Tap Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 DD5 doesn't really play with toys, never has. She has Aspergers and is more of an outdoors, physical activity type person. We live in the PNW where it is bleak outside 4 months of they year. I have tried and tried to find indoor toys that she will like, but honestly she rarely plays with anything. Maybe an hour a month per style of toy...maybe. For example...she has a nice wooden kitchen, a bunch of food, appliances, a shopping cart, tea set, and kitchen table. She will maybe spend 1 hour, playing with any one part of it. That is it. The rest just sits there unused. The dress up box is the same way. Her wooden dollhouse (natural wood style) is in the attic due to lack of play. Wooden unit blocks sit in a box. Wooden train set has gone back to the attic (it was ds17s when he was little) Dolls and all the accessories are in the attic. Cars/trucks etc all the same. She watches TV, or runs around the house. She will play with a cardboard box. She will help me clean. I am pretty sick of it all taking up room, I am thinking of ditching it all. The one part of me that is reluctant, is that since she will play a smidge....I hate to get rid of the few things she does play with. Has anyone got rid of everything, and not regretted it later? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenangelcat Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 At the moment about 95% of the toys are put away where the kids can't get them. Not only do they not play with them, but they dump them out and then leave them all over the place. Every now and then I take some out for novelty but they end up back away in a couple of days. When the baby is older, if he doesn't play with them, they off they go. In your case, I would donate them and not regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 If you're not going to have more kids that could use them, or just want them out of the house, I'd try to get some money for them. Then I'd buy a few games and puzzles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuzu822 Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I'm contemplating this. My oldest is five and sounds like your DD. He plays the piano, reads, fiddles around with blocks and couch cushions, and plays outside. My middle son would play more, I think, but under the influence of his brother most days, he doesn't play a lot either with "real" toys. The 1 yo is too young to say, but I really doubt any of them would miss most of it. I'm thinking of keeping just the trucks, blocks, and trains. I haven't quite worked up the courage yet, honestly, to sell the rest... so it sits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran5 Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I got rid of all but what I have actually seen them play with in the last 2 months. We filled up bags of broken toys and threw them out. We took all the good ones to goodwill. If you have a lot of stuffed animals and you are a smoke free home, I would check with your local police and fire station. They like to give distressed children something to hold when they respond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I am working on getting rid of things! The kids scream to keep them but then they NEVER touch them! Now, legos are a different breed than regular toys. They are sacred and we don't get rid of those......EVER! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enough Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 This will sound like a stupid question, but: Does she know HOW to play with these toys? IME, many kids on the spectrum- especially if they have processing/motor planning issues- don't play with toys not because they don't WANT to, but because they don't know HOW to. Sometimes they just need to be taught how to use the toy, and will play with it. In the same vein- it sounds like a lot of the toys you have available are open-ended/imagination-based, and IME these toys can be tough for spectrum kids to "get," even if you teach them how. She may just need some highly structured/specific toys to play with, things that have scripts or instructions. And last but not least, maybe you SHOULD give away all the toys and encourage the active play indoors! Maybe she'd do better with a mini-trampoline, hop ball, chin-up bar/rings, hopscotch mat, balance beam (or tape on the rug/floor), bean bag throw, hammering golf tees into styrofoam, indoor golf set, velcro darts, basketball hoop etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 30, 2011 Author Share Posted November 30, 2011 (edited) This will sound like a stupid question, but: Does she know HOW to play with these toys? IME, many kids on the spectrum- especially if they have processing/motor planning issues- don't play with toys not because they don't WANT to, but because they don't know HOW to. Sometimes they just need to be taught how to use the toy, and will play with it. In the same vein- it sounds like a lot of the toys you have available are open-ended/imagination-based, and IME these toys can be tough for spectrum kids to "get," even if you teach them how. She may just need some highly structured/specific toys to play with, things that have scripts or instructions. And last but not least, maybe you SHOULD give away all the toys and encourage the active play indoors! Maybe she'd do better with a mini-trampoline, hop ball, chin-up bar/rings, hopscotch mat, balance beam (or tape on the rug/floor), bean bag throw, hammering golf tees into Styrofoam, indoor golf set, Velcro darts, basketball hoop etc. DD5 is on the spectrum but is cognitively advanced. Good thoughts. Yep, she knows how to play with them. That is why they are basic toys with low frustration points. Today she has a 3yo friend over. I moved all of the play food into the living room