Craft and game ideas that appeal to a range of ages
Most families of more than one child will come up against this dilemma fairly quickly: how can we all play together when my kids are different ages? So many activities seem geared towards one age group or another, which isn’t helpful when you’ve got a babe in arms, a toddler underfoot and a preschooler demanding attention. Oh, the joys!
The good news is that there are loads of cool things that you can all do together. These activities are chosen to keep everyone entertained. They are the kind of games you can play together or side by side, but there is something in each activity that children of any age will find engaging.
Some hints for making it work:
- Find an activity that stretches across ages – drawing and ball play are classics.
- Choose open-ended games that allow the children to work at their own pace.
- Choose craft ideas that have a basic or more advanced component.
- Allocate set age-appropriate tasks to each child.
- Encourage the older kids to support the younger kids.
- Encourage the younger kids to give the older kids space.
1. Animal crafts
You can make these cute animal crafts from bits and pieces you probably already have on hand. Older kids can set to work making the animals, while younger kids can be put in charge of sorting the materials or building towers using the craft sticks. Note that extra small littlies will need to be supervised around the small parts.
