Can you make it work and have a nice time with a four year old girl and a nine year old boy? How??

[BrightonMum36]

I have a four year old "girly" girl. Into princessy stuff, babies, dressing up etc (to my exasperation - I was/am a bit more of a tom boy) Anyhoo, my best friend has a nine year old boy who is the opposite - into guns, the army, fighting, rough and tumble etc. Needless to say he isn't interested in my daughter at all and doesn't want to play with her. That's fair enough, I imagine a four year old girl is boring to a young boy.
Because of this, my friend and I struggle to hang out and do anything that pleases both of the kids and so consequently we are seeing less and less of each other.
How on earth do you cope if your kids are like this?? What do you do? I feel quite saddened by the realisation that there seems to be no solution..

Outdoor play! Parks forests walks
Vegetable picking or strawberry picking
Trip to the local farm
Build dens

Gender aside, a 9 yr old isnt likely to enjoy hanging out with a 4 year old as it takes a lot of effort on their part. Is there an indoor plat centre you can meet at where the kids can run off and play with peers while you have a coffee together?

Good suggestions green tulips! What do you do in winter though?? X

I have a younger girly girl and an older boy who is obsessed by football! It's pretty tricky finding activities they equally enjoy. They do enjoy going to soft play and will play together there...or bowling and cinema is sometimes good.

Agree with PP talking about outdoor properties. Indoor wise - is 4 too young for those trampoline parks? I’ve taken my 5yo to one but it was a small one and I don’t know if most have age restrictions. My DDs (12 and 13) often go with their cousins who range in age from 7-16 and it seems to suit them all.

Also maybe something like ice skating or bowling - something with an obvious alternative entertainment to playing with each other. I’d also say maybe letting them bring a friend along each when you do meet up. My DS is 18 and DD12 and when they were little even though they actually got on very well I’d nearly always let them bring a friend to days out, just because there was only so much a 3 year old and 9 year old could talk about.

Climbing wall with cafe

My friend’s DS and my DD are quite different but closer in age (and I have a 1 year old DD) but we do things like soft play, swimming, walks, museums, (generally something active) and also go out in the evening without kids.