Learning to play

[NikkiNoo]

Hi all,

Genuine but probably daft question for Littles: is being playful something you've had to learn to do, or does it come naturally? Like, I see people talking about playing with dolls and stuffies, but - what do you actually do?

I was always a super serious kid, and 'playing' for me usually just meant dressing up my dolls. I've never been able to play imaginatively or make up stories (probably autistic), but I want to be more playful in Littlespace. I do colouring and creative stuff, but I want to play with toys. I just don't know how!

Any tips on introducing more playtime? 

[NickyMoon]

I don't have this problem because I am always daydreaming and making up stories in my head but it took me time to get past being self conscious about playing with dolls. If you aren't able to make up your own stories, maybe act out movies and book scenes that you already like? 

[Faelin]

Just remember, being little is different for everyone. Not every little is expected to be able to pick up a doll or toy and make believe.  Just have fun in your own way. 

[Lil_Daisy_Bear]

Hi! I have struggled with this too in the past!! For me, understanding my little, having a judgment-free safe space to play in, and practicing play to normalize the activity helped - but this is all because I wanted to be able to play in my littlespace. I have always naturally loved toys and had a wild imagination - but I was the oldest sibling and the "mini adult" of an unstable family, so I couldn't bring myself to play like other kids. When I did play, I was mostly staging my toys while creating all the dialogue and imaginative play in my head. I didn't want to be seen as a baby or be laughed at. The times I was outwardly childlike were rare and usually for the sake of my little siblings' entertainment. As an adult, I started slowly buying the toys I fell in love with at stores (or wanted as a kid and couldn't have) purely just to have. I didn't think I would ever get to a place where I played with them. It still doesn't happen often, and sometimes I'll pull my toys out to play and end up dressing them or staging a doll house just to clean it all up after - and that's okay. My toys bring me comfort and any way I am interacting with them is "playing" in my mind. Really leaning into my inner child and almost playing "alongside" that little girl has let me be able to play again. I wish you the best! 💛

[NikkiNoo]

14 hours ago, Lil_Daisy_Bear said:

Hi! I have struggled with this too in the past!! For me, understanding my little, having a judgment-free safe space to play in, and practicing play to normalize the activity helped - but this is all because I wanted to be able to play in my littlespace. I have always naturally loved toys and had a wild imagination - but I was the oldest sibling and the "mini adult" of an unstable family, so I couldn't bring myself to play like other kids. When I did play, I was mostly staging my toys while creating all the dialogue and imaginative play in my head. I didn't want to be seen as a baby or be laughed at. The times I was outwardly childlike were rare and usually for the sake of my little siblings' entertainment. As an adult, I started slowly buying the toys I fell in love with at stores (or wanted as a kid and couldn't have) purely just to have. I didn't think I would ever get to a place where I played with them. It still doesn't happen often, and sometimes I'll pull my toys out to play and end up dressing them or staging a doll house just to clean it all up after - and that's okay. My toys bring me comfort and any way I am interacting with them is "playing" in my mind. Really leaning into my inner child and almost playing "alongside" that little girl has let me be able to play again. I wish you the best! 💛

Thank you for your suggestions. I think that, for parentified children, play doesn't feel safe or feels too frivolous. I'm eying up loads of toys that my inner child would love, and I'm trying to let her out to play more often. I guess it's gonna be a journey! 

[NikkiNoo]

15 hours ago, Faelin said:

Just remember, being little is different for everyone. Not every little is expected to be able to pick up a doll or toy and make believe.  Just have fun in your own way. 

Thank you. I need to remind myself that I'm an individual, and that comparing myself to others is a recipe for misery!

[NikkiNoo]

16 hours ago, NickyMoon said:

I don't have this problem because I am always daydreaming and making up stories in my head but it took me time to get past being self conscious about playing with dolls. If you aren't able to make up your own stories, maybe act out movies and book scenes that you already like? 

Thanks - that's a good idea!

