Tink69 Posted April 6, 2010 Posted April 6, 2010 (edited) Hi its day 1 of the Easter hols here and I have a 10 year old and I am running out of ideas for him to do. He spends most of his time at home on his Wii or watching tv. He has brought his DS to the setting but I am trying to keep him away from it. He is at the age where he thinks he can stay home he told his mum this morning that he didn't want to come while his mum worked. Any ideas would be appreciated I have all the usual stuff lego, board games, craft etc. We go on trips to the local park and have cooking activities planned. He attends with his 2 siblings. Tink69 Edited April 6, 2010 by Tink69
Panders Posted April 6, 2010 Posted April 6, 2010 Oh Tink - my sympathies - I have 3 boys of my own - obviously much older now so I don't need to worry about activities for them, however, my youngest at the age of 12 loved DT lessons at school and would love nothing more while on holiday than designing something to make from wood etc. We gave him a book called 101 things to make in a shed (at least I think that's what it was called) and it had all kinds of ideas and plans and how to make things - perhaps you could get some offcuts from a local DIY store and set him to work if he likes that type of thing. My lads always enjoyed physical tasks, so mowing the grass and digging over a patch of ground, I know it's different when they aren't your own - looks like slave labour (hehe) but would there be something physical he could do but feel really grown up about doing? You could then intersperse these bouts of activity with goes on his DS so that he doesn't get withdrawal symptoms!
Upsy Daisy Posted April 6, 2010 Posted April 6, 2010 Challenge him to make a marble run from junk modelling to cross the room or to use lego/meccano etc to carry biscuits to people's plates at snack time. Make a bicarb and vinegar volcano. Have you given him gloop? That usually gets them at any age. Give him some figures and a camera to make a short film from still shots or video. I'll keep thinking.
sunnyday Posted April 6, 2010 Posted April 6, 2010 Great ideas already.... I have my 11 year old grandson with me today and for much of remainder of holiday! He is watching TV as I type this - but not some mindless American cartoon.......he has a passion for history - so I recorded a documentary on London in the blitz for him! This morning he has played with his lego, tackled some maths homework thank heavens he didn't ask for my help! We are off soon to pick up my mum - his great gran - we are taking her out for lunch.......I love watching them together! Later we will visit library. Other things he enjoys - swimming - I know perhaps not possible with childminding child, I will drag him out for walks, maybe have one of his friends round for the day, we play board games, card games and what I call pen and pencil games (hangman, squares etc.) together......... He will use my computer and will get to use his DS too.........just try to find lots for him to do. He is old enough and responsible enough to walk to our village shop on his own - so no doubt I will find him some errands to run! I love having him, takes me back to when his dad was that age - 5 minutes ago or so it seems! :wacko:
Tink69 Posted April 6, 2010 Author Posted April 6, 2010 (edited) Thanks I knew you would come up with some great ideas Have you given him gloop? That usually gets them at any age Thanks Upsy Daisy this is a favourite, Tink69 Edited April 6, 2010 by Tink69
Guest Posted April 6, 2010 Posted April 6, 2010 Hi had a little think, quite challenging to entertain them at this age! woodwork is a definite with some and can be differentiated for younger children. A focus project and a supply of materials gets them going. They get the feeling of 'responsibility' and independence but you can contain their safety too - win win A basket of old VCR's, radio's, phones, etc and a selection of screwdrivers keeps them busy for ages if they are in to finding out how things work. Remote control cars (if you have one) can have obstacles courses built and designed for them. Aerial slides (balls of string) for action men/teddies Gosh i'm struggling now - off to collect things for the bicarbonate volcano!! Never done one before, sounds fun!
Tink69 Posted April 6, 2010 Author Posted April 6, 2010 A basket of old VCR's, radio's, phones etc and a selection of screwdrivers keeps them busy for ages if they are in to finding out how things work. Remote control cars (if you have one) can have obstacles courses built and designed for them. Aerial slides (balls of string) for action men/teddies" Excellent ideas thanks will be raiding hubby's shed in the morning Tink69
Beau Posted April 8, 2010 Posted April 8, 2010 Can you get him some comics that he might enjoy looking at? My son liked to also draw out 'story boards' of his favourite computer games with stick figures - he liked war/strategy type games so would draw lots of stick figures firing arrows at each other! He loved setting up obstacle courses for my little ones too. One of their favourite games was 'earthquake tower' - he would pile up all the sofa cushions and the little ones would climb on top whilst he shook them around. The dad of the little boy I had thought it was a fantastic game. Construction too was one of his favourites - but then he's now at uni training to be an Architect so I guess the passion was always in him!
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