Age by age, top activities for them to take care of alone

Parents, there’s bound to come a time when you need some peace and quiet. Whether it’s because you are telecommuting, during an important phone call to make or simply, because you want to sit down quietly to take a break, you need to find a way to occupy your children during this time. -the.

Read also: 10 activities to keep your family busy when you’re locked up at home

Of course (and you’re not the only one) you sometimes turn to screens to keep them quiet, and up to a point, that’s okay. It is when this becomes a little too frequent that it is important to find other solutions. Depending on their age and even if it is sometimes hard to believe, children can take care of themselves! And guess what, it’s even very beneficial for them.

Read also: 5 science experiments to do at home (0% danger, 100% fun)

In addition to developing fine motor skills, solitary activities help to relax the mind and improve waiting times. They will therefore be useful throughout your child’s life. Note, when they are small and even if you are very busy, always keep an eye on the activity your child is doing alone. Also remove all objects that could represent a danger. Small tip: depending on the age of the child, invest in an hourglass of 15, 20, 30 minutes to 1 hour and place it next to him. In this way, he will know how to manage the time he has left to take care of and on his own and will make him responsible. Do not forget to control the end of the allotted time!

2 years

The dinette
Invest in a nice plastic or wooden dinette set, place your child next to you and take care to remove any small objects that they might ingest. Put it on a play mat and let it play on its own.

A little extra tip: order him a “meal” so that he can cook, prepare the dishes, bring them, serve …

Read also: 0 to 1 year old: 10 early learning activities to do with my baby

3 years

Montessori activities
At age 3, a child’s attention span for games that use fine motor skills is between 15 to 30 minutes. We therefore do not skimp on the games of forms, threading, stacking, decanting… They will occupy your child and will also contribute to his awakening.

Read also: What activities for my 4 year old child?

The drawing
This activity can actually fit into all age categories from 12 months. You probably already know this, but drawing and artistic activities in general bring a whole host of benefits, both physical and mental. Scribbling, painting or drawing help to gain coordination, dexterity, develop fine motor skills, but also to promote observation, understanding and reproduction. If you want your child to do it on their own, consider protecting your surfaces, carpet or parquet with a tarp or oilcloth.

Read also: Top best Montessori books between 0 to 12 years old

Puzzles
To be introduced from 1 year old, the puzzles remain a wonderful source of occupation for the little ones, who can spend hours trying to put everything together. We buy them first in wood, with large pieces, then we add in difficulty and in number of pieces, as the child grows.

Read also: Our selection of the best wooden toys for children

Puzzles are a universal activity that will entertain children, teenagers or adults, so it’s always good to have a couple of them on hand at home! Depending on their age, be careful not to take pieces that are too small that could be swallowed, especially if you want them to play on their own.

4 to 6 years

Construction games
They are timeless and allow you to achieve great things. Lego, Playmobil, Kapla… We all played there when we were younger. These timeless games are suitable for all ages, girls and boys. Do you have a large chest full of them? It’s time to take it out! Construction games help improve patience, dexterity and most importantly, they can keep you busy for hours. For smaller children, prefer Kapla to Playmobil which are sometimes made up of very small parts that can be swallowed.

The little extra for older children: show them a photo of a famous monument (Arc de Triomphe, Montparnasse Tower, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the pyramids of Egypt, the Aztec pyramids, the Burj Khalifa tower, the Colosseum … ..) and ask him to try to reproduce it in Kapla.
Once the activity is over, consider involving your child in tidying up building materials. This will help them develop their organizational skills and prevent you from stepping on that famous Lego which hurts your feet a lot in the middle of the night.

Cartoons
Since screens are not recommended before 3 years old, you can start showing your child movies or cartoons after this age. Be careful, however, we cannot repeat it enough, screens are to be consumed in moderation, regardless of age. Even if you are very busy, it is important to limit the time your child spends in front of the phone, television, tablet …
To give you a point of reference, child psychiatrists agree that the “hour per year of age per week” rule applies. Clearly, if your child is 4 years old, he can spend 4 hours a week in front of the screens, if he has 5.5 hours a week, and so on. With a limit of twelve hours per week.

10 screen-free activities to do with your kids

Video by Clara Poudevigne

8 to 10 years

Puzzle games
Sudoku, crosswords, puzzles … If your child is fond of this kind of activity, know that they have many advantages. They not only develop concentration, but also stimulate neurons and improve memory.

Construction games
Kapla are not just for the little ones. Creating the tallest tower, the tallest building or its holiday home is fun for all and allows to occupy our dear darlings or brunettes for long hours (yes, yes).

The little extra for older children: show them a photo of a famous monument (Arc de Triomphe, Montparnasse Tower, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the pyramids of Egypt, the Aztec pyramids, the Burj Khalifa tower, the Colosseum … ..) and ask them to try to reproduce it in Kapla. Sometimes a challenge!

Painting by number
An artistic activity that requires both thoroughness and patience, number painting is a perfect gift for your child. It is usually done in several times depending on the difficulty of the drawing and may occupy it for a long time. Little more ? Once finished, you will have a pretty creation to hang on the wall!

Reading
It may seem logical, but unfortunately many children of the new generation do not read enough. Too many screens, lack of habit, lack of motivation… Some books could however please them very much, according to their fields of predilection. Mangas, comics or novels, there is no shortage of choice. A passionate book can be as addicting as a good movie (and offer you peace and silence for a good hour)