Babies playing with Toys

Katarina - posted on 04/28/2010

Our health nurse suggested filling 3 buckets with safe household items and give them to my son when he needs a distraction or when I need a few minutes to get something done. This eliminated the need for my son to go through our cupboards all the time and cleaned up some clutter in them to!

Teresa - posted on 04/28/2010

it is just part of growing up, exploring and finding new stuff. this too shall pass, just try to be patient with him

Bobbie - posted on 04/28/2010

My daughter is pretty much the same way. I child-proofed the crap out of our home without buying all those cheap, ineffective plastic things to keep babies out. I rearranged our living room furniture to hide all the outlets and cords. I put her board books on the bottom shelves of our dvd cases. Her toys and books are really the only thing accessible to her in our living room. We put a toy organizer next to the couches. In the kitchen, she just got a fridge farm that sticks to the refrigerator. She used to throw all the magnets from the fridge, so now she does that with the magnetic farm animals. Yes, I still have to pick up tons of toys 10x a day, but she has a blast exploring everything in the house.

Jennie - posted on 04/27/2010

The Exploring Stuff won't stop anytime soon! it's a huge part of his learning/developemental stage. and just think, we have "The TWOs " to look forward too! :-)
safe exploring with boundaries is the key -- and is ok to confine him to one area, limit what he can explore into(try putting wood blocks or toy cars inside an oatmeal or cereal box without the lid closed for him to find) and to introduce him calmly to the work NO with distraction and relocation following shortly after.praise his positive behaviors and explain what you want out of him even if he seems to little to understand. he will learn the action/consequence logic quicker than you believe. and will also learn to get attention in a negative way if it works the most entertaining.

Amanda - posted on 04/27/2010

Thanks everyone..I knew he was exploring but I would of thought that he knew everything in my house by now..How long does this exploring stuff last? I've teached him how to pick his toys up he doesn't do a whole lot like he sees me throw something away now he does it & he also walks all over my house to.This exploring stuff lasts from the time he gets up in the morning till its bed time

Jennie - posted on 04/27/2010

I agree with a lot of what other moms have posted! Relax -- this too will pass all too quickly ! Baby gates and safety are a must, beyond that, sometimes less is better in the toy department, because as you have already found out , he is going to explore what he wants ! Allow him to be messy, noisy, and "into stuff" like pans, empty boxes, etc. Read him books and play music, you can use these as tools to help build a routine for when its rowdy make a mess time and when its quiet down time. Play pens are awesome -- even though he won't like being confined at first and shouldn't spend too much time in there, it can be a godsend to be able to confine him when you need to finish something, tidy up, or are going outside or to someone else's house! My son has toys that seem to be favorites, and then suddenly he completely loses interest in them for days. I will put his wood box of toys in the middle of the floor and let him choose, a long with a few nontoy items he can play with --- i rotate these too. Most of his books and toys stay in his room, a few come out at a time in the room with him that i am in or in the playroom. We also are already making a game out of cleanup time --no he doesn't help much yet!- this worked great with my older kids. maybe even put all his 'traditional 'toys away for awhile??? Also watch him for cues - are his toys to bright or too noisy or too similiar to one another? can he climb and push and try to walk with them?
all kids are different !! he will let you know what he likes ---if all else fails, give him a small pan of warm water and stand back, i don't know a kid out there that doesn't like splashing and spilling! Above all else, have fun and give yourself a break

Abby - posted on 04/26/2010

My house is relatively clean...ONLY because my dh and I pick up all the toys and misc stuff several times a day. And we certainly clean up before company arrives; your friends are no doubt doing the same thing. Babies love to get all their stuff out and have it all around them, only to do it all over again an hour later.

Jackson is extremely curious and active, the kid never sits still (he turned one on April 10th). I try to rotate his toys every month or two and, when I'm about to throw something away, I consider if it's safe enough and clean enough for him to play with for a little while. Whether it's the empty oatmeal or cream cheese container, just the lids, a random piece of cardboard or a box, whatever (note: soda pop lids are choking hazards, either glue them on or throw them away). And think outside the box, lots of things around the house are safe enough for them to explore for a while (a baseball cap, old school calculator, jewelry box) and odds are he'll like that stuff better anyway.

Also, don't forget to praise him when he's being a good boy and playing with the right things. Then he knows what to do right...and not just what he's doing wrong.

Good luck, Amanda!

Sarah - posted on 04/25/2010

I have the same issue. It is just because he is curious and those toys he already 'knows' he wants something new to explore. Just stay firm on what he absolutely cannot do and redirect him to his toys. It will take a while but eventually he will get it.

In the mean time you NEED to get a baby gate and have only things he CAN play with in it, rather than rely on him to differentiate between what he cannot and cannot have. That is what we have to do or my daughter would be trying to eat cat food and playing with the litter.... Just remember when you get frustrated that It is not his fault and he is not doing this to be naughty, he is just curious about the world around him.

Good luck!

