What do your 11yr old girls do in their spare time?

[fluffythedragonslayer]

My daughter is 11. I am currently working from home so I collect her from school but then have to work until 6ish. Pre Covid she would be at after school club until 6.

She spends all her time on her phone or the Switch. As I am working I can't do much with her - at the weekends we watch films together, go for walks, she helps me cook etc. But left to her own devices it's all just screens.

She says there is nothing else to do. She has grown out of her dolls etc and they've been put away. I've bought her art and craft supplies but she says it's boring to do it on her own.

I feel horrible that I am ignoring her and working. Perhaps I should send her to after school club anyway but it's so expensive and she has begged me not to.

So, what do other 11 year old girls spend their time doing? I'm happy to buy her some stuff to play with or do activities with but I'm stumped as to what that would be.

Any ideas welcomed thanks!

Football (train plus match), swim club, and dance. Goes in to town with friends on The weekend.

11 year old boy in this house and it's either the Switch or watching YouTube.

She does do choir once a week so there's that. And she joined Guides but ironically didn't like it on a screen (Zoom) 😂

Dd plays on the iPad for a few hours between school and dinner, then she has dance and Guides on two evenings a week.
She will also read books, draw, she’s just getting in to writing for fun and has been working through a book I found about creative writing for that age group. She does things for Guide badges.
For a few hours a day I don’t think it’s so bad to be online playing, if you then do things together after or at weekends. Board games, going out on bikes, visiting places, those will all get easier as restrictions end.

Ds8 is more likely to want to play with toys, he likes building Lego, marble runs, things like gravitrax, as well as playing online. I think by 11 they are more likely to look to their friends for entertainment, than things at home. But if friends aren’t an option for after school fun at the park I would leave her to it tbh.

Also as restrictions ease she might like Guides more. Dd hasn’t been keen on zoom at all but her unit are starting to meet in person now. They’ve all spent so long just at home and what is quite a critical time in developing independence and interests, it could take a while to ease back in.

My DD is the same. she does do tap, ballet and cheerleading. ,also likes being on the trampoline in the garden. sometimes goes to park with friends in the village. she does have a sketch pad and likes drawing.

her screen time really went up a lot in lockdown because it was a way of playing and keep ping in touch with friends.
are their any groups things close by that she could get to..dance or sports?

DD reads, does piano practice or is on her phone. A couple of evenings a week she goes to the park after school with a friend for a bit.

Guides one night, dancing two other week's nights and a Saturday afternoon. Loves The Sims and Minecraft plus being on the switch with her older sister. They like Just Dance... so exercise! Hard to persuade her outside even though we live in the country. She does spend time with her sister watching TV and sorting their rooms out...interior design is a big interest. Bit of battle over screen time but one I am winning, so far.

Mine is nearly 11. She likes to draw/paint, go to park, she does gym/skateboarding/scouts on various evenings. Reads. Trampolines. Plays in garden.

Interspersed with adopt me!

My DD is almost 11, in her spare time she likes to draw, sing, read, skateboard, trampoline. But mainly she's a gamer so it's Fortnite or roblox, and she has a twitch stream with her friends. She's also TikTok obsessed and spends a lot of time creating videos and skits.

Cheerleading X3 swimming x1, playing with a few other girls on the street, they make up cames of hide and seek or tag or sometimes do each others nails (outside) play on our trampoline, but she also has a tablet she likes to watch YouTube or play a few games like among us. In her room someones she drawers or does her make up. (Not like an adult just mucking about with cheap play makeup) or yes putting make up and designing clothes on a bigger doll for makeovers as opposed to playing dolls if that makes sense?

Draws a lot, phone, does a multi sports club after school.

She mostly just likes her own company if I'm honest.

She has to be dragged out the house sometimes..

Pretty much the same - weeknights homework, TV, switch, reading, music practice, kata practice - if something has caught her interest a craft or art project unless it is a karate training night. Weekends mix of dog walks, jobs for pocket money, homework, catch up with friends, swimming, music practice, films, cooking (tbh much like mine) we insist on 30 mins reading, 30 mins music practice, exercise and all homework done per night but then as she pleases.

Reads, learning French on duolingo (on 10-15 mins at a time), makes elaborate cards for her cousin, looks after siblings, paint by numbers, also watches Netflix, practices sport (has to be encouraged), piano practice, homework. Doesn’t have a phone and no interest in Xbox unless doing online minecraft with cousin, tries to play with an indifferent cat. Makes lunches for school next day.

Pony and stable chores
Reads lots
Homework
Puzzle books
Jigsaws
Playing in the garden with her dog and gardening
Cooking

Sport - lots and lots of sport.

Same here but it’s only because we are working while they’re home after school.

They come home, jump on screens. If I don’t have meetings etc, I will spend some time with them to break it up then get back to work.

Mine do a lot of sports clubs and if they start before I finish work then we do lift shares with other parents so she will be collected and taken and then I'll do the pick up for example.

We don't really have screens/devices, limit TV and she doesn't have her own phone so they read, listen to audio books, play outside on trampoline or roller skates, play with the pets, do crafts and colouring, and they help with household stuff like put clothes away or making packed lunches, emptying dishwasher etc.

Could you get her a lego set that needs building or a jigsaw that she could concentrate on? Have a couple of screen free days per week? Just so she can find alternative things to do and maybe that would lead to more that interests her?

@fluffythedragonslayer

She does do choir once a week so there's that. And she joined Guides but ironically didn't like it on a screen (Zoom) 😂

My DD (15) was the same with Guides on Zoom! Thank goodness physical meetings have started!