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I had two rules when I was home with my son: no phone/computer use unless he's napping and no TV on for background noise. Makes for a very boring day, lol, so we played a lot. At around 18 months, he began to play with toys, like he'd move the little animals around the farm, open and shut the door, load and unload the shopping cart with food, etc.

Since he was still on two naps, our two major play times were after morning nap/before lunch and after the afternoon nap.

I have the same rules of looch. My LO is only 3 months, so I feel like almost the entire time he's awake I am engaging him. After we've exhausted our normal activities (baby gym, activity center, reading, tummy time) I'll put him in the baby carrier and do some chores, or put him in the bouncer and do chores while talking or singing to him. I have been trying to have an outing everyday (something just as simple as a walk or grocery store run), to keep things interesting and get some things done.

Our morning is usually getting ready for the day, playing, nap. After his nap I usually try to go somewhere. When we come home he usually naps. Then he'll wake-I usually do some chores while wearing him (maybe 30 minutes?) and then I"m back to playing. When Dad comes home then it's more hanging out with the LO casually. We cook dinner/chat while our LO is sitting with us. Then he may take a little catnap and then he wakes and Dad usually plays with him for a little bit, and then we start bedtime routine.

It depends on how much sleep I got the night before!

After breakfast I usually try to do an activity with her- yesterday we did a sensory thing, today she "helped" me fold laundry (this can be a game/form of play), and then I have her do solo play time. I think this is important, so we try to encourage it.
I never have the tv on, and I limit my ipad use to during her solo play time. I'm trying to read instead to model better behaviors but...meh.
I probably do 15-20 minutes on, then go do something myself (a chore, read, whatever). I try to engage her in what i need to do.

I'm sure you are doing plenty. Try not to beat yourself up, there is plenty of mom guilt in the world. I think it's been slowly getting easier to play as she gets older, so I'm optimistic that when she can walk this summer we will really be able to do a lot of outdoor play.

Ummmm probably an hour and a half, collectively? We have about an hour of independent play in the morning, and probably 30 minutes together, then get ready and leave the house, then after nap until bedtime another house spread out. He thrives on exploring the house etc. Some days he wants me to play more, which is fine and I do! I tend to read to him while he wanders around me.

I really subscribe to the benefits of free play and independence. Yesterday morning I looked over from the dishes and he had stacked SIX dog food cans on top of one another in a vertical tower as tall as he is. He looked SO proud. Made me so happy, and I'm glad I always ignore my Mom when she tells me to quit letting him play with whatever he wants

I'm a third child and my Mom frequently tells me she sat me in my playpen with books and toys and did her own thing all day. Maybe that's where I got my creativity from

A lot! After 18m became more fun. I too get distracted sometimes and we change what we are doing a lot. He is content to play trains or cars half the day though! 22 months.

It's so easy to get distracted. I made it a rule to not have the TV on, especially in the mornings. It's such an easy tool to use to be able to get things done, but I find that they start having tantrums the next time I won't let them watch it. It's really a no-win situation for me so no TV in the mornings! My oldest had no interest in watching TV until he was 3 and we had the TV on a lot; but with my youngest he got into it pretty early which is why I made the no TV in the mornings rule. It encourages him to do more imaginative play and focus on activities that I start with him which isn't all the time, but I try. I could be better at doing activities with him, but like some of you, he'll just run off or want to do other things...then on the laptop/phone/iPad I go. It's terrible!

We do probably an hour throughout the day. My LO isn't all that into playing as it is right now - she prefers exploring anything and everything that isn't meant for her.

I am posting for DH who is a SAHD - he doesn't have a schedule/structure to his day (except for naptimes) but he says "seems like all day". So I voted >120 min. DSs are 4 mos and 2 yrs.

All day? LO is 9 mos and teething (crabby) but she has always been easily bored.

I play with her off and on throughout the day (she's 2) when we are at home.

Usually we will start by reading a few books. Then she might want to play with her puzzles for like 10-15 mins. Then I'll do some chores like laundry or dishes, and she will "help". She might wander off and play on her own for a bit, and come find me when she wants me to play with her again.

I do want to get housework and chores done so I try to involve her in them and turn them into more of a fun game (ex: can you find the red sock, sorting laundry by color, sweeping or mopping) - she loves to help. I think the 12-18 month stage was kind of awkward for us - old enough when they need to be entertained more but not really old enough for arts/crafts and their attention spans are much shorter. It got much easier to play with her once she was around 20 months or so

DD is 2 this month and we spend hours actively playing. We have classes, play dates, and we go to park for about 2 hours everyday where I play with her. The rest of the time she plays independently or alongside me while I do chores/get ready.

Yeah, I don't especially enjoy sitting around playing either, and I also don't believe in teaching my daughter that my job is to amuse and entertain her. So we hang out in the mornings, we play together, she plays while I read or clean, etc. Then, most days, we leave the house and go out in the world. To see friends, to go to a park or a museum, just to have lunch, whatever.

I don't know the exact amount of time because it's it bits throughout the day. Like @blackbird: my girl is fiercely independent, so while I often get down on the floor to play with her, she only takes me up on the offer a fraction of the time. So then I just talk about what she's doing. When she does want to engage with me we read books, do puzzles, play with blocks etc., but she's incredibly good at playing on her own as well and I'm cool with that.

Honestly, since she's still young (11 mos) playing with her can be a little tedious, so I try to get out of the house with her as much as possible: we go to the park, go for walks, go to our music class and swimming lessons, run errands (I wear her and talk to her the whole time), go on play dates or to play groups etc.

@blackbird: C is the same way. She is basically like - um, I'm playing with that...can you give it back so I can keep doing what I want with it.
As long as I'm sitting on the ground with her, talking with her and narrating, she is totally fine. We go out a lot -- gymboree, library group, the park, walks with the dog, so I do worry about how little I'm playing with her but I guess those are good substitutes.

My LO is 10 months old and while I am with him all day, I don't "play" with him much! He plays very well on his own as long as I'm there with him! I talk to him, encourage him, comment on what he's doing but I dont spend much time playing with the things he plays with. I find he gets whiny when we try to play together, and he does better if I just let him loose but stay engaged. Right now he spends a lot of time crawling and exploring the house and going from toy to toy. While I do chores he "helps" me and gets into everything. He's quite independent and I'm proud of him for it!

LO is 5 months & try to play actively with her for a short period after each feeding since we do EASY, except her bedtime feeding. So 4 times a day, we play for an average of 10 minutes. It's usually me holding her in my lap with toys or books or just singing to her & making her laugh, or practicing skills like rolling over & sitting. The rest of the time she plays on her own in her Bumbo or jumperoo while I get things done but I am constantly talking to her & interacting with her.