Amanda - posted on 04/25/2010

My son isn't easy to please cause if he wants something he wants it nomatter if I show him something else just like the movies off the shelf He is so fascinated with my movies..My son also don't care for the play pen or also never cares for the walker neither the only time he's in the walker is if I feed him a snack thats it..Its because I hardly put him in there and he has a hard time moving forward he moves back wards and I think its because of the carpet and my whole house is carpet

Connie - posted on 04/24/2010

I find that my son will play with his toys if I show him that I am interested in his toys too. You have to get down on the floor and play with your baby, and show them how to play with their toys. If you are having fun with the toys, then your baby will too.

We use a baby gate to block off the living room. We put all my son's toys in a plastic bin. My son loves pulling all his toys out. The living room can be a disaster, but hey, there's a baby in the house! I'd be worried if there wasn't mess. Don't forget, babies learn through play, even if it's pulling out DVDs from the shelves, it's a learning moment for them.

Kristen - posted on 04/24/2010

We have safety locks on all our drawers and lower cupboards except the tupperware drawer. Also, when we're cooking, she gets a metal mixing bowl and wooden spoon so she can "help." Also, if you have the money, they have these things at babies r us that look like fences. They are bigger than a playpen and they can be folded up when you're not using them, but they cost like $70.

As far as other people's houses, they were probably expecting you and put the baby in a playpen or crib and cleaned. I know when I'm expecting company, I put my daughter in her play pen and she will watch me clean or play.

My daughter would rather play with a cardboard box, an empty water bottle, a piece of paper, her box of wipes, a dvd case, or a shoe than toys. Babies are so easy to please.

Beth - posted on 04/24/2010

my 1 year old is the same and most babies at this age are too. they are just so curious. i try to fill a box or something with some spoons, bowl, ball, ect.... and let him pull those out and see what is in the box. then i'll put him in his walker and or highchair and let him eat a banana or cookie ( like while i'm cooking or cleaning in one room). but all in all it is very normal that they will not play with their toys much at this age

Amanda - posted on 04/23/2010

Alana my son is the same way the only way he plays with his toy is if another kid or baby is playing with them then he will go right up to it and start playing other than that he will hardly play with his toys & I don't know how to get him to play with them he has always been that way

Katie - posted on 04/23/2010

we have this problem when we are anywhere but home. it is very exausting trying to keep up with him when staying with family or on vacation. but at home we made it impossible to get into trouble. we have the whole back of the house baby gated off so he can only play with his toys. its like hurdles in our house. watch out if the phone rings and its in the kitchen and im in the back bedroom because it is scary! LOL

Alana - posted on 04/23/2010

I think most babies are the same. Mine definately is but they just want to explore everything right now. The only way my son will play with his toys is if I or someone else is playing too. My house looks empty cause anything i don't want him touching or breaking is locked away or out of reach.

Francesca - posted on 04/22/2010

My little Ella is like this. She has more toys then I have ever seen in one place (besides a toy store). But she is a very curious little girl. Now that she can investigate and manipulate its only natural for her to want to explore. Baby proof the things that are not safe, and try not to sweat the small stuff.

My Dh reminds me when I get a little crazy from the disaster our home has become that he would rather me spend my time attending to the baby then worried that every little thing is spotless. He says no one is going to remember if the cupboards are organized, but they will remember the silly games, the giggles and the fun you had making the mess.

Heather - posted on 04/22/2010

my little guy turned a year old april 8th

Heather - posted on 04/22/2010

Actually Amanda I am primarily alone with mine. I live with my grandmother currently because she offered for me to only help with utilities my first years a s a single mom, I will have have to move out of here this summer. And she hinders my abilities in teaching himthen helps most days. That is why I recommended the baby gates, then he is in a safe place, he can still see you. Yes he will still have tantrums but he will adjust. Also, maybe put away half his toys (if he has enough) so you can rotate them out, then he feels like he gets new things to play with every so often.

Amanda - posted on 04/22/2010

Here's the thing with him if I give him something to play with that I know it won't hurt him he will play with it for a little bit then get tired of it he mainly plays with stuff that he knows hes not suppose to get into..Just like he has always had this thing about dragging out the Movies ever since he could crawl..I know it's normal for a baby to do these kind of things but I've been into other peoples houses that has babies and there house stays clean I don't know how to do it I'm not a Multi task person..I am doing all this on my own and this is whats frustrating me the most alot of people has there Husbands or Boyfriends with them still with the kid I'm all alone with mine..

Heather - posted on 04/22/2010

even though it may be inconvenient for you, either install the child locks on your cabinets or put up baby gates restrciting him to one area of the house. Lenix can play in the kitchen and pull stuff out, but we have locks on certain cupboards due to heavy and/or chemical items

Stina - posted on 04/22/2010

Take a few bottom drawers and fill them with things that are ok to play with- either cooking utensils that you are ok with him playing with, or his own toys. Then, he has some drawers he is allowed into... As for the ones you don't want him in, keep redirecting.



I have a couple end tables in the living room that are for tucking toys into quickly- and the bottom drawers in my kitchen hold cloth napkins, bibs, aprons... things that I don't mind too much if my 1yo gets into every now and then.