Action figures
Gumball grab
One of those drugstore slot machine toys
Bath finger paint

Anonymous wrote:Ages 3 and 5. Fifteen minutes would be great. Just looking for screen free activities. Also we have tons of Lego, crafts, the usual. Just trying to see if I’m missing something.

With my 3 yr old, we've found that the we see the best benefits when we take something they already like and augment it in some way. So for instance, DD loooooves her stuffed animals and dolls (mostly gifts from grandmothers), which she calls her babies. So we've given her things she can do with them, like a little stroller she can push them around in, little clothes to put on them and take off, etc. She also gets a lot of mileage out of the small table and chairs in her room (they are for her but she likes to set her babies at them too) and all her play kitchen stuff. So I would look at what they are already doing, and what seems to engage them the longest, and then find ways to extend that.

It's also useful to do a little reorganization of their toys every month or so, so that things that have been tucked away get displayed more prominently. My kid doesn't gravitate toward her building toys as much (we have Duplo, wooden blocks, and magnet tiles), but if we shift them around periodically, she is more likely to notice them and pull them out, and any toy that seems "new" to her will occupy her for longer.

I would also say that sometimes she just goes through phases where she doesn't want to play on her own at all. She was like that towards the end of 2020 and it got to the point where we were exhausted because she didn't even want to do screen time alone. But it phased out and now she's back to playing on her own for 15-30 minute stretches. Such relief when that comes back! I think she was just feeling a bit insecure for a bit and needed more attention/reassurance, but once she got it, she relaxed again and became more independent. Sometimes she'll even ask us to leave when we are playing with her so that she can do it alone. It's great.

Kinetic sand
Play dough
LEGO’s
Dollhouse


My 7 year old daughter is the queen of independent play! A lot is personality-driven. Good luck !

Dinosaurs! I bought a bunch on Amazon and my three year-old will play with them independently for 30 minutes to an hour. He loves the dinosaur encyclopedia too. I can’t recommend this one enough - best $25 I ever spent.

I also have him “write” letters and make special deliveries like a postal worker.

Sensory bins with dough and different textured objects to put in it.

Stuffed animals in bed to play fort or “party” or zoo.

Magnatiles, Bristle Blocks, Duplos. These are always a go-to. Again, he’ll play with these up to an hour, especially if I’m in the room doing something else.

Magnatiles/magformers
Duplo
Marble run (for the 5yo)

Magnatiles, wooden track trains - but honestly it is the kid’s personality. Both my husband and I are introverts and our kids both played alone for long periods of time from a young age. Our more outgoing friends are the ones who complain that their kids don’t like to do anything alone - and I want to point out “neither do you!”

Magformers

We got magnatiles for my now 5 year old when he was three. He would definitely play with them for 30-45 minutes at 3. Now he will play with them for well over an hour. He likes puzzles also.

We’ve gotten some time stretches out of water wows and playdoh

Anonymous wrote:girl or boy, and how old?

Gender shouldnt matter. If you have a toy recommend it ( not OP)

My now 8 yo loves magformers, we have 2 sets. Got them when she was 3 and she has loved them ever since.

Anonymous wrote:Ages 3 and 5. Fifteen minutes would be great. Just looking for screen free activities. Also we have tons of Lego, crafts, the usual. Just trying to see if I’m missing something.

Same ages and these are the things that I would have suggested. Legos and crafts.

Ages 3 and 5. Fifteen minutes would be great. Just looking for screen free activities. Also we have tons of Lego, crafts, the usual. Just trying to see if I’m missing something.

girl or boy, and how old?

What is your definition of long time? There's no magic toy that will increase your preschooler's attention span. If he/she can play independently for 15 minutes, you're doing well.

Anyone have a holy grail toy or activity that your preschooler will play with for long periods of time? Anyone have a magic go to toy? TIA!