kids activities

Activities for All Ages

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If you have children that are not very close in age or run a daycare with a wide range of ages it can be tricky to plan activities that will engage everyone. But it is not impossible.

There are activities that can be planned that everyone can participate in at their own level or ones where the older children can help the younger. Don’t despair about the age gap or feel that you need to plan something different for everyone. Follow the tips below as a guide or starting point to including everyone in your summertime activities.

Indoor or outdoor crafts are perfect for kids of all ages. Provide the materials and general instructions and see the different masterpieces that will be created. When making crafts keep in mind that the instructions are more of a starting point. Let kids use their imagination to make it all their own. You will be pleased with the results when fewer parameters are put on a child’s imagination when creating artwork or other hands-on crafts.

Old-fashioned games of hide-and-seek or tag are games that children of all ages will enjoy. The added benefit of the physical activity will run of some of the abundant energy children possess. By participating yourself you can fit in your own exercise for the day too.

Let older children help facilitate the summer activities that you plan. By engaging the older children to help the younger they will feel a sense of responsibility and importance. This is a summer activity in itself, teaching leadership to children will help in many aspects of their lives.

When the situation warrants it, let the older and younger children do their own things. But don’t feel that you can’t combine the activities too, it is easier for you and great for the kids.

Rock Pets and Other Rock Crafts

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Kids love to paint especially when it is something other than paper. Rock crafts can be made into many things from pet rocks to steppingstones and even garden markers. Materials needed for this activity are rocks of various shapes and sizes, tempura paint, paint brushes. Optional materials include glue, permanent markers, and googely eyes.

If you have access to rocks outside, let the children pick their own. You can tell them to find rocks that they think have a special shape or would look good as a certain animal or bug (lady bugs and frogs are popular choices). If you are going to be making something larger like a steppingstone, garden stone, or vegetable marker, you can go to your local gardening or landscaping supply store.

Older children may like the added challenge of finding many small rocks and piecing them together them together to make a creature or object. If you do not have glue that is strong enough to hold rocks together clay will work as an adhesive too. With various shaped rocks you can build a car using an oblong rock for the body and four round rocks for the wheels.

Let the children paint their creations and let dry thoroughly. You should put the children’s name on the bottom of the rock for future identification. When the rocks are completely dry you can hand them over to their new charges if they are not meant to go outside. But if they are going to be going into the garden as a marker for a row of carrots or just decoration, they should be treated first so the paint does not wash away.

If you cannot find a child-safe sealant for the paint, finish the last step when they have gone to bed or are occupied with something else. Once the sealant is dry it can be put outside in its new home.

Making a Kite

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Flying a kite is good exercise and a lot of fun (even if you don’t get the kite up in the air).
Instead of going out and buying a kite, make one instead. You will need fabric (or very
strong paper), strong glue, two wooden dowels and string.

To begin, lay the two dowels in a cross position and use some of the string to lash the
sticks together into that position. You will do this by weaving the string in and out of the
dowels. Once the dowels are secure, put glue on the string and leave it to dry. Once this
is done you should have a strong frame for your kite.

The next step is to create a frame around your dowels using the string. To make sure the
string does not slip, cut a small notch at the end of each dowel. Starting at one end, wrap
the string around the dowel where the notch is and then bring the string to the next dowel
while keeping the string taut wrap it around the next dowel. Continue until string is
connecting all four dowels. Again, put dabs of glue on the string where it meets the
dowels and leave to dry.

Once your completed frame is dry, lay your fabric on the kite frame and cut it with an
extra one inch on all sides to wrap around the frame. Use glue to secure the fabric
around the kite frame.

The last step is to attach the string to the kite. You will need to make what is called a
bridle by attaching the string to the kite frame in two locations (they should be on
opposite sides) in a loop formation. Then attach the string you are going to use to fly the
kite to the bridle.

Now Go Fly a Kite

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