If your children are relatively close in age like mine, then you know how they always want to do what the other one is doing. One way that I have found to deal with this is to offer similar activities or variations of the same activity at each one’s ability or development level. I wanted to share a few examples in a series of post. This is the first one.
These are both vehicles to be assembled and dismantled.
The set on the left is for Solu who is 3.5. It has smaller parts and requires a tool for assembly.
I love that the screws are designed in such a way that they don’t fall out. This has really been a perfect match for his ability and interest. Putting the pieces back into the case also feels like a puzzle for him because they all have to fit a certain way. So many opportunities for cognitive and fine motor development
The set on the right is for Metu who will be 2 next week (how is that possible?)
It is magnetic concrete mixer which I mentioned in this post about Solu’s activities at 25 months. It was also a hit for the 2 year olds in my toddler community. It does not require any tools and allows for more exploration. He gets to use his hands in different ways and figure out how things fit together. He also enjoys pushing it around and exploring “smooth and bumpy roads” which is his current obsession.
Both activities also provide opportunities for vocabulary acquisition. We have been talking about axles, barrels, tires, cabs etc.
An example of providing variations of the same activities is this one with two levels of cutting.
On the left, which was for Solu when he was almost three, I have left the paint chips whole and and he needs to use several snips and pay attention to cut the straight line. The scissors also only allows two fingers and so requires a different level of ability and hand strength. I also have not added a container for the pieces because he prefer to cut them on the tray and we save them for later.
On the right is the tray for Metu at about 18months. I have cut the paint chips into strips that require just one snip. The scissors allow him how use 3 or 4 fingers. I have also put it in a protective sleeve to emphasize that they the blades are to be handled with care and they should always be carried/held by the handles. I have also included a container for the pieces because he is in that stage when he has a very high need for order and a place for everything.
I’ll post again soon with more examples like the one below!
Do you find that your children always want to do what the other one is doing? How do you deal with this? Share in the comments!
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