Is it normal to play by yourself at the playground for an hour?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone for your posts. I feel a bit better now, though perhaps I’ll talk to the teacher and ask DD if she wants a playdate. We have been careful with having new people in our home but maybe it’s time to relax that.

You can also do a playdate outside at a park! Definitely check in with the teacher and I bet you will be reassured to kind out she plays just fine with other kids the rest of the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In pre-school, you should expect parallel play. So they don't play with each other but they play next to each other. I would not worry about this.

+1 very normal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long has she been attending there. She might play with them more indoors and enjoy some space to herself outdoors. Some don't like the chaos of running about and noise level outside. Playing alone may be here way of transitioning in for the day.

This would have described DD at this age. She played fine with other children but also did not like loud groups and would run off to be on her own at a playground or other crowded place. I learned to keep a close eye on her vs. the more relaxed monitoring of my DS who I knew would always stay with the crowd!

FWIW, she's a teen now and still enjoys a lot of alone time but has very strong friendships too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long has she been attending there. She might play with them more indoors and enjoy some space to herself outdoors. Some don't like the chaos of running about and noise level outside. Playing alone may be here way of transitioning in for the day.

2 months. And she’s 4. Yes it’s quite possible she likes to transition in. Even with her friends outside preschool, she takes a few minutes to fully immerse herself. We don’t push her on that. But it’s usually 15-20 min outside preschool, not a full hour!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How long has she been attending there. She might play with them more indoors and enjoy some space to herself outdoors. Some don't like the chaos of running about and noise level outside. Playing alone may be here way of transitioning in for the day.

This would have described DD at this age. She played fine with other children but also did not like loud groups and would run off to be on her own at a playground or other crowded place. I learned to keep a close eye on her vs. the more relaxed monitoring of my DS who I knew would always stay with the crowd!

FWIW, she's a teen now and still enjoys a lot of alone time but has very strong friendships too.

Thank you. That’s great to hear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was an only child and usually played by myself, OP. I had a very active imagination and remember acting out lots of stories from my imaginary worlds. I'm sure she's not feeling sad at all!

This was exactly me, too.

OP, I would talk with the teachers and see if they have any concerns. If she is playing with other kids later and interacting, no worries. Maybe she likes to warm up slowly and spend some time getting settled in the morning.

[Anonymous]

My 7 yo will still do this. She’s quite social & does play with other kids a lot, but she could easily pass an hour alone in her room, our yard, a park, etc. She is acting out imaginary scenarios. She sometimes eats lunch with other kids but told me that sometimes she just likes to be alone and “have my thoughts.”
This is actually an awesome skill/gift. My older one is much more dependent on others for entertainment. It’s an in-born personality thing.

[Anonymous]

You should play with her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should play with her.

At preschool??? Did you even read the op?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old? This is likely an age thing. When they're younger they mostly do side by side play versus playing with another person.

A lot of kids enjoy playing by themselves and there's nothing wrong with that.

Under 2 is side by side. Lots of 4 year olds play with other kids, but still don’t think this is concerning. I’m an only child and always played with other kids and had lots of friends. Now, I love my alone time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was an only child and usually played by myself, OP. I had a very active imagination and remember acting out lots of stories from my imaginary worlds. I'm sure she's not feeling sad at all!

Similar expirience here...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD goes to a preschool where the first hour is playground time. She mostly plays or swings by herself. I’ve occasionally sat in my car taking calls to see because I was concerned. Is this okay, should I let it go? Or should I encourage her to play with the other kids? Should I set up playdates?

Fwiw, when she gets together with kids she’s known for a while outside of preschool, she plays with them well. I’m sad to see her alone on the preschool playground though.

How old is she? My DD is 2 and I could have written this myself. She is hyper focused with whatever she’s playing especially sensory things- easily an hour+ water table and sandbox if I didn’t stop her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An hour of free play seems like a lot to me if there’s no structure whatsoever. Having said that, if your kid seems fine with it she’s probably ok. Ask the teacher if they can maybe see if a few kids want to play a game together or something.

An hour of free play sounds awesome to me. Let the kids burn off some energy before they are expected to sit still, plus free play is so critical for kids' development.

normally I would agree. But if I’m paying for preschool I would exist more than this.

What would you expect your child to be sitting down all day while the teacher teaches? That's definitely not developmentally appropriate for a child of preschool age and they probably do different learning activities inside. Studies show that being outside is actually really good for young children. Would you want them cooped up inside?

[Anonymous]

Maybe she knows you are watching her and wants you to MYOB.

Just kidding.


If her teachers don't have any concerns and she interacting with other kids at an age-appropriate level I'd let it be. She may just need time to warm up in the morning . When she's older she'll probably like a cup of coffee and a podcast before she gets going lol.

LEe her be who she is,, without leaping to pathology that needs to be corrected.