What do your 6 year olds do after school?

[Piecarumba]

I’m very worried about DS, since the last lockdown he has seemed subdued and whilst is doing fine at school he is not particularly interested and seems disengaged.

At home we’ve cut right back on screen time as he had far too much whilst we were both working and attempting to homeschool. He seems at a loss at what to do with himself without the TV or
Minecraft. I’ve tried reading with him, colouring, crafting, board games, chucking him in the garden, Lego. He’ll reluctantly do these things but seems to need constant input from me. I’m just wondering what everyone else’s 6 year olds typically do and what else I can try?
TIA

My son has 30mins-1 he of tv or games when he gets home (after putting shoes/bags away) and a snack. Then when that time is up he plays in the garden on the trampoline or acting out fights/Pokemon battles. He has swimming and taekwondo after school so that takes up time on 2 evenings.

My son likes quite a bit of input from me too, but seems to manage ok when I am very clear I can’t play with him so long as he does get time playing with me at some point.

Plays on the swing, kicks a football about, plays action figures, practices his instrument. We banned electronics mid week apart from a movie day on my day off. They eventually work through the boredom.

Today we were in the garden til bedtime, making a dalek out of clay and pretending to be different kinds of aliens with a big plastic stick thing.

Indoors he's built a Minecraft world out of lego, and he gets the Okido magazine every month which he particularly likes colouring in.

He'll read a book by himself now, currently enjoying Pusheen the cat and various Minecraft handbooks.

Oh he'll do hama beads for ages too, those are good for making Minecraft things.

Eat, Xbox, eat, Xbox, bath, tv whilst eating, bed

Watch annoying youtubers talk about minecraft, annoy her sister, badger me to play board games (particularly Junior Monopoly, Dobble, a Hatchimals board game) or make up scenarios with Playmobil or Sylvanian Families, argue about tidying up before 5pm when they are allowed to play on Nintendo Switches for about a hour until dinner. She does Rainbows on Wednesdays, which is still online at the moment but I hope will restart outside soon.

3.30-5: Play with friends at the park. Read. Play with her brother or the baby. Violin practice. Drawing or making little books or cards for friends etc. After school club until 4.30 once a week. Grandma collects and plays once a week.
5pm: dinner
5.30: big tidy up, gets uniform for tomorrow then tv
6.25: bath, teeth, reading
Bed 7.15

Monday's and Thursday he goes to running club

I take him to park straight after school the other days , then we walk the dog , have dinner at 6.30 then he gets 30 minutes tv before bed.

Mine plays in the garden for an hour then plays with toys or draws/colours while I make dinner. After dinner she'll read to me and then watch 20mins tv while I tidy the kitchen

7yr old, plays in the garden with the mud kitchen, trampoline, creates showjumping courses out of willow canes and jumps her imaginary pony round repeatedly I love the lighter afternoons/evenings which make this possible.
They can have 30 minutes screen time, they read a lot, play with Playmobil, go with an older sibling to the village playground, walk the dog.
They have a swimming lesson once a week, a riding lesson and football training.

I have an 8 year old and she mostly watches tv as Dh and I need to work. But if I didn’t have to do work, we’d go for a walk, go to the playground, she’d go in the garden, she’d do homework, probably still watch a bit of tv.

With the weather being so nice mine are usually playing outside until 5 or 6. We are very lucky though because we live in a village with a lovely green and park right opposite the school, so many people just stay on after hometime. Then when they do get in, I don't mind them playing a bit of Minecraft or watching TV before / after dinner.

Mines the same, not helped by the fact that schools are back full time but his afterschool isnt. So I am having to juggle looking after him with working. So he has been having more screen time than I would have allowed in the past. What does help snap him out of it is very clear rules on how long he can spend watching TV/playing games and when it will end. Then I try to have a more organised activity for him, such as a treasure hunt (not as time consuming as it sounds to make up. it takes about 5 minutes to write out clues to each place and put them in the house), or a "guess what the toys/objects are" while blindfolded etc etc etc. That actually then normally inspires him to find something to play with. e.g. while doing the treasure hunt he will notice a slug in the garden, or want to play with one of the toys etc etc. So then he finds something to entertain himself while if I just told him "go play" he would mope about. We are also learning chess which suits his competitive side. If you describe the pieces as each having special "powers" and bang on about "strategy" it appeals.

Oh yes, and I take him to the park to play football/chase. Often a friend will call round eithe to go to the playground with us or to play in our house/garden. I put up with being the one to take them or host because it works out easier than entertaining the 6yo on his own. It is hard with only children - I think it is normal for them to be at a bit of a loss sometimes.

@sweetclems

Eat, Xbox, eat, Xbox, bath, tv whilst eating, bed

You let your six year old play Xbox and watch TV all night???

When does he do his homework? When does he play/read/go outside?

Messes about in the garden with skateboard/scooter/bike, plays with 9 yo sister or dog, draws, plays with Lego. He can watch telly from 5pm until supper at 6pm.

@badlydrawnbear, do you have to suffer Preston? His voice goes through me!

My 6 year old plays with Lego or in the garden. Or both! They swim on one day.

He has activities two evenings a week ( football and swimming lesson) and the other days he's at after school club until 5 but if the weather is nice he plays out otherwise it's Netflix, playing with toys ( Lego, action man, soldiers etc) then bed.

I've got a ds5 and dd7. They do watch telly and play games after school, but also love to sit and draw, play lego etc. Ds is super into origami and paper craft at the moment so will sit for ages creating things out of that. Hama beads are also a hit

Trampoline, complain about not being given computer games, read comics, eat, draw, chat with us.

My just turned six yr old has busy times after school. He's back at football, swimming and Beavers. Another two nights he goes to grandparents house.

He plays in the garden loads and also with his toys.

Beavers and swimming. Park or after school club usually. Some tv/tablet. Visits to grandmas garden at the moment, used to be her house. Lego.
Occasionally board games but they tend to end in tears after school- so better at the weekend really!

Looking back 15-20 years, eldest did violin and piano, swimming lessons, French club and tennis. Our son did rugby, French club, choir, piano, tennis and swimming. Our youngest did ballet, tap, jazz dancing, piano, tennis and swimming.

Sometimes we go to the park if it’s nice day beautiful kids park opposite his school so lots of his class go, at home unless he’s got homework he can do what he feels like really but he’s not yet got a games console so probably helps. He usually plays with Lego watches tv/Netflix/Disney + but doesn’t really actually sit there watching it for long like 15 minutes then playing reading writing stories etc...

[quote NoWordForFluffy]@badlydrawnbear, do you have to suffer Preston? His voice goes through me!

My 6 year old plays with Lego or in the garden. Or both! They swim on one day.[/quote]
We do... I find him mesmerising in that he's always smiling... anyway... has your 6 yr old discovered wisp yet? He's far more tolerable