Something Playful: The Sticker Edit

Age by Age: What to Expect/ The Setup/ The Sticker List/ Toddler Ideas to Teen Ideas/ When It’s Not Working/

Yesterday afternoon, I put out a tray of stickers and some washable acrylic markers on the kitchen table.

I did not say anything to anyone.

I did not give any directions.

I just put it there and went about my day.

First, my sixth grader and her best friend walked in, hot and grumpy and ready for the school year to be over. (Two more days!! We are almost there.)

I was standing at the counter and offered to make them a snack. As I cut and washed strawberries and put some Dot’s honey mustard pretzels in a bowl, I looked beside me and... Moths to a flame. They worked on it for about thirty minutes before disappearing into Sloane’s room, the dogs trailing behind them, whispers of a Minecraft Marathon ahead.

And then, later that night, I was half asleep when I heard the sixteen-year-olds in the kitchen.

They had just gotten back from a late night walk to our local convenience store, and I could hear the clanking of bowls and spoons as they made their ice cream sundaes. As I fell asleep, I wondered if they would use the stickers that were out from the afternoon, or if they would skip right past it, noses in phones, mouths full of chocolate ice cream.

When I came down this morning, I discovered sticky bowls in the sink, shoes strewn across the den and half-leading to the mudroom, and Takis crumbs on the couch. I half rolled my eyes at the mess, and I half-smiled because this is exactly the kind of home I always wanted. One where my kids and their friends would feel comfortable just being themselves. And I know that comes with mess. I cleaned up some of it, and then asked my girls to take care of the rest when they woke up.

But the thing that made my smile go from a half smile to a huge grin? The 16-year-olds used my stickers and markers, and made some really cool art.

I really don’t think big kids outgrow making and playing. I think they just lose the time and the easy access to materials.

And for today’s edition of Something Playful, I am bringing you The Sticker Edit.

Something Playful is a paid series inside this publication. Each installment takes one type of play material (playdough, magnetic tiles, art supplies, sensory toys, chalk, bath toys, and more) and tells you exactly what to put out, how much, and what to do when it stops working. Age-by-age. No guessing. Become a paid subscriber for the full series →

If you have been thinking about subscribing, this is a good week to start.