Mixed Age Play
Why is mixed age play so important?
For some, mixed age play may sound a bit daunting; what if an older child’s play is too advanced for a younger child? What if a younger child picks up a bad habit from an older child, or an older child gets bored with the younger child’s more limited abilities? After all, kids must be separated by age in school for a reason right? Well, think about any other time children are together, in your own home, family gatherings, and the playground (even at school!), kids of multiple ages are always playing together. Separating kids by age is a relatively new concept, as even schools used to have grades 1-8 together in a one room schoolhouse.
So what are the benefits of kids of different ages playing together? They learn so much from one another! Older children are able to act as role models to younger kids. Even when the youngsters don’t seem to be engaged, they are watching and listening! They learn so much just by observing how older kids climb, run, jump, interact with others, and by listening to them. Littles look up to others older than them, so this desire to be like the big kids helps them to adopt new movements and develop motor skills. But seeing how big kids interact with each other also shows younger children cognitive skills such as problem solving, social skills, and even emotional skills. Having an older sibling, cousin, or playmate can help these younger kids to catch onto these skills much quicker, as they want to be able to do what the older kids do. This helps them to excel and in some cases be ahead of their own peers.
And it's not just the younger kids that learn in this situation. Many people may be concerned that there is nothing in mixed age play if their child is one of the older kids involved, but this isn’t the case at all! Older kids are able to help teach younger kids, strengthening their sense of self, responsibility, teaching them to be leaders, and developing important emotional skills such as empathy, kindness, and even creativity. These skills are important in everyday life, but also in creating and maintaining friendships and even relationships with siblings and parents in their current life and even later down the road. Studies have also shown that when children play with others three years younger than them, they grow up to be more nurturing and kind, which also helps with building relationships.
So what are some good activities for mixed age play? The example of playing catch is very popular for mixed age play, as two four year olds would have a more difficult time with the game. Coordination is still being developed, making throws more inaccurate and catching more difficult. But if a four year old and an eight year old play catch together, the eight year old is able to throw more consistently for the four year old to work on catching. The eight year old is also able to run or jump to more easily catch the younger one’s more wild throws, and the younger observes correct form from the older child. Board games and card games are always good too. Two younger children may have a difficult time remembering the game rules or the objective, but having another kid a couple years older to remind them of these things, or even to help the younger ones build a strategy helps them to learn the game and have fun! Even crafts are a fantastic opportunity for mixed age children. Older kids can help younger children hold a crayon, show them how to color in the lines, and two young minds together always produce creativity!
So next time you wonder if you should let your little play with the big kids, go for it! The same goes with having your bigger kid play with the littles, see how proud they are when they tell you they helped some younger kids out or were able to teach them something new!
Now you may be wondering, “Why does Play Date have two separate play areas for 0-2 and 3-7 if mixed age play is so important?” We wanted to create a safe place for our youngest customers to be able to explore at their own pace, without parents being worried that they may get knocked over by more mobile and able older kids. Any children 0-2 are welcome to play in the other play area, but by having a space dedicated to them, they have a safe place to hang out if the older kids are especially energetic on a given day.