<![CDATA[what do your kids do during free play ?]]>Hey, just wondering what is every one doing for playtime? ( i.e. No flash cards, worksheets, reading and other academic stuff )


Here’s some of the things me and my boi (turning 3)

1. Play Pretend - The ribbons of my gifts is "noodle" combine with wooden food that can be cut in to pieces. He prepare the "food"and serve them to the adults at home and his toys. Pretend to use his blanket, make me tie up the "food" in a bundle and go for "picnic". "Fishing" or catching crabs using his blanket. Go "hiking" with his back pack and a roll of paper as the hiking stick.

2. Hide and Seek. He and my helper’s favourite. Sometimes he enlist my help to look for gar gar. Or hide gar gar and ask me to find.

3. Puzzles - Tangrams, blocks and magnet and big big puzzles.

4. Toy cars - favourite are those with a key that come with Mc donald happy meal.

5. Nested cups that can be stacked of put in each other.

6. Vertical towers using my alarm clocks and boxes. Or build a road with his packs of diapers. (For some reason he does not like to use his legos or wooden blocks for building)

7. Climbing … up the sofa, his bed frame, my bed frame…tables and chairs. Explore…any cupboards and drawers he get his hand on.

8. His lego barrel - pour everything out and put him self in or wear it on his head.

9 Push his toy cart around the house, sometimes with "cargo" in it.

10. Singsong with or withour actions.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/topic/914/what-do-your-kids-do-during-free-playRSS for NodeTue, 23 Jun 2026 09:29:29 GMTFri, 29 Aug 2008 06:18:33 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:44:37 GMT]]>My ds (just turned 3) will never get bored over iPhone, he explores everything on it: games, calling all his favourite uncles and aunties from the ‘favourites’, taking pictures, viewing pictures and video clips, watch mxtubes (YouTube)'s Richard Scarry & hi-5 videos( I dl and stored on phone). Latest development is he’s learning to search for apps he wants to play, so fun to watch him struggling to find the letters from the keyboard.


Back to topic, his freeplays are:
1) park all his toy cars in different ways, place his face on the floor to admire them
2) building blocks
3) cooking
4) open mac donald’s and get customers to buy from him
5) open book shop
6) pillow fight and play construction machines with dad on bed
7) watch disney playhouse on cable
😎 watch ‘cars’ from netbook using headphone
9) read books
10) be a teacher and read to us
11) ride his electric bike downstairs
12) playgrounds
13) play fighting/running about with his 2 cousins ( boys 3&5)
14) help me wash veg and rice when he sees me cooking
15) receptionist - answering phone calls, run to greet my next door neighbour when he hear door opening sound,
…and the list goes on…
…which clearly shows that I hardly ‘enrich’ him, except reading books to him sometimes 

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/288994https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/288994Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:44:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:02:49 GMT]]>how come nobody mention iphone and Facebook games? :?:

Basically, our kids can play with anything/everything, depending on how they stretch their imagination 😉

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/288968https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/288968Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:02:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 06:06:40 GMT]]>

snowman.697:
- Game \"modding\" (ie. modifying game files)

- Moderating forums and posting on others
Game Modding .. nice :celebrate:
Moderating Forum + Playing Game = Potential Guild Leader for online games. 😉

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284379https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284379Thu, 28 Oct 2010 06:06:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:45:05 GMT]]>My sis:


- Watching tv
- Playing at the playground opposite my flat
- Hide and seek
- Playing with her toys
- Saying strange stuff
- Scribbling on my worksheets ( :stupid: )

Me:

Computer:
- 3D art
- 2D art
- Game \"modding\" (ie. modifying game files)
- Moderating forums and posting on others
- Updating my blog
- Facebook
- Playing computer games.

Others:
- Cycling
- Bus-spotting
- Photography
- Planespotting (holidays only)
- Reading
- Playing the piano
- Visiting friends

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284342https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284342Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:45:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:56:00 GMT]]>Chance upon this thread. Good to refer as Dec Holidays are coming up!!


Very happy and relief that my 2 boys are old enough to play with each other! (that means mummy has more me-time!! :celebrate:)

They will
- write/draw menus
- draw game coupons and make up games
- make a clubhouse complete with signages/\"Keep Out\" signs
- lego-ing
- play teacher/student
- scrabble, uno, Otello, 'Donkey'
- gonna introduce International Chess to ds1 this dec (he just learned Chinese Chess....and it can take us both up to an hour to complete one game! i am a beginner too...:opps:)
- art and craft

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284139https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284139Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:56:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:51:33 GMT]]>

jedamum:
...

Which boardgames are good?
....
Actually, there are so many (maybe not all boardgames)
- Risk (encourage risk taking, planning, negotiation, survival strategizing but need control as game may end with quarrels because players ganged up on the weakest)
- Monopoly (encourage asset investment and management)
- Pictionary (I cant remember how it's played but recalled my kids love this game)
- Chess (encourage tactical analysis, look ahead planning, visualizing and also quick situational assessment when playing with clock)
- checkers (I guess this is more for fun)
- mastermind ...

