DS2 broke his wrist on Thursday...

[leontes]

So, that happened🤦. He's absolutely fine now (re-aligning the bones under local anaesthetic has probably scarred us both for life though), apart from finding the cast hot and itchy. However, the summer holidays have suddenly started to look VERY long! It's a full arm cast, so his movement is restricted and it's his dominant hand (obviously). I also have DS1 (12) to factor in.
I've accepted the fact these holidays will involve loads more screen time than I'd like but need some inspiration to break it up a bit please. Has anyone been through similar/ have any suggestions to occupy a child who can't do all the things he normally enjoys- football, basketball, bike, scooter, etc- for the next 6 weeks?!

Oop- forgot to mention he's 7.

Maybe some Geocaching would be a good idea, not so much dexterity required for that.

When my ds was 7 he loved to go on 'bug walks' with a little bug kit and see what he could find:

Like this but there are smaller kits:

Vykor Outdoor Explorer Kit Toys Kids Adventure Kit for Children Bug Catcher Set 25PCS Explorer Accessories Kids Binoculars Toy Set Christmas Educational Gifts for Kids Nature Insect Lovers Toys amzn.eu/d/e1JS00b

Look at maps and choose new areas to go on walks, try new foods in different restaurants and shops than what you would normally eat.

Can still do visits to museums/wildlife parks etc - my dc love the military museums, there are a lot all over the country.

Thanks. We've tried Geo- caching before with limited success but will definitely give it another look. Will also look at the bug hunting kit. Military museum is a good shout. We've been to Royal Armouries before but not for a couple of years.
He's not a huge fan of walks unless it involves climbing rock or trees unfortunately! 🤣

Of you are near a city or large town you can buy treasure hunt maps. We did Stirling with DS when he was little.

Aww @leontes I feel your pain - my DS1 broke his arm last summer, a week before the summer holidays. He had emergency surgery and was in a full arm cast all summer.

We didn't do much, there was a lot of screen time, a couple of day trips to places we thought he could manage - Cadbury World and Think Tank (mostly indoors and lots of places to sit). He was 11 then, and DS2 was 5 so he did understand that he couldn't join in with some stuff while his brother could go on play areas etc. We did a couple of cinema trips and met up with friends at their houses or ours so they could sit and chat for a bit. He managed to get in the paddling pool but sit with his arm outside it. We found he got tired quickly as the cast was heavy, even though it was supported by a sling.

Hoping your son is ok and sending strength for the next 6 weeks 😬🤞

I think it's keeping his older brother entertained as well I'm struggling with! He is nearly 13 so will go off and meet up with his friends independently sometimes. We will definitely have friends over to play and cinema when we can find something he wants to watch...

Mine spent the first 10 days extremely grumpy and in bed. He only had a back slab cast on to allow swelling to go down, so he had to keep his arm still all the time. Once he had the full, but slightly lighter cast on, he was a bit more mobile and a bit less grumpy. But he was very fed up about not being able to do anything. We also had to cancel a holiday abroad as he wasn't able to fly which I think added to his disappointment.

Good luck!

Thanks. We are going on holiday next week but not flying so consultant said we should be fine as long as x rays are all ok at check up this week. Have bought a Blocc waterproof cast cover so he can still splash around in the pool when it's hot even if he can't actually swim.

My daughter did this - fractured radius and ulna on her 6th birthday on the first day of the summer holidays.

Also extremely active child, though her things were football and gymnastics.

we found things were better when out of the backslab into a full cast, as she could do more.

Looking back through photos - we did a few day trips that summer - so to local castle where they had a mediaeval event, fairy trails etc.

she still went to summer camp as usual, but was disappointed to miss out on the slip and slide.

the worst thing for her was the ban on cartwheels and handsprings until October halfterm, even when the cast was off.

after the first few days of grumpiness, she adapted to it remarkably well.

Good luck!

Stick the waterproof cast cover on and let him get on with it. Just don't look when he's riding his bike one handed.

Mine did this! I got her the blue plastic cast cover and she mostly got on with it. We live by the beach and she was in and out of the sea.

The cast cover was great but did get holes in it relatively easily when scraped about so you might want to get a couple!

Also she started off quite tentative about it all but soon started throwing herself about again.

It's more the other kids getting whacked with the cast that was an issue in the end 😵‍💫

This is also a concern- it's plaster of paris rather than fibreglass so is really heavy! Not sure if he'll get a lighter one when we're back at the hospital on Thursday

Probably, DS had 10 days in a plaster of Paris backslab and then 5 weeks in a fibreglass cast. He had metal rods in his arm as well, which he found really uncomfortable the whole time and when they took them out with pliers I nearly fainted.

Glad you can still get your holiday! A change of scenery will help, even if he can't do everything he'd usually do!

My son broke his wrist last year and we had to cancel his place of school ski trip 😔.

He went bowling and managed using his other arm. What about an escape room, lots to do family friendly versions now. Cinema trip. Baking with a bit of help. Set up a treasure hunt at home, there's lots online you can print the clues. Any outdoor (or indoor) theatre shows nearby.

Good luck.

instead of geocache - try pokemon.
zoos
castles
libraries
science muesums
natural history muesums
art galleries
cinema
theaters
walking tours

its the summer there are loads to do

At the fracture clinic, then generally would change it to a lighter, fibreglass cast. Ask for a supportive sling too- not just the triangular bandage you get in 1st aid kits. You can buy them online/at pharmacies if the fracture clinic don't provide them though.

• pond dipping with a net to see what he can find. Then return tadpoles etc to the pond
• Feed ducks/geese on a walk (not with bread!)
• Picnic is local park
• Jigsaw puzzle
• Colouring book
• Sticker craft book
• Make Christmas pomander How to make a Christmas pomander - National Geographic Kids (natgeokids.com)
• Collect pine cones in the park, decorate with eco glitter, tie with a ribbon and use on the Christmas tree this year
• Make slime How to make slime | BBC Good Food
• Moon Sand How to make moon sand | BBC Good Food

Just don't let him go roller skating. A close school friend did this, with 1 arm in a cast you yes, she ended up with a 2nd broken arm that summer!

Cristiano Ronaldo used an injury to build up his non dominant foot...he can definitely work on using his other side for a challenge, obviously carefully

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just need it to stop raining now...☔.

Don't underestimate how much he'll manage to do with a cast! I remember my brother managing to ride his bike with one leg (the other outstretched in a full cast!)

Avoid water and beaches otherwise most things can be adapted, try local museums, ours used to have great kids activities for a nominal fee (entry was free) also nature/wildlife centres eg mine used to like the rspb reserve warden walks, download the Merlin bird song and identifier app and get them started on a list of birds they have seen, I'm up to 212 since I downloaded it (ok I've been abroad!)

Orienteering mine liked too, geocaching someone else mentioned, mine were teens when I got a smartphone!

Yep, dd had a complex break and operation the day before last day of school last year. Honestly, there is still loads they can do. It was just the biking and swimming and horse back riding that was off. We did lots of walks, play dates with friends, sleepovers, she did get in the sea/rivers a bit with a cover on the cast but just nothing rough and she was careful to keep her arm from getting submerged. We could still do beach trips. Days out to all the usual places. And we made up for it once it was off.

Plenty of museums, perhaps pokemon go game on your phone. You could walk about catching pokemon together! Bottle flipping challenges are fun and something the whole family can do.

Elaborate movie nights/afternoons - popcorn, sleeping bags, etc. Some 12As could keep the older one engaged. Could even see if someone you know has a projector and screen something on a sheet pinned up to the wall.

Look at kids cooperative board games. We just got Dodo for DS6 and he loves it. Forbidden Island and Detective Charlie are also hits though the latter has limited replayability after you’ve solved the cases.

Taskmaster challenges - they did loads during lockdown for families that can be great fun. How far can you get a ball of paper to travel using anything in your home, for example.

Stikbot animations - can be done with one hand and really easy to make through the app. Depends how patient he is though.

Story dice.

Definitely Yoto player if you haven’t already got one.

Marble runs - pick up several sets on eBay and build the most elaborate one possible.

Try to make one of those videos where one thing knocks into another, and knocks into another and so on.

Take him to charity shops and give him a small amount to spend on toys/books.

Microscope or telescope?

My DD (then 7) broke both her wrists a couple of years ago, she had one in a cast and one in a splint, and tbh once the pain had subsided she was doing pretty much all she did before apart from riding her bike. We had a waterproof cover for her cast so still did beach stuff etc.
Hope they put a different cast on for you at fracture clinic as will make a difference having a lighter one.