[Loveybunnygrl]

On 8/19/2025 at 9:34 AM, NikkiNoo said:

Hi all,

Genuine but probably daft question for Littles: is being playful something you've had to learn to do, or does it come naturally? Like, I see people talking about playing with dolls and stuffies, but - what do you actually do?

I was always a super serious kid, and 'playing' for me usually just meant dressing up my dolls. I've never been able to play imaginatively or make up stories (probably autistic), but I want to be more playful in Littlespace. I do colouring and creative stuff, but I want to play with toys. I just don't know how!

Any tips on introducing more playtime? 

Imagining has always been hard but when I do play I normally start very confused where to go to but I’ll gradually slip into it and become more silly with it, it sometimes isn’t exactly how u imagine playing and that is okay!!! Not every one has the best brain for this stuff but it’s only abt what’s fun for you!!!! I Love dolls toys and cars sometimes even just making silly car sounds when driving a lil hot wheels counts as play for me

[.คℓ𝐞ﾒเᏰααα .ᐟ]

With dolls, it's all about fashion! But it's technically a bit deeper than just "fashion". Think of it more like a sensory toy. Fabric texture, style, color patterns, and overall feel of the completed look plays a huge roll in why I find them so comforting.  Is the doll happy or mimicking your current mood? Would you wear what the doll is wearing irl?  

With stuffies, it's cuddles and snuggies. As well as stabilizing my mood and grounding my surroundings. I'm constantly shuffled around strangers through appointments.  All of my stuffed animals are telepathic and don't require verbal speaking. So I can babble and just explore my emotions with them. The best part is? They completely understand everything I say (I'm neurodivergent) and they love me unconditionally.

Bare in mind that I have cptsd, so stuffed animal play might be different for others- and that's okay.  Playing with toys doesn't have to have deep connections. Even just collecting them because they're cute is valid. So don't push or force yourself. Just explore and have fun!

[BabyPoppy]

On 8/19/2025 at 11:34 AM, NikkiNoo said:

Hi all,

Genuine but probably daft question for Littles: is being playful something you've had to learn to do, or does it come naturally? Like, I see people talking about playing with dolls and stuffies, but - what do you actually do?

I was always a super serious kid, and 'playing' for me usually just meant dressing up my dolls. I've never been able to play imaginatively or make up stories (probably autistic), but I want to be more playful in Littlespace. I do colouring and creative stuff, but I want to play with toys. I just don't know how!

Any tips on introducing more playtime? 

Hi NikkiNoo!

This is a fun topic for me! I love to be silly and watch movies, color, make simple crafts, build blanket forts, or play toys and snuggle my stuffies in littlespace, but it comes naturally for me as a preschool teacher. It takes time to figure out what you like and what you don't like. I have a really difficult time playing or being little with other littles, even with a caregiver I trust.... I prefer to talk with people when I'm little and I can get super hyper... which gets me in trouble... I struggle to find that balance of how much to share with others and how much to keep to myself, but that is part of being little... finding what you need in littlespace for you to be happy and content in a safe space. 

For an idea, start simple... do you have a favorite movie that helps you feel little? Or a nursery rhyme or story you like? I sometimes use a container of Play-Doh and build the characters, then make the scenes with construction paper or white paper and crayons, then I tell the stories and other ways they could happen...

like the Three Little Pigs... instead of the Big Bad Wolf, he is the Big Bad Bully and the Pigs are the 3 Littles and how they become friends

Goldilocks & The 3 Little Bears - Sweet Little Goldi and the 3 little bear friends and all the fun they have together like picking berries, having a picnic, tea party, dance party, going swimming in the stream, looking at cloud shapes, going fishing (then I get out some goldfish crackers)

 

I've started by playing alone... I have a few friends I really trust, but other than posting coloring pages, it's really tough to get there for me, too. I spend all day around toys, but letting others see me that way is a real struggle. I want to be comfortable, but I don't want to rush it. When I feel safe, I will be able to share my little with people. It is ok to be selective with who sees your little self. 

If you need ideas, let me know! I would love to support you!

 

Poppy

[NikkiNoo]

13 hours ago, BabyPoppy said:

Hi NikkiNoo!