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6894https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6894Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:51:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:20:18 GMT]]>Hi Jedamum,


My girls will play monopoly and chinese checkers. It helps that the 8 year old is able to read and so they can play with the rules. Sometimes, my hubby will join in. He plays the banker. 😄

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6890https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6890Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:20:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:21:17 GMT]]>

jedamum:
heutistmeintag:


1) playing catching, police and thief, hide and seek in void decks with neighbours
.

You mean kids still play such games in this era?! :shock:
I still have not get over the Macdonald Kids' Saga.

LOL, simple pleasures I think but give them the chance to run and outrun each other. I let them do it so that they will have good appetites for meal later.

Occasionally, I will congregate with my frens' families and we play soccer and softball. Another great opportunity to get some sun and run with other kids. When they are too tired to do anything later, hey my wife and I can rest in peace. 😄

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6874https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6874Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:21:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:44:19 GMT]]>

BlueBells:

- board games
Hi BlueBells,
Which boardgames are good?
We have scrabble and Game of Life at home.
Scrabble still a bit difficult as my boy is not proficient in spelling yet and game of life, i find that it is hardly challenging..merely tossing of dice..and we tend to choose 'careers' cards that have high salary payout instead of interesting careers. :roll:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6859https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6859Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:44:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:40:09 GMT]]>My 6 & 8 years old girls do


- origami
- art & crafts (includes clays and play-doh)
- reading
- cycling
- computer games / game boy
- helping out in the kitchen (when we are at my mum’s)
- gardening (at my mum’s place)
- play pretend
- board games
- Watching TV
- Swims (pestering us all the time)
- playground
- piano

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6849https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6849Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:40:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:22:59 GMT]]>

chamonix:

If he could have his way, I will be doing nothing but just listening to his stories all day long!
That's very entertaining. Should be very therapeutic for you. 🙂
When its chit chat time, my boy usually will ask me what i want to talk about instead of voluntarily telling me his day (unless he is bragging about being rewarded in class... 😛 ) or even any stories. :roll:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6829https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6829Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:22:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:45:23 GMT]]>

jedamum:
chamonix, breguet,

how do your kids make up stories? you mean they retell the stories?
Hi jedamum,

My son's tales are more general, though he has a soft spot for his trains and trucks. Just yesterday, he was telling me the adventures of his Lego trains & trucks - Part 1 How the Truck Got Stuck in the Stream (long story to be continued), and how a giant family turned out to be aliens looking for their long lost granny on earth. And before his nap a while ago, the story of a transformer and a little grub. If he could have his way, I will be doing nothing but just listening to his stories all day long!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6815https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6815Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:45:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:12:48 GMT]]>My princess (9 years old)

- Art pieces -> birthday cards, card box houses
- Drawings -> Always 5 fashionably clad girls. Each drawing with different hair styles & fashion sense, comic strips
- Tea party with few imaginary friends
- Hide & seek
- Reading
- Watching tv cartoons only
- Computer games
- Singing (songs from radio)
- Talking (nice!)
- Gibbering (the start of it)
- Bickering (ahhh… at last)
- secret science project (siblings conspiracy - not under parental guidance)
- watching DVDs
- Game Boy

My prince (6 years old)
- Art pieces -> Truck box, caterpillar egg carton, Frankie’s sleeping place shoe box, emtpy coke bottle - potential music instrument (WIP)
- Drawings - Ben 10, spiderman, dinosaurs, Batman car
- Changing transformer to be vehicle and vice versa
- Hide & seek
- Watching tv morning (cartoons)
- Watching tv night (art central - subject to approval)
- Computer games
- Singing his own life story (sometime his lyrics insinuates me)
- Talking (nice!)
- Gibbering (the start of it)
- Bickering (ahhh… at last)
- secret science project (siblings conspiracy - not under parental guidance) not sure who is the leader either.
- watching DVDs
- Game Boy
- hovering around the maid wanting to break the egg, beat the egg, peel the boiled egg, peel cabbage, any small task he can do & talk at the same time.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6774https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6774Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:12:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:36:26 GMT]]>

heutistmeintag:

1) playing catching, police and thief, hide and seek in void decks with neighbours
.
You mean kids still play such games in this era?! :shock:
I still have not get over the Macdonald Kids' Saga.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6763https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6763Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:36:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:34:45 GMT]]>

breguet:

Lately, he has this new country called Robotland (land is pronounced as in England, he insists) where, you guessed it, he's President and Creator :shock:
Good imagination is good for compo writing next time. 🙂
My 6 yr old is never into storytelling.... the only telling around here are 'small reports' of who has been naughty in class..... 😄

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6762https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6762Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:34:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:10:06 GMT]]>Mine have gotten over the wrestling etc since they are older at 11/12.


1) playing catching, police and thief, hide and seek in void decks with neighbours
2) watch tv or DVDs
3) sleep, snacking
4) read story books, comics, science and national geographics magazines
5) sketching
6) playing psp, xbox360, computers
7) cycling, rollerblading, practise TKD, swimming (during school holidays)
😎 do exam papers

nah, i was joking on last one. 😄
😎 playing with our family dog.
9) recent interest - listening to pop songs
10) picking a fight with each other
11) Lego mindstorm
12) Sometimes, I will bring them shopping (for their stuff), fishing and prawning.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6747https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6747Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:10:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:52:28 GMT]]>

jedamum:
chamonix, breguet,

how do your kids make up stories? you mean they retell the stories?
But about his stories - well, at first it was a long series of imaginary friends living in drawers. Then his toys (and even his gargling cup) make all sorts of conversation. Lately, he has this new country called Robotland (land is pronounced as in England, he insists) where, you guessed it, he's President and Creator :shock: He doesn't retell stories, but EVERYTHING has a parallel in Robotland, like their social behaviour (even adults play with Lego there) to currency (1 Robotics = S$2). Or fuel - they use hyrdrogen, so they don't pollute the earth, but they let out water (because it combines with oxygen) so they have to pee (and then a major hahaha!). :roll: Sorry lah, very weird, I know. He's very caught up with Robotland now.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6746https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6746Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:52:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:31:54 GMT]]>My 9yo -


In no particular order

1) Knitting
2) drawing/ painting/ art & craft/ chinese calligraphy
3) baking biscuit, cake, bread/ cooking
4) playing piano
5) practise singing her choir pieces
6) do skipping/ roller blading/ stretching excerise/ cycling
7) play board game with her sister (master mind/ monopoly/ snake & ladder/ scrabble…etc)
8 ) Reading (friction/ non-friction/ picture dictionary/dictionary/ science etc)
9) soduku
10) Play pretend with her sister (eg Teacher & student, customer & waitress )
11) surf internet (with limited time usage)
12) play dough ( make colour dough from flour)
11) help with simple house work (fold clothes, vacuum floor, pack her cupboard)
12) write story/ poem/ song lyric/ diary
13) simple science experiment

When my elder gal is at home, my 5yo always tag behind her sister, she just do whatever she can do and for those beyond her, she will sit beside my elder gal and do her own thing, like playing her pony ville, lego, building block.

My 5yo is not attending any pre-sch, so she has lots of free time till her sister is back from sch. She will play on her own,

1) pretend play (fashion show, toy cooking)
2) play piano
3) make up story (when she starts on this, it will occupy her for a couple of hours, she stapled a few pieces of paper together at the side, make it into a book, then she would draw, colour & write her story. She has a walking sound activated spelling dictionary - ME)
4) she too help to do simple house work, fold clothes, clean her playing-table & toys.
5) Help me when I cook lunch, wash/pluck vege, peel hard boil egg, set table.
6) baking biscuit, cake, bread with me.
7) surf internet, play computer game (limited time)
8 ) watch TV (limited time)
9) reading (this is more like fliping thru the books)
10) play her toys (lego, pony ville - she will built her train track, pony village along the track)
11) Photo taking/ video making with her own digital camera, with her being the narrator, her actors are her toys & sometimes her sister.
12) cycling
13) drawing/ painting

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6735https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6735Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:31:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:08:21 GMT]]>chamonix, breguet,

how do your kids make up stories? you mean they retell the stories?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6728https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6728Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:08:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:40:28 GMT]]>5.5yo boy


1. Lego
2. Lego
3. Lego
4. Reading
5. Reading
6. Reading
7. Drawing and making up stories
8. Talking a lot!
9. Going out on playdates to do all of the above and just plain running around.
10. Watching Inspector Gadget on Youtube

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6722https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6722Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:40:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:00:04 GMT]]>6yr old boy…


1. Wrestling, pushing, running etc with his bro. When one gets hurt, the other gets scolded.
2. Playing with his ‘city’ which consist of cars, barriers, lego and other small stuff he use to demarcate carparks etc etc.
3. Watching TV
4. Cycling
5. Rolling, bouncing on the bed, make ‘shelter’ with pillows and blankets
6. Use blutack (replacement for playdoh) to make stuff
7. Drawing carparks, lanes, zebra crossings etc.
8. Read to his brother
9. Uno
10. Chasing after bubbles
11. Bathtub playtime with scoops and such
12. ‘Soccer’ in the living room
13. Computer games

2 yr old
Besides 1, 3, 5, 8 (browsing books), 10, 11 and 12 above,
1. Stacking ‘blocks’ make out of milo packs
2. Climb
3. Toys

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6715https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6715Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:00:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to what do your kids do during free play ? on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:28:40 GMT]]>Things my 2 kids doing together when I’m not reading to them -


1. Wrestling, pushing, running etc. When someone gets hurt, he/she will lodge complaints with mommy.

2. Working on their Lego inventions while fighting for more pieces at the same time.

3. Watching TV

4. Cycling

5. Rolling, bouncing on the bed

6. Reading

7. Drawing, coloring etc…

8. Make up stories with their toys

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6709https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/6709Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:28:40 GMT