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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

What do your 6 and/or 8 year old boys do to entertain themselves?

24 replies

Miaou · 31/12/2006 12:08

I regularly (ie about twice a week during termtime) look after a friend's two boys, aged 6 and 8, from when they finish school until about 4.30 or 5.30. But they are often bored and don't seem to like doing anything my dds do! (the dds are 9 and 8). My dds play a lot of imaginary games, turn their bedroom into a library or a cafe, read, watch a little bit of telly occasionally. But these boys, lovely though they are, are not interested in doing these things, but get bored very quickly of any of the games we have (operation, tummy ache etc). Apart from playing on the computer and watching dvds, both of which their parents (and I!) like to keep to a minimum anyway, I'm out of ideas. I've not got any money to buy things in, and tbh I'm not sure I want to go down that route if I can avoid it. Obviously when the weather is better I can take them down the park, but atm it is too wet to even shove them in the garden for half an hour!

Any suggestions most welcome!

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xmasplumtartmeistergeneral · 31/12/2006 12:45

I have boys of similar age, and they do amuse themselves very well, but it's always different in someone else's house. I can imagine them sitting around if they had to go to someone else's house for an hour. They are very good at imaginative play but it does usually involve toys, figures etc.

Original poster

Miaou · 31/12/2006 13:10

Thanks fartmeister. I'm keen to stop them being bored because I don't want them to not enjoy their time at our house, but I do wonder whether they are bored because they would simply prefer to be at home at that point!

Any more thoughts welcome

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fullmoonfiend · 31/12/2006 13:13

mine play for hours with lego and small fantasy figures

mummy2aaron · 31/12/2006 13:24

Lego Star Wars, Play Mobil, reading the Outernet books atm. Playstation. Cluedo, Battleships, that kind of thing. Hope this helps, my ds gets bored really easily too and I often have to prompt him to do something rather than him make the decision himslef.

Original poster

Miaou · 31/12/2006 13:33

Hmm, we have lego but they don't like playing with it. I think it's the short attention span I find hard to handle! Even my ds (who is 17 months) has a longer attention span!!

I might see if I can pick up a few more games in the charity shops next month, that might help.

OP posts:

WideWebWitch · 31/12/2006 13:37

ds, who's 9 likes:

Football outside, even when wet!
Star Wars figures
PS2
films (Shaolin soccer/Sky High/Spy kids)
mini soft football which is allowed indoors
Famous five books read to him

DimpledThighs · 31/12/2006 14:00

ds 7 likes sort of projects: birdwatching, knex, drawing, copying flags, big puzzles, reading the beano- that kind of stuff.

LIZS · 31/12/2006 14:11

Role play with any figures /characters (Cars, Playmobil,even his sisters Polly Pocket!), Lego, gameboy. Mind you, after school he is just as likely to chill out in front of the tv.

Crackle · 31/12/2006 14:21

I have two boys and one girl. I have found that their attention spans are very similar although centered around differnt things. My boys are very goal orientated so if they are doing craft it has to be towards a recognisable aim and not just colouring a picture. This week they have spent hours on and off creating a spy-file for their 'gang'. This has meant that they needed to make I.D cards, a spy chart, a handbook of spy techniques and a map of their targets. Happy boys.

I have also minded children and there were a few who would pull the dejected face and lack of concentration if they thought that there was a glimmer of hope that I would turn the telly on. Once they knew that wasn't ever going to happen, they