from the playroom (so I can watch the little girl easier). DD5 has led the play. They had a birthday party for the 3yo's doll that she brought with her. They have made pizza, baked a cake, made cookies, had icecream, and chopped/served veggies. But again, even with having a friend to play with...it lasted 30 minutes tops and most of that was her running around to get various things to add to the play. Paper plates, blanket for picnic, stroller for baby etc. I would be generous to say she actually touched the toys for 5 minutes total. The 3yo was mesmerized and played for a long time with them. We use the wooden unit blocks for building towers but also for making flat cities for plastic animals. She gets frustrated with the wooden Brio track if it gets very big, so I keep out a limited number of simple pieces but lots of trains (we have a huge amount in the attic from ds17). She can definitely play, she just chooses not to. We have lots of physical toys too. Most are put away today because the 3yo has stitches in her mouth and we don't want to risk her falling again. She is her to keep her out of daycare today. Edited November 30, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 At the moment about 95% of the toys are put away where the kids can't get them. Not only do they not play with them, but they dump them out and then leave them all over the place. Every now and then I take some out for novelty but they end up back away in a couple of days. When the baby is older, if he doesn't play with them, they off they go. In your case, I would donate them and not regret it. :iagree::iagree::iagree: About 75% of my kids' toys are in the basement right now for the same reason. I've been getting rid of stuff when they're not looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadianmumof5 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 :iagree::iagree::iagree: About 75% of my kids' toys are in the basement right now for the same reason. I've been getting rid of stuff when they're not looking. Sounds like a mission for DH & I once the kids are in bed.......c'mon honey, grab a beer - we're going in :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Just put them in the attic for now. If in two months they haven't been asked for, gift them to a family or sell them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missiemick Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 We had a huge play room with every toy possible. Then we down sized to a small apartment and got rid of everything but a small tub. My kids don't even play with the toys in the tub! They have much more fun playing with blankets and taking the cushions off the couch. I'd say, "Go for it!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Yes. My 7yo ds has Legos and craft supplies for indoor play. That's it. That's all he will actually play with. He likes computer games, board games, and books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I have gotten rid of most toys in the house. My kids were basically the same way, they prefer making forts or doing outside activities. But we also don't include legos in that. Must be a theme. :D We have a huge tub of legos and they don't play with them all the time, but at least once a week will make something. So for inside toys we have legos, board games, and a few tek decks. The outside shed holds nerf guns, balls of every type, skateboards, pogosticks and bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munchkins_mama Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 (edited) At the moment about 95% of the toys are put away where the kids can't get them. Not only do they not play with them, but they dump them out and then leave them all over the place. Every now and then I take some out for novelty but they end up back away in a couple of days. When the baby is older, if he doesn't play with them, they off they go. In your case, I would donate them and not regret it. Same here. I got rid of 90 percent of the kids toys. Gave them to Goodwill. The kids didn't even notice. :001_huh: That told me right there that I did the right thing. They are the kind of kids who play with the box the toy came in more than the toy. Right now the little two are in their room, making up some elaborate story all centered around the one plastic giraffe they have. :) Edited December 1, 2011 by Munchkins_mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Funny, I was thinking of posting a message to see if anyone else has children who never play with their toys! DS 6 hardly ever plays with ANY of his toys! His room looks like a very neat toy museum! Recently we did a BIG purge and now I see him using a few more things (but not much.) Before he said he didn't play because he couldn't see what he wanted. He is either outside playing cricket with the neighborhood boys or he gets one or two toys (small cars or characters) and plays some imaginative game. No toys for Christmas this year for him...except Beyblades! We will get books, sports equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I once followed through with packing up everything that wasn't put away properly. That amounted to almost all toys owned. The kids came in (they were at Grandma's while I cleaned.) and exclaimed over how wonderful it looked. They were sincerely happy with the change. They never asked for the toys. never missed them at all.:glare: I was a little put out, but it did solve that problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 This weekend I am planning to go in and purge all but the Legos since that is all they play with anyway. The rest of it they just dump on the floor. I'm going to stick it all in the garage and wait to see if they ask for any of it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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