990 2913331@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 2.5 yo hardly ever plays by himself. At his 2.5 year appointment our pediatrician asked if he played by himself yet. I said not really and she said “That may be coming soon!” She said solo play comes for many in the later half of 2. So it sounds totally normal to me! I’m very much looking forward to the day where I can cook in the kitchen without him right by my side “helping.” 😜 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913329 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 19:08:04 +0000 Madison43 2913329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: was coming here to say just this. My 6.5 yo still cannot play alone but my 4.5 yo does and pretty much has always been content to do so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913328 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:31:23 +0000 erinbaderin 2913328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>B is 6 and he still won’t play alone. W is 4 and he will - I think it’s, to some extent, kid-dependent. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913324 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:20:03 +0000 JJ2626 2913324@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snarkybiochemist: @KNS: @graceandjoy: Thanks all! That makes me feel less bad. But maybe I’ll try magnatiles. We keep buying things to entertain her but nothing really works. And she’s getting spoiled and asks for new toy everyday now! Haha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913318 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:23:52 +0000 graceandjoy 2913318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had my 2nd when my 1st was 2 and remember very little independent play; I would have loved it! I think it’s personality too... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913315 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:10:08 +0000 KNS 2913315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh - also - one of the best ways I found to encourage solo play was with blocks or magna tiles. Certain toys just seem to absorb them more and take less supervision from parents too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913314 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:09:19 +0000 KNS 2913314@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JJ2626: My oldest at 2 wouldn't really play alone but would do things bit by bit when I pushed her. My 2.5 year old and 5.5 year old will play independently together for 45 min to 1 hr streaks now and it is glorious.</p> <p>So my answer is both I think probably being older will help and also that ignoring her a bit won't hurt and will encourage her to figure out how to play on her own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913313 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:05:20 +0000 snarkybiochemist 2913313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>E at 2.5 can some times play or color all by herself but other times she at least wants me sitting on the ground next to her as she plays even if I'm not actively playing and still other times she needs or wants me to actively play. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-a-2-year-old-be-able-to-play-alone#post-2913312 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:01:17 +0000 JJ2626 2913312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 2 year old daughter will not play alone and I don’t know if I should even expect her to! Before COVID, she was with a nanny all day during the week and they went out to the playground, music class, kids museum etc. I’m sure while at home, our nanny didn’t really make DD play alone. And on weekends, DH and I didn’t really either, since we wanted to play with her since we didn’t see her that much. </p> <p>But now that we are home all the time, I wish she would play alone for a bit, but she won’t! What’s reasonable to expect? She will play with her toy kitchen or in the sandbox but wants me to play too. She is not a clingy kid at all so I’m kind of surprised. Do I just need to wait until she’s a bit older or do I ignore her and hope she doesn’t whine/freak out? </p>