This is a fun topic for me! I love to be silly and watch movies, color, make simple crafts, build blanket forts, or play toys and snuggle my stuffies in littlespace, but it comes naturally for me as a preschool teacher. It takes time to figure out what you like and what you don't like. I have a really difficult time playing or being little with other littles, even with a caregiver I trust.... I prefer to talk with people when I'm little and I can get super hyper... which gets me in trouble... I struggle to find that balance of how much to share with others and how much to keep to myself, but that is part of being little... finding what you need in littlespace for you to be happy and content in a safe space. 

For an idea, start simple... do you have a favorite movie that helps you feel little? Or a nursery rhyme or story you like? I sometimes use a container of Play-Doh and build the characters, then make the scenes with construction paper or white paper and crayons, then I tell the stories and other ways they could happen...

like the Three Little Pigs... instead of the Big Bad Wolf, he is the Big Bad Bully and the Pigs are the 3 Littles and how they become friends

Goldilocks & The 3 Little Bears - Sweet Little Goldi and the 3 little bear friends and all the fun they have together like picking berries, having a picnic, tea party, dance party, going swimming in the stream, looking at cloud shapes, going fishing (then I get out some goldfish crackers)

 

I've started by playing alone... I have a few friends I really trust, but other than posting coloring pages, it's really tough to get there for me, too. I spend all day around toys, but letting others see me that way is a real struggle. I want to be comfortable, but I don't want to rush it. When I feel safe, I will be able to share my little with people. It is ok to be selective with who sees your little self. 

If you need ideas, let me know! I would love to support you!

 

Poppy

Hi Poppy,

Thank you so much for these amazing suggestions! I really love the idea of using familiar stories and changing the narrative; I struggle to use my imagination in play (which is weird as I love writing fanfiction - maybe it's easier because the characters and world already exist?).

I'm trying to start small with creative stuff that I feel more comfortable with - doing some colouring while listening to Disney songs, talking to my teddy bear (in my head), browsing online toy shops for things my younger self would have loved. I don't get any time alone to play, which also doesn't help. Maybe I could start with bath play? Ooh, and I love sensory play materials like kinetic sand - maybe I could create a little play scene with some figures?

I really appreciate your support!

[BabyPoppy]

1 hour ago, NikkiNoo said:

Hi Poppy,

Thank you so much for these amazing suggestions! I really love the idea of using familiar stories and changing the narrative; I struggle to use my imagination in play (which is weird as I love writing fanfiction - maybe it's easier because the characters and world already exist?).

I'm trying to start small with creative stuff that I feel more comfortable with - doing some colouring while listening to Disney songs, talking to my teddy bear (in my head), browsing online toy shops for things my younger self would have loved. I don't get any time alone to play, which also doesn't help. Maybe I could start with bath play? Ooh, and I love sensory play materials like kinetic sand - maybe I could create a little play scene with some figures?

I really appreciate your support!

You are so sweet! Look at your fantastic ideas! 

I love the bath time idea! They make a bath finger paint by Crayola and bath crayons that are both really just colored soap. You can draw a bath scene on the wall of the shower/side of the tub while you play. Even buying little fidget toys that fit on your fingers to tell stories with would work.... you could let them dry on a towel after your bath and store them in a make-up bag or inside a sock once dry! 

(Just test the paint or crayons on a small area first to make sure they don’t stain your tub or shower wall!) 

 

[NikkiNoo]

2 hours ago, BabyPoppy said:

You are so sweet! Look at your fantastic ideas! 

I love the bath time idea! They make a bath finger paint by Crayola and bath crayons that are both really just colored soap. You can draw a bath scene on the wall of the shower/side of the tub while you play. Even buying little fidget toys that fit on your fingers to tell stories with would work.... you could let them dry on a towel after your bath and store them in a make-up bag or inside a sock once dry! 

(Just test the paint or crayons on a small area first to make sure they don’t stain your tub or shower wall!) 

 

[Jumps up and down, clapping hands]

Yay! Go me and my fantastic ideas!

Thank you 🙂