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Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
Teaching Independent Play Skills: Toddler
To encourage a toddler to play by himself:
- Pick an isolated activity that you think your toddler
will enjoy. An isolated play activity is an activity
that is best performed by one person. For example,
building Legos is something that children do well alone.
Play with your child the whole time the first couple of
times.
- Provide many "love pats" during the play activity.
Keep your talking to a minimum.
- Begin to excuse yourself from the activity at times when
your child is actively engaged. Leave the activity for
a very brief period of time, perhaps only 5 seconds.
For example, you might walk over to the kitchen counter
and then go right back to the activity. After about
2 days of excusing yourself for only 5 seconds, plan to
be gone 7 or 8 seconds. In this fashion gradually
increase how long you are gone, based on your child
continuing with his play while you are gone. What you
are aiming for is to be able to leave the activity
without interrupting what your toddler is doing.
- Over time, perhaps 2 or 3 months, gradually stay away
from your toddler for longer and longer periods of time,
until you notice that you can be gone for a long time.
As you are able to excuse yourself for increasingly
longer periods of time, don't forget to give your
toddler periodic, brief, nonverbal, physical contact.
In this way your toddler will have the enjoyment of
playing alone and affection from you during the
activity.
With time and practice, your toddler will learn how to
entertain himself without help from you. The more toddlers
play alone, the more they can accomplish on their own and
the greater sense of satisfaction they have in their play
activities.
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