How Often Do You Play with Your Toddler?

When mine were toddlers, it was not formal play - it was play whenever I get a moment. It could be while taking a bath, or putting them to bed, or chasing them to put on diapers. I made the daily routine fun at times, so that I consider play, versus taking a specific time

i play with mine for as long as she wants to play and when she runs off i take advantage and go do some stuff i might need to do until she wants to play with me again. lol seems to work...

I play w/my toddler every day.
Now that he's a tiny bit older, it goes in spurts instead of him equiring my
attention ALL DAY long. ;)
We will play inside w/his toys, outside, at the park, go for a bike ride on the blacktop etc.
It just depends on the weather, our moods & what I have on my plate for that day. Having said that....I shelve a lot of things so I CAN play w/him.
He won't be this young forever and someday he won't need me.
Nor will he want to "hang" out w/mom.
He will have his friends, his activites & I will be WANTING more time /whim, I'm sure.

I tend to try to encourage my 2.5 yr old to play by herself. What I mean is that I rarely initiate the playing. This is in part b/c I also work from home, so if she is OK immersing herself in some play, then I can get some work done. But if she asks me to join her, then I do. My mom has her for a couple of hours in the mornings, and they do the same. After the playground they go to grandma's house and there she plays in the backyard. If she wants company, she lets us know, but she is getting better and better at creating her own fun.
I'd say let her do her own thing. Developmentally that might be more appropriate than what we adults would consider play.

We're pretty free flowing. Just whenever during the day they want to play with me really. I will sometimes have to tell them to play by themselves while I finish paying the bills and balancing the checkbook or go to the bathroom or something. I never set a time and said Let's Play or anything. Sometimes all my kids want is to play with me sitting on the couch next to them, other times they want me actively engaged with them. Unless I absoultely need to finish something that's when I play with them.
There is no reason to be setting clocks and saying it's play time now and it will happen for an hour wether you like it or not.

It depends on him. If he wants me to play with him, I play with him. Usually he is too busy ;-) We do cuddle and read books a few times a day.

My 2-year-old needs lots of stimulation so our form of play is to leave the house and be active. Part of this is because I'm not a homebody and know that she enjoys parks, indoor playgrounds, etc.

When we are at home, our play is almost constant though she is learning how to occupy herself with toys for minutes at a time.

I sing to her constantly and make up words to funny songs! I even get requests!

Parenting can be playful. I play with my granddaughter as I change her diaper, feed her, etc. Mostly she plays with her toys by herself with a few intermittent voice contacts.

depends on the child.. my daugther could entertain herself from infancy. put her on the floor with toys and she was fine.. my son needed constatnt companionship from birth.. he was the happiest baby but needed someone ritht there withhim... they are 5 and 6 and they are still the same..

My son is just becoming a toddler, at age 1. He's pretty good about entertaining himself but I try to spend some quality time playing/reading every day. I do shorter periods of time since his attention span is short. In a day period I probably sit down with him 3-4 times. I don't want him to be reliant on me for entertainment. I must admit that I have to "work" at playing with him, and any kids. I am a caretaker through and through, but playing is just not my area. Give me a hungry tummy or boo boo instead of being in charge of activities any day! Sometimes it's guilt that drives me to play with him, which I'm not happy about, but playing is not my strength.

I played with mine pretty much constantly the entire time he was awake and not in daycare (3 days a week). He had little interest in playing by himself until he was almost four and then only for a few minutes at a time.

I'm more of a cuddler..I like laying in his bed and reading books to him..I'm not a huge fan of playing on the floor with all his boy toys.. I know, that sounds horrible...

He just turned 3 so is no longer a toddler, but I will tell you it is ongoing, all day long, off and on. Making life into a learning game is what helped my children learn so much about everything around them, we're their first teachers. When your daughter goes to do something else, that's fine, it doesn't necessarily mean she's bored with you, she has a short attention span, very normal. Just avail yourself to her all the time so when she wants you you're there.