Ideas to Help Siblings Play Nice

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I really wish I could tell you that Jude and Teagan play nicely together all the time but that would be a lie. Jude is 8 years old and Teagan is 6. When we found out that we were expecting Teagan, I was thrilled that they would be close in age with the hopes of them enjoying to play together as they grew older. Now, let’s be real…siblings fight and while most days they are great together other days they need a little encouragement to play nicely together.

Using Imaginative Play To Help Siblings Play Nicely Together

One key to this whole idea of older and younger siblings playing nice is providing them with activities and ideas that they can do together. Even though Jude and Teagan are less than 2 years apart, their interests and abilities are different. This is why we rely on imaginative play when encouraging them to play together. This is where PLAYMOBIL toy sets come into play in our home. These sets are perfect because we can always find a theme that they both love and there is a lot of opportunities for some amazing creative play.

Hover over the image above to shop for PLAYMOBIL at Walmart.

The most recent PLAYMOBIL toy set that we bought is the PLAYMOBIL Hidden Temple with T-Rex. I cannot tell you how excited the kids were when they saw this set. Teagan was most excited that there was a girl explorer and she started coming up with names for each of the 3 figures included in the set. Jude was excited to build this set and then have the T-Rex knock it down!

To get started I wanted them to work together to put this set together. While they did need some help from dad they were able to work together to go through the instructions and create this amazing Hidden Temple! What was great about this was seeing the two of them work together to build something. Once it was complete, seeing their pride in their hard work was priceless. PLAYMOBIL makes it easy to put these toy sets together and still have time to play too!

Why We Choose PLAYMOBIL

PLAYMOBIL has been a brand that we love and trust over the years of toy buying. We love PLAYMOBIL toy sets because they offer so many options that are focused around figures and situations in both real-life settings, like a school bus and a zoo, but also some amazing fantasy worlds that include Ghostbusters and dinosaurs. These play sets are some of my kids favorite toys, and they really do inspire them to use their imaginations. The PLAYMOBIL toy brand offers high-quality, well-made toys at a price that we love!

While so many kids are asking for video games and electronics for gifts this holiday season I know my kids will be asking for more PLAYMOBIL toy sets and this mom is perfectly fine with that request. Finding screen free activities is important to me. We are lucky that our kids love to read but at times when they are not reading it seems like they immediately run to the screens. Having the toy sets around not only allows them to create together but they use their imagination too!

Ideas to Help Siblings Play Nice

Provide age appropriate ideas & toys

We cannot expect a 8 year old to play with toys for a 3 year old. Providing options that the siblings can both enjoy together will be a perfect way to encourage them to play together. The PLAYMOBIL toy sets are perfect for this. While some are geared towards lower ages they are all sets that can be used in imaginative play for any age.

Don’t Force It!

Look, we would love to have our kids play together all the time but that isn’t going to happen. Encourage the siblings to play when your older child is in a good mood and not preoccupied with something else. Then watch for cues that the kids have had enough. I think kids make it pretty clear when they are done!

Encourage the Older Sibling

A lot of the time it is Jude who does not want to play with his LITTLE sister. But, if we sit with Jude and let him know how much Teagan looks up to him and wants to play with him he really responds well. A little flattery goes a long way!

Turn off those screens!

All of these ideas are centered around imaginative play with PLAYMOBIL and that is on purpose. We have noticed that on evenings that we say NO SCREENS the kids are able to come together and find an activity to enjoy together. Screen time should be limited for all children but what a great way to see the benefits too. Seeing those imaginations building is so great!

Teach Through Conflict

Because there will be conflicts…these little kiddos are human and with every human comes some kind of conflict. I am a big “teachable moment” mom and conflicts are a great time to create teachable moments. So when those fights begin allow your kids a few minutes to see if they can begin to solve the conflict on their own. If they don’t, step in and try to coach them through resolving their problems.

Head over to the toy section of your local Walmart to check out the amazing PLAYMOBIL sets available. With out a doubt, you will find a set that fits your children’s personalities.