Playing

Start playing with a toy with them and once they are into it, then say, "Oh wait, I gotta do some cleaning". Let them continue. Sometimes this works. Sometimes, I will put the toy out and open it up and she will just start playing with it. If I ask her "Do you want to play with this toy?", she almost always says no. If I start playing with it, usually she will join in and take over.
Not all kids play well with toys. Let them go in the yard (if you have one) and play with water or build a fort with cardboard box and markers. Just leave stuff out that they might be able to get creative with.

I do find that reading to my kids and even letting them watch tv some "sparks" my kids imagination when it comes to playing with their toys and entertaining themselves. Sometimes I will even just make up and tell them a story about their toys. I'll include their trains, legos, hotwheels cars, superheros...anything, and after a few minutes they are off in the playroom pulling out all their toys and creating some scene with them. It's great!

running around and chasing is almost guaranteed to drive any mom mad, but really, it's awesome! they're not whining, they're not glued to the tv or gaming screen, they're busy and active and entertaining each other.
donate a bunch of those toys and give yourself some more space for them to run and chase and hide and build forts.
have you listened to their dialogue? i'm betting dimes to doughnuts that there's a high degree of imaginative play going on while they run and chase. wild horses, cops and robbers, wild horses, superheroes, wild horses, dragons, and wild horses made up an AWFUL lot of running and chasing time when i was a kid. no screen and no toys required.
how are they NOT entertaining themselves?
you may have to boot them outside to give yourself a break, but sounds to me as if you've got great kids, mama. pat yourself on the back!
khairete
S.

Different point of view - chasing each other around the house IS playing and entertaining themselves. My kids have never been toy kids. We tried legos, action figures, trains, etc etc etc, none ever lasted more than a couple sessions till they were bored with them. You can't force kids to like toys. If I were you I would count my lucky stars they are playing together and not fighting, regardless of what they are playing. If the noise bothers you kick them outside.

E.

Your kids have the "we have too much" syndrome as well as we love to push mommy's buttons.

Your 9 month old? Sorry. That one should NOT be able to entertain herself.

They run around the house and chase each other because they have too much time on their hands and because they have too much stuff. they are overwhelmed.

I realize it snowed in NY but it's OKAY to let them go out and play in the snow. You can supervise them. Instead of DOING for them - ASK them questions - then let the "games" begin.

Give them time outside. Sorry. But really? Don't let snow stop you from letting the kids outside. As long as they are dressed appropriately? They are FINE!!!

Use the KISS method - Keep It Simple Silly - and allow their imaginations to work. Heck - plain white paper and crayons...and ask them to draw daddy pictures of their day so he can see them when he gets home.

Need help picking up the room? Okay - make it a game!! Who can put the most toys away??

Show them the power of giving...go through toys with them and figure out what they aren't using and donate to a less fortunate family....heck - gather the toys yourself when they are napping and rotate them out every few months.

Good luck!

I agree with the others. Some kids need more active play than others. Send them outside to the yard or the playground for at least an hour or two per day. Get a membership at the Y and let them play on the playstructure, the bouncer, in the gym and go swimming. Be glad they are active and not content to just sit and play. This is a very good thing. If they get enough physical activity then you may be more likely to sit and play quietly when they have exhausted their extra energy.

My Mom's approach was - everybody spends at least 2 hours outside every day (unless there was a thunder storm or it was below 30 degrees) starting at about 3 or 4 years old.
We went out in rain and snow, hot and cold, all four seasons.
It they are going to run around - let them do it in the yard outside.
Some sunshine and/or fresh air is good for them.
Too many toys can be overwhelming.
Put 3/4ths of them away and rotate out some old and new ones.

Maybe your kids' toys are each other. My DD is mostly an only (her sibs are much older) and she has a ton of toys that she repurposes into...everything. If their preferred game is to run, perhaps send them outside to burn it off. Even with toys, there are still times when DD just runs laps because she needs to be active.

I think it depends on the kids. I have five and some of them are runners and active, and others will sit quietly and play (making up imaginary games). I have two readers who will curl up with books but the others won't unless it's bed time.

I have one son who I have to send outside when he gets like that. I say "time for outside!" and then they all mostly get their snow gear on and follow him out. We also changed our garage into play zone during the winter (hockey net, scooters etc.) so I send them down there if the weather is bad. My sister used to set up a sand box in the winter in her garage, and cranked the heat and let them play in it during the winter.

Hulla hoops in your basement, lots you can do to get rid of that extra energy. Definitely outside every day. I pick up new gear (nothing expensive) just to change it up - so a new soccer ball, a new kite, bubbles, whatever the season. We set up a rink in our back yard in the winter. That has saved my sanity.

As for sitting down and playing with toys, mine don't do a lot of that either because they have siblings (my younger kids did it more when the older ones were at school). When all home, I think they look for games to do together. My kids will all pick up their Nerf guns (we just have a big pile of them) and chase each other.

When I want them to do quiet time - here's what I do. I have sets of things that all ages can enjoy - even the big ones.

I will set up this big race track we've had for years - just set it up in the play room. Or a big old train set (even though some of long outgrown). Or I will get a big puzzle they would like. Or I'll sit down and start up a game they can all join in. I'll make a big batch of play dough. Then I quietly back out of the room without them noticing.

Will your kids play Lego? We have a big spot where they can just dump it and leave it out for a few days. ALL my kids will get into that. I will give them a challenge if they are stumped - who builds biggest tower ...

My girls have Barbie and doll houses and no, they don't usually play with them as much as I had thought. If I pull it out in our sun room, and set it up for them and just start them off, they will join in and sometimes that will keep them happy for hours. I let them leave it up for a few days. If their friends come by, they join in.

Do you swap your toys out and put them away? That was the best advice I ever got. I keep everything away unless they pull it out to play. So we have a big box of costumes that I keep hidden away. On rainy day, we'll go get it. I sometimes have to join in to get them going, but after a while imaginations take over. They'll do a parade around the house. Or I'll pull out our little drum, harmonica and stuff - and they will combine a band with dress up. Even my older ones will do this just for a laugh.

I think unless I started them off, they wouldn't necessary think of these ideas themselves. Some of my kids mind you are just happy to sit and play quietly with their Little Ponies, or do hockey cards. I think a lot of it depends on their personalities.

Separate them. Kick the older ones outside to play, give the little ones open ended toys that you don't have to manipulate. Go read a book and stay out of the picture. If there are conflicts or frustrations, send them away and tell them that they have to figure it out.

The way kids learn to play independently is by being forced to do so. They usually don't like it much at first. You have to make them do it. Once they realize that they don't need you or others to have a good time, it becomes easier.

Hi E.,

I scanned the posts and agree with what I've read. I would add one thing. Try not to compare your kids with other kids. I know it's tempting to view all the kids with an apple to apple comparison but they are all such different individuals.

Engage with them and treat them as such. Talk to them and ask them what they would like to do and, I know it's a tall order with 4 of them, but try to spend some individual time with each of them, maybe not every single day, but a specified time once a week might make all the difference in not just how you view them but in how they related with you and each other. They'll cherish it when they're older. Best of all to you and yours. :-) S.

Some of it is cabin fever and possibly barometric pressure for the upcoming change in weather.

Some of it is they have siblings and love playing like this. If you had a yard that was warmer they could go outside and run amok.

I think they need the action and to run off energy. If you have an indoor playground you can get to and from go! Plan on spending an hour or two there. I bet they get some of that out of their system.

Warmer weather is coming, not today for the N E area but it's coming.

I doubt that a 9 month old will entertain himself/herself! lol
A 3 year old entertaining himself? Hardly.

The 5 & 7 year olds? Somewhat.

I'd suggest trying O. structured activity/project/craft per day. Get the two oldest started on it, then walk away for 10 minutes, then return or fly-by to check in. Repeat as necessary til they're done.

Gift giving is always hard bc my kids aren't into toys either....the read, they draw..but to just "play"...not so much..

Play dough is great for all ages u could try that.. but I hear u....and btw...my kids are 10 and 11 opps trying to write eleven and a half...getting them dressed for outside and it's a pain as soon as I get them ready they r outside for 8 mins and want back in..

Take all the electonics out of the picture. tv, video games, ipads, ipods, phones, kindles, nooks. everything electronic. And then organize the toys so that they are actually available and appealing. Books together on shelves, games with all the parts together in a stack. legos in bins that are easy to pull out. puzzles on a shelf by a table where they can be started and left and came back to later on. put the baby stuff separate from the big kid stuff. and have big kid stuff that they don't have to share with the baby. and don't be afraid to say go play. and then when they start fighting, chasing etc send them outside. or give them a job to do. kids will play if you give them the choice of work or play lol. explain to them once this is the way it is. play or work. and stick to it. chasing and playing is not a bad thing if they are outside but inside someone can get hurt. I just saw your in new york lol so outside might not be an option right now. good luck

You have mostly boys, I assume?