How to make the last few years of childhood extra special for my child

[LetterBug]

My Ds is nearly 9 so is in the last bit of childhood. 2 maybe 3 years left of innocence. 2 year left of school.
Can anyone share their bucket list ideas for childhood?
I want a list to check off. I feel time is running out!

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/50-things-to-do-before-youre-11--activity-list

Spend time not money.

Here's the Childhood Bucket List I've come up with from my computer (some specific local/family things changed). Obviously not a must-do list as that would be ££££

Campervan road trip
Overwinter hedgehogs
Get a pet
Get quails/chickens
Try all the clubs they want – fencing, skating, cubs, art
Learn an instrument
Beach trips
London lots – museums and shows
BMXing
Ski, snowboard, surf, skate
Experiments
Go to Red Bull soapbox race
Take part in Red Bull soap box race??
Build kit car with dad
Lavender field
Wildflower field
Science Centre
Nat trust places
WWF centre
Disneyland Paris
Climbing wall
See puffins (Pembrokeshire)
See shooting star
Summer holiday scrapbooking
Zookeeper for a day!
Weston super mare sand sculpture fest
Diggerland
Lost Gardens of Heligan
Longleat
Westonbirt
Murmuration of starlings
Disneyland Paris
Lapland
Make a miniature garden
Whipsnade overnight thing etc
Indulge their passions :)

Quite a lot to fit into 2 years

They will most likely remember unplanned things eg hilarity, having friends round all the time, finding something cool in the garden, things you can't plan.

Surely at 9 she will be at school more than 2 more years?

In honesty I'd focus less on the ideas of how many more years of "innocence" she has left - what does that even mean anyway?

I agree with pp, your time is the most important thing you can give him.

Play games with him - my DC loved games nights

Have movie nights. Make sure he's seen all the classics like Shrek, Toy Story, Studio Ghibli films, Incredibles, Up, Bee Movie etc.

Get outdoors and active with him. I used to love cycling in the woods with DC. They definitely lost interest and preferred going with friends as they got older. Same with going swimming (outdoor pools, wild swimming as well as leisure pools with waves etc.)

Usual outdoor stuff: build a dam over a river, build a den, climb a tree, camp in the garden, build a massive sandcastle and decorate it, build a campfire and toast smores or marshmallows over it.

Visit Legoland, Science Museum, Maritime and Natural History museums.

Panto & circus

Read with him at night. Harry Potter, Alex Rider, Young Bond, classics like The Silver Sword.

Personally I would say don't put that kind of pressure on you or him. I really do get where you are coming from, but just spend time together, stop worrying about #makingmemories and let life unfold.

He’s not even 9. Don’t worry too much - my 13 yr old daughter loved the fact that her younger brother was at a sleepover last weekend so she could play with all his toys without him moaning at her. She had a whale of a time playing with his playmobil stuff! Childhood doesn’t end at the end of primary school, it just gradually changes. You’ve got plenty of time to make memories.

Lapland
Theme Park (get a Merlin Pass if you are south-ish)
UK beach days
UK camp resort (eg centreparks)
Disneyland
UK trips (e.g. to a coal pit (mine loved this!))
London days out
Camping

Just relax...enjoy him growing and changing and let him take the lead a bit in terms of how he wants to spend time with you, whether that's one of the fantastic ideas upthread, something entirely different or just spending a day chilling on the sofa watching movies.

From a practical pov, encouraging a little independence and self-sufficiency will stand him in much better stead for secondary school than micromanaging his every spare minute.

He will grow up, whatever you do. Just remember that whilst he won't always be your little boy, he will always be your son, and there's no reason why your relationship as he grows older can't be just as wonderful.

We did a lot of the "bucket list" above . However some of DC fondest memories were of being cuddled up with the dog,watching Mrs Doubtfire for the umpteenth time! Quite honestly they remember so many random things .I dont think childhood has an "end " date.Gradually they progress into more older stuff .Dont turn into an Adult overnight!

Start them on a sport they might enjoy - everything is hard and boring at first - but being a really good 'anything' must be a great asset in life.

Aw. She’s got so much childhood left!

Teenagers might be a bit moany but they’re still children, and you can still do nice things together!

Honestly focussing on the idea that their 'innocence' is disappearing feels a bit worrying to me? But I agree on the National Trust stuff, and reading lots with them. Show them films you love on a family movie night, go to the theatre, look at Christmas lights, bake together - all that good stuff. But also maybe have a think about why this is worrying you?

Sounds very dramatic. Just be a decent parent, have fun with your child. Beyond 11. It is possible you know!

It's lovely you want to do things that maybe have a bit of an age limit, but you make it out like once she's 11 and in High School that that's it, childhood ended. They're will be so much stuff her growing up opens up to you

1. Snuggle up and read +++++
2. Go on lots of days out together - anything that involves being active, seeing new things (or revisiting favourite things), finishing with a small, well-earned treat together.

You might like the book 'My awesome year being 9' - it's a journal and has loads of prompts for them to come up with things they want to do and lots of lovely things to do together.

And finally, just let him/her potter indoors and out while you are vaguely in the background. Don’t mind too much if they make a bit of a mess. As a pp said, it’s funny what they will remember.

My Ds is nearly 9 so is in the last bit of childhood. 2 maybe 3 years left of innocence.

What a bizarre statement. What do you mean by 'innocence'?

My son will be ten in the spring, and he has plenty of childhood left, IMO.

As the parent of DC in their 20s there are very few things people have listed that we didn't do right through their teens, and even do now. If anything our range has expanded rather than contracted (we go to theme parks together, but also to the pub!) I agree its putting unnecessary pressure on you both to have some sort of watershed age for when things change, as in reality its a slow ongoing process and different for every child. I would say keep offering activities and run them past your child. He will let you know if he thinks he's too grown up for them, and then you can move on to the next on the list.

Mine are 12 and 16 and they are lovely, I love spending time with them, childhood doesn’t abruptly end, you’ll always be a parent but it changes and it changes gradually and you change with it.

There are many things that I prefer about being a parent of a teenager as opposed to an 8 year old and I agree that the things they remember aren’t necessarily the things that are planned and the things that you do plan that you think will give them amazing memories often don’t work out as you hoped. It’s actually really funny listening to a teenager reminisce about “the old days” and thinking I don’t even remember that hilariously funny time when we got lost on a walk but apparently they hated that trip to London that we planned in such detail to give them the best time and spent loads of money on

I’m not sure having a list and focussing on the end of childhood and innocence is the best way tbh although I do think lots of parents struggle with the idea of their children growing up. I remember being quite upset about my eldest finishing reception and a feeling of time running out but I now think you just move on to the next stage and it’s important to live in the present and enjoy the here and now

Youve plenty of years of childrearing left.
Worry not!
Ages 8, 9, 10, 11 Still very young and happy to do all childhood activities.
Ages 12, 13 Still children and will need all childlike activities. Clubs / groups eg rugby, drama etc. Days out, bowling etc etc.
Still v enthusiatic and eyes light up etc. Still v much children.

Age 14, 15, 16, 17 Clubs groups still important and days out eg ice skating, pizza express, cinema. Increasing independence and increasingly some outings with friends, but you still drop off and collect. Some make them go on public transport age 15, 16. Most dont.
Youre still providing their every meal, every item they wear, and all their (increasing) spending money. Some pp make them get jobs age 16, 17 but most don't as you have to take them and pick them up and its a nightmare for a pittance.

Its lovely though, wouldnt change it for the world

What a shame you think childhood ends at the age of 11. The best thing you could do is continue to let them be a child and not force them to grow up too soon with these ridiculous notions.