Do your kids ever have opposite sex playdates?

[Earlybird]

DD is 5.8, and leads a very female dominated existence (I'm a single mum, and she's an only child who attends a girl's school). I'm wondering if some playdates with boys we know/like would be beneficial by giving her more exposure to boys. At this age, would it be a recipe for disaster? Any tips for how to set up so it will be enjoyable for both children? Not quite sure what we'd do as doubt boys would want to dress up and do tea parties as often happens on our playdates ....Would it work best as a "trainers on and let's go to the park" sort of thing?

Suggestions from Mums experienced with this, or Mums of sons would be especially appreciated.

my dds (6 and 5) have boys over. We have quite a lot of toys which boys like - train set, lego, castle, pirate ships, climbing frames etc. we also have a lot of scaletrix and technical lego and meccano and electrical stuff as DP is very into all that, so my girls tend to be too.

Though some boys are perfectly happy with pushing buggies and dressing up in high heeled shoes too. I'd suggest getting out your least girly toys.

DS is nearly 7, has a sister and attends a mixed school. He has had several mixed playdates, although not so many recently. Tend to do a trip to the park, followed by playing in the bedroom - DS has playmobil shop and small house, which are non gender specific, and quite a lot of children like Lego and Geomag. DS also enjoys crafty stuff, so sometimes I get out the card and glue and let them get on with it! HTH

DD is nearly 7 and she has play dates with boys occasionally. One is a boy that lives just down the road so sometimes on the way home from school, if we walk together, they arrange going to his or our house. He is quite a quiet, sensitive boy -they usually end up doing drawing/art type stuff there.

She has another little boy from her class who, when she goes to his house, they tend to play with Lego or Scalextric (which she loves as we don't have one here!). When hes been here they've played in the garden or played with PlayDough and art stuff.

I'm not sure how much longer this will last though as before the last play date she didn't want certain people in her class to know as " they will think I'm in love with him"!

we have had one girl over, they all seemed to enjoy it (i have 3 boys). i put a tent up in the garden and then we went out after tea. i also used to have boys over to play when i was young and they always spent ages playing with my dollshouse

Yes Just make sure they are compatible enough - most are without the distractions of other children (in school it's another matter)

The Mum of DD's friend always says how lovely it us when DD goes to play -she said its much quieter and calmer that when her DS has a boy to play.

Equally though I find it quiter when DD has a boy to play her rather than a girls -when its a girl you get sick of the high pitched screams, squeals etc. They seem to get really giddy and silly.

My DD has a standing playdate with a boy every week. We've been seeing him since they were born. She also has a few playdates infrequently with some boys from her class. They seem to enjoy it. All 3 boys have younger siblings my DS age, so often we will all have a playdate: mums, sibs & the 5 yr olds !

I found doing something like a treasure hunt (hiding clues around the house) is a good icebreaker for cross gender playdates. Especially the first time they come -- gets them talking and playing together. Then it seems to go okay. Some of the boys even go up to DD room and play Barbies !

You'd be surprised - many boys of that age like pink and the opportunity to play with 'girlie' toys and to dress up. They might have to get a bit more at ease to do so, but wouldn't be bored. After school one day recently, my just-turned 6 ds joined 3yo dd at a friend of her's 4th birthday party - 6 little girls, all in a froth of pink fancy dress, plus ds and a female classmate of his. He joined right in, very happily, especially once he'd found a halloween mask which allowed him to pretend that he wasn't fancy-dressing with little girls.

We certainly have mixed playdates, both for ds and dd. I suppose it helps that being a 'mixed' household we don't have only toys that are one or the other gender, but even the girliest of girlie girls (of which my dd is not one) find plenty to have fun with at our house.

Yes - dd1 has 2 very good boy play mates. 1 is a neighbour who loves doing anything stereotypically girly when he comes here as his dad won't let him do anything like that at home and the other one is from nursery and they both have their love of animals in common. DD1 loves going to his gradfathers farm.

There are some very good suggestions here, and it's good to know that even at a young age, boys and girls can enjoy each other's company. May just give it a try!

Dd is at a mixed school and 2 of her best friends are boys (her first ever sleepover was with one of them).
They play board games, on the computer, on his piano (at his house), drawing, hide and seek. Because they are great friends its not "hard".

But a very good friend of mine has an only child, a boy, who goes to an all boys school. We go over there a bit as dd is the least girly girl they know and therefore "okay for a girl" We have 5 minutes of awkwardness, then they usually end up outside digging in the mud and generally being fairly daft.

Not sure if that is at all helpful.

PS When are we meeting up?