Young children do not understand the idea that things belong to other people. This concept comes with time and teaching. Until they can truly understand, parents and other responsible people need to be on guard in case of problems. Another thing is that children can easily misuse something, say poke the child next to them with the flag pole deliberately and someone needs to be on hand to keep them in order. Worship tools are often costly in terms of time and or money, so children must be taught to take care of them.
Children should only be given worship tools that are within their capability to use. There is no point in giving a preschool child a heavy metal pole as they could easily do themselves or someone else an injury with it. Flags can be made of proportionate size and weight. So, a small child could have a small flag on a wooden pole that is much lighter than the larger flag on the metal pole. The ribbons and streamers also come in a variety of sizes. Some things are easier to use, like short ribbons are easier to manage than long ones. Being able to move a size up or use a different tool could also be a sign of increasing maturity and development.
In terms of grading ease of use. The easiest things to use are short ribbons on handles, the next easiest are the praise rings and the hardest are streamers. Flags can be easy or hard to use depending on their weight and size.
Often children are given a streamer and told to wave it to occupy them. Children, like adults, need to learn that using worship tools is not playing or performing but an act of love towards God. Children also need to learn that there is a time for everything including a time to worship with streamers and a time to sit still. Often, the best way to teach them is by example even if you need to find someone to teach you so you can teach your child.
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