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Parents can help their children develop their communication skills by encouraging their participation in mixed-age group activities, where children of different age groups learn to interact. When children play and interact with other children who are in different age ranges, called cross-age interaction, the younger children learn from the older children how to communicate more effectively and how to learn more advanced games and activities.
Participation and performance gymnastics, such as recreational and team gymnastics, provides an opportunity for similar-aged children to engage in cross-age interaction and watch and learn from the children in their group. All children in a recreational gymnastics group benefit from cross-age interaction, as the younger and older children learn to listen to each other, to help each other successfully complete a movement, to watch each other’s form and develop assessment and problem-solving skills, and to learn how to listen to and apply the coach’s instructions.
According to psychologist Peter Gray, “Children learn about their world through exploration, and they consolidate that information–both verbally and in motor patterns–in their play. The biggest part of exploration for children is observing other human beings, especially those who are older, more skilled, and more knowledgeable.”
Regular mixed-age learning and play, like every day or a few times a week, benefits families with all ages of children and adults.
For parents who are new to gymnastics or want to get their children or teenagers started with gymnastics, start with the beginning participation class at our gym!
Try This At Home:
Once a week, play a family game where everyone teaches someone else a skill. For example, the five year old sister can teach her 17 year old brother how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; the 17 year old brother can teach his five year old sister how to make chocolate chip pancakes. The fun challenge is to follow the instructions given by the “teacher”: what does the sandwich look and taste like when the 17 year old brother is following instructions from his 5 year old sister? Or how do the pancakes turn out when the 5 year old sister follows the instructions of the 17 year old brother? The goal is light-hearted fun–messing up and making mistakes part of this game!--and it teaches family members how to communicate across ages. If the sandwich or pancakes are a big mess and taste terrible, go out for a family treat and laugh about the experience!
Want to Learn More? Read This!
Ellen Galinsky’s Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs
Carol Kranowitz’s Growing an In-Sync Child: Simple, Fun Activities to Help Every Child Develop, Learn, and Grow
Lawrence J. Cohen’s Playful Parenting: An Exciting New Approach to Raising Children that will Help You Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavior Problems, and Encourage Confidence
Work Cited
Gray, Peter. “The Special Value of Children’s Age-Mixed Play.” American Journal of Play, volume 3, number 4, 2011, pp. 500-522. LINK
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