What to do with 11 year old grandson. Inspiration please.

[workingholiday]

My 11year old grandson is coming to stay - back story is parent's very acromonious split.
One parent has insisted he is not allowed to watch YouTube, only YouTube kids, and he is not allowed any electronic devices. I will respect this.
I am in my 70's. In good health but do get tired more easily. Also, not unlimited funds. My grandson is very active and I will encourage his love of football. However, I would love some recommendations for age appropriate board games or activities that he could alone or with me - at home or out and about. He isn't into crafts at all.
I am worried he will be bored. Would really appreciate any suggestions.

What does he like? Both my DSs loathed football (cricketers with a side order of rugby was their thing). DS1 would happily have done chores and cooked. DS2 would have been in board game heaven given the chance. Both were bookworms so a library trip was always a winner. Neither liked being forced to play with strangers and were happy to stooge with Granny when they went to stay.@

My grandsons both love Lego as well and you can borrow sets from places like
https://rentaset.co.uk, there are other places that you can subscribe to and then cancel after the first month.

Our 11 yr old loves going Geo caching for when out and about, Lego, rat a tat cat, Uno, labyrinth, downfall and battle ships.

He loves pizza making and baking a cake, movie night with pop corn. But is equally happy just mooching around a forest, building dens, crabbing, cycling and if it's windy getting his kite out.

Thank you again for all these suggestions. He has stayed here several times before but only for a few days. He had a parent with him and he was able to have some screen time. Circumstances are different this time and for a lot of the time it will just be the two of us. I feel much more confident now that I will be able to make sure he is happy and fulfilled. You are all very kind.

My two grandchildren ( 12 and 10) absolutely love a game of "Consequences", requiring only pen and paper. It always involves much hilarity, but is probably better with more than two players.

Get him to plan a trip out to a neighbouring town, using legs, bus or train and give him a scavenger hunt - so 5 objects to photograph and get home again for both of you

ovv you’ll have a bus pass but it’s £3 max for him so £6 both ways but he should get child fare

make him think for himself and plan something

Maybe get him to cook and shop for the ingredients

My DF has taught my 9 year old to play poker and they now play for hours (poker chips not money!).

Try to think about what you would enjoy that you might be able to introduce him to. Your favourite movies that are age appropriate that he won’t have seen and have some movie nights? Watching the tennis or football? Listening to music?

This is a good idea or you could turn it into a game. Give him eg£5 and a challenge . presuming it's you your GS and DH put all your names in a hat you each draw one out. And have to buy something for that person for £5. Then you all hit the shops and try and get something secretly without the others knowing.
Or you can give it a theme it you like eg you all have to buy something red, or something to cook with etc
A similar idea is a treasure hunt. You can buy cards for this or you could make it up yourself. Again it's a challenge type game. He has to find something eh red, square, to put something in, anything you like. You can do it in the park and make the things to collect natural and then give him a challenge to make a house or a picture with the things he collects.
Some Board games my grandchildren have enjoyed are
Just One
Cross clues
Cluedo
Uno
Absolute Balderdash
Banagrams
Articulate for kids
Also have you a board game cafe locally they are always popular and/or a Lego cafe

We took ours to crazy golf.
We bought plain biscuits and lots of stuff to decorate them with. You could do that with plain buns too, if he’s not keen on doing the baking part.

All children enjoy baking.

eash recipes like my fussy eater (website or social media) oat and raisin cookies are fun and simple

making ice cream sundaes or frappes together

puzzle

monopoly

uno

dobble

cheap days out: beach, park, animal sanctuary, free museums, nature trails

Big paddling pool in the garden, especially if you get in and are willing to be sprayed/have buckets of water thrown at you.
Swingball.
Bananagrams, triominoes, rummikub, monopoly, double, Uno.
Any nearby castles.
Stately homes.
Day at the beach.
Day out in London travelling by train( if distance feasible obviously).
Mini golf.
Building Lego( or equivalent bricks) together. Model car kit( to do over the time he's with you to take home).
Do you need to refresh your garden bench? He can wash with hose( hoses are popular with that age) and help you put on teak oil etc.

Could you take him to watch planes land and take off if you’re near an airport. I was thinking major airport like Manchester or Luton or whatever but actually our local airport, mainly used by private planes and helicopters, has a cafe which I hear has good views of the runway.
Outdoor gym equipment at parks?
Watching - or reading - something like Harry Potter. Or that series earlier in the year that had every talking - Adolescence with Stephen Graham.
Not sure where in the country you are but if anywhere in the Midlands, I hear the RAF museum at Cosford is great.
Hop on a bus to a nearby town or city and explore.
Any ruined castles by you? They’re often free.
Seasides and tourist towns will have arcades with 2p machines which passes an hour or so, more if you stop nearby for an ice cream.
Zip wire things are often found in country parks but they do cost.
Swimming pools with flumes and wave machines. Swimming is often free for under 16s in the school holidays.
I’d ask him to wash the car, weed the garden or mow the lawn too. He could learn how to do simple meals like scrambled egg on toast, and be taking him to the supermarket, asking him to run errands like posting a letter or popping to the corner shop for bread and milk. Show him how to use the washing machine and sew a button on - life skills!
Get him to keep a summer holiday journal that he could keep to look back on in the future. As well as what he’s been doing, get him to think about what he wants to do when he grows up, how he feels about moving to high school (assuming he is), what’s making the news headlines.
He may have homework or help him catch up on anything he finds difficult, maths, science or whatever. It also wouldn’t hurt to start giving him a very basic understand of bank accounts, loans, savings, mortgages, budgeting etc.
I spent a lot of the school holidays with my DGM and read everything I could get my hands on. Not a lot of going out other than to the local shops and library, but helping out with chores, baking etc. I have very fond memories.