Does Your 2 Year Old Play with a Favorite Toy ALL Day??

Updated on July 06, 2010
M.D. asks from Auburn Hills, MI
8 answers

Animals are everywhere in my house! My 2.5yr old daughter loves loves her plastic animal figurines. She could play with them all day and has done so on occasion with regular breaks for eating, napping (which is welcome on days when I am worn out and/or busy with her 6mo old sister). In a normal week she is also at the park, meeting friends for play, and may go to a zoo. We also do play with other toys, puzzles, read, play with play dough, etc. But she could do animals all the time if I wasn't suggesting other things If she is watching tv she wants an animal show and if dad is showing her you tube videos she wants to see the animal videos ( or the intermittent jeep video...which dad appreciates). We do foster this appreciation for animals...animal books, clothes, trips to the zoo, etc. I am glad it is not connected to a tv show etc and she has a big animal encyclopedia which has taught us all more about the animals. I guess my question is if other moms have experienced similar things with animals and/or other toys...trains, princesses, etc?? Is this just what they do at this age? Will she likely outgrow it entirely or keep some affection for them for a long time? I don't feel the urge to encourage other toys since she seems to still be learning and enjoying herself and it seems that the interest in one thing helps her to build learning on learning. We have given her other things and browsed the toy stores with her and still end up with animals. On the other hand I am starting to wonder if we shouldn't be fostering it so much?? I can't wait to hear what other kids have engrossed in and your experience with it! :)

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So What Happened?

I was just looking back at my past questions. This daughter is now 5.5 and is still into animals and it seems relatively balanced and I am glad we didn't try to dissuade it anyway (not that we would have been successful anyway! :)

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D.S.

answers from Tulsa on

my 2 yr old play with horses, horses, horses and more horses. they ride the dogs they have cowboys put on them they go in the bowl in shoes. they climb the baby gate. they go through the handle on the pail. they do all kinds of little creative things. he will play with other toys as long as horses are some how involved. then we have lions dogs cats sheep etc, the lion eats the horse.

the dogs ride the horse the play dogs that is. so what are you worried about. the horsies help him eat his supper they get spoon fed supper. she will outgrow the obsession but will probably always like animals no matter how you try to redirect her. whe will outgrow it promise. i have a 21 yr old and a 2 yr old and I already know they will outgrow it to a degree but when they become older the animals become real. :)

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Oh yeah! I've been there too but in our house, it was the Thomas The Tank Engine stuff--everywhere--ALL the time! :-)
(On a quiet day, I can still hear that opening music in my head.....LOL)

1 mom found this helpful
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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I think it's great! My 2 year old goes through phases with toys where she's stuck on a certain thing for a few weeks at a time but would definitely not play with one toy all day! I'm jealous! ;) I'd say keep it up! Maybe she'll be a vet or a marine biologist one day! Enjoy!

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K.R.

answers from Denver on

My son was into dinosaurs the same way when he was 2. He would play with them, set them up, and line them up forever if we didn't introduce other activities. Now he is 3 and still likes to play with his dinos, but they eventually lost their number 1 place......now it's superheroes!

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J.O.

answers from Chicago on

Animals there are so many different kinds and if she is not fixed on just one let it ride out . My oldest who will be 15 in September loved animals too and she helps out the neighbors with their pets and makes a little money to boot. There are way worse things to be obsessed about and animals provide many great opportunities to learn about the world and environment. Enjoy the animal kingdom.
J. O

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

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C.T.

answers from Fayetteville on

My nephew was crazy about humpback whales-of all things! He watched this video of them-something recorded from national geographic-over and over and over. He also got into other ocean mammals-dolphins, manatees etc...but humpback whales were his favorite. When they planned a trip to Sea World he prayed to God everynight that there would be a humpback whale there-although his mom and dad explained it's not good for an animal so big to be in a tank. Eventually he grew out of that-he's 13 now and more into pirates-and a straight A student.

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D.B.

answers from Norfolk on

Yes it is normal and yes make sure you keep the little animals forever. My 26 year old daughter still has her favorite two year old toy, a Sesame Street playset, which she played with daily for at least a year, in my attic and would just die If I ever threw it out. Kids know what they like and yours likes animals. Let her be.

And my daughter? She is an educator!

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