Crafts with a maximum age? What?

You know what really grinds my gears? When we, as a creative community, write posts with craft for individuals 7-9. Or 3-6. Or 15-19.

You know why?

Because creativity should never be told to stop. We should label these as 7 and up. 3 and up. 15 and up.

I understand why we need minimum ages: dexterity, chocking/poking/burning hazards, and cognition limitations. Safety first, always.

But why do we need to limit crafts to a certain age? Why can't we continue to embrace creativity? For instance, Here is a great list of creative projects for 3 to 5 year olds. As I scrolled through the post I kept thinking "Oooooh! This looks like so much fun!"t then I felt like I shouldn't be enticed by these ideas because I'm almost 16 and I need to do more grown up stuff. But that's not right, is it? 

Isn't crafting about expressing creativity and having fun as you go? It's about letting your imagination wander, making things that make you smile. And so what if that craft I had so much fun with was aimed at a 5 year old? Why do we force our creativity into age groups? Isn't creatiity about self expression?

Have you seen the amazing pieces of art people make with perler beads? I'm pretty sure those beads are aimed at kids in elementary school, but adults are investing ridiculous amounts of time into creating stunning works of art. Check out this impressive work that took over 2 years! There is no reason to put maximum ages on crafting supplies because people of any age can use them for their own purposes.

Why don't we not look at kids crafts in a "Introduce at age      " mindset, instead of a "age     - age    "
Or, better yet, why don't we group crafts by their characteristics and abandon age, because everyone develops on their own timeline. Why don't we have "Basic finger painting crafts" and "Simple paper crafts" and "Advanced paper quilling" and "Messy glitter crafts"? Why can't we use a few more words to describe and label crafts without locking in a target age group? I know that parents, caregivers of children, and teachers know what their age group is capable of, and what they'd enjoy, even it was below what they may be capable of, just for fun. My friend Chloe and I had so much fun creating stained glass glue that was aimed at elementary age kids, and I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

Another thought; I feel like if you give a wide demographic of people a box of chalk, I think everyone has the capability to enjoy some kind of activity with the chalk. Of course, it may hold so peoples interest longer than others, and obviously the finished product will vary highly, but everybody could enjoy the creative, imaginative process. I feel like even with basic supplies people of all ages can get involved and have a good time, so why, WHY, do we put a maximum age on crafty things? I just don't get it.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Am I reading too far into this? How do you think we could change our mindset when it comes to crafting?



Also:
I'm reposting this photo because this face is the one I make in relation to these situations. And it makes me laugh.