What can a two year old and four year old play together? (10 Fun Activities for Multiple Children)

What can a two year old and four year old play together? (10 Activities for multiple children)

If you have multiple kids at home under the age of 5, you probably know how challenging it can be to keep them busy and happy throughout the day. 

This age group requires consistent entertainment and guidance during play, and it may be tough to find activities that younger and older kids can enjoy together.

The good news is that preschoolers and toddlers can play together happily; they just need guidance and activity suggestions from the grown-ups. Here are some fun play ideas, games, and activities your preschooler (around age 4) and toddler (anywhere from 1 to 3) can do together. 

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Keep the Balloon Up

What can a two year old and four year old play together?

Blow up several balloons and have your little ones work on jumping, catching, and throwing the balloons back up in the air. This activity will get their hearts pumping and is great physical exercise. You can even try playing a volleyball game — challenge them to team up against you and see who wins. Who knows, they may even work together!

Hopscotch

If you are stuck inside, hopscotch is a fun and easy way to get the wiggles out while working on coordination and counting. Encourage your preschooler to help your toddler with counting and cheer them on. If you’re outside, have the kids help you draw out the hopscotch game in chalk and take turns jumping and counting.

Balance Beam

Both your children can work on their balancing skills without an actual beam — simply draw out a straight line in painter’s tape on the floor (indoors or outdoors) and have them practice walking in a straight line! Your toddler may need help balancing, so encourage your preschooler to lend a helping hand. Have both kids try walking forwards and backward, jumping, and any other fun movement they can think of. 

Bubbles

Is there a better universally-loved activity than bubbles? They’re fun for all ages, even for parents! Grab all the bubble wands you have and have your kiddos get to blowing or waving their arms to create the biggest bubbles they can. Take turns blowing and popping bubbles, and count how many each child can catch/ pop. 

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Bubble Wrap Play

If you have bubble wrap lying around, unroll it and let your kiddos go to town, popping as many bubbles as they can! They will love the loud, satisfying popping noise. Throw in some toys to help them pop for an extra-fun indoor activity. 

Hide and Seek

What can a two year old and four year old play together

Hide and seek is fun for the whole family, even if your toddler doesn’t fully understand the rules. Help them find a sneaky hiding space, and have your preschooler try to find them. They can even play with stuffed animals or their favorite toys by hiding those instead. 

Dance Party

What can a two year old and four year old play together

Everybody loves a dance party, especially if you join in. Have each child pick their favorite songs, create a playlist, and get to dancing! Play their favorite movie soundtracks or nursery rhymes. You can encourage both kids to showcase their favorite dance moves and sing their hearts out.

Build a Fort

Build an awesome couch fort or grab a box fan and set up this Air Fort in your living room. Get blankets, snacks, flashlights, and their favorite toys to camp out and play with all day. Building forts encourages creativity and problem-solving while being a super-fun way for your kids to work together.

Related post: Indoor Toys for Active Toddlers

Red Light, Green Light

Your kids can practice their listening skills and get some exercise with a fun game of Red Light, Green Light. Your four-year-old can help your two-year-old practice stopping on time and running as fast as they can when they hear “Green Light!” This game can be played indoors or outside, making it a universally-loved activity for parents and children alike. 

Gardening

If you have an outdoor garden, enlist the help of your kiddos with watering, pulling weeds, and planting new seeds. Both age groups can help move dirt and pour water. As they’re working, talk about their hard work and how they’re helping the family grow vegetables and plants for your home. Get your kiddos extra excited about gardening with a cute gardener set.

You might also enjoy: How to Teach a Toddler To Go Down the Slide

What do two and four-year-olds like to play with?

Aside from their favorite toys, two and four-year-olds need a lot of movement and activity to stay entertained. While a two-year-old may not be able to grasp sharing toys quite yet, your 4-year-old may struggle with this concept, especially with his sibling. 

Activity play, however, is a great way to engage both children in play that doesn’t result in fighting over toys. Many of the activities we listed above don’t require toys, like hopscotch, hide and seek, dance parties, or walking on a balance beam. 

If your kiddos struggle to share toys and have difficulty playing together harmoniously, we recommend trying activities over toys to get them to enjoy time together. 

Can a two-year-old play with other children?

A two-year-old can play harmoniously with other children, regardless of if they are older or younger than your child. At age 2, your child may be more interested in watching other kids play and imitate them. If your two-year-old is playing with a child near his age, you may see them playing side by side without really interacting. This is totally normal for his age and development. 

2-year-olds may struggle to share toys with older children, so an activity instead of toys may be a better choice to keep everyone happy.

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At what age do toddlers play with other kids?

Around one year, babies begin to enjoy playing near other babies and toddlers. They aren’t ready to share toys yet or play with other children, but some one-year-olds welcome social interaction. Solitary play is expected at this developmental age, where your baby is more focused on himself than other kids.

Somewhere between 2 and 3 years old, you will notice your toddler showing more interest in interacting with other toddlers and older children. Sharing may still be a struggle, but social interaction involves trial and error and lots of practice. The more your toddler is around other children, the more they will grasp socializing, sharing, and playing together.

Wrap Up – What can a two year old and four year old play together?

What can a two-year old and four-year old play together

Encouraging play between your toddler and preschooler can be challenging, but the more you stick with it, the better off they’ll be. When your young children can play harmoniously, you may be able to get some things done around the house or even have a moment to yourself. Everybody wins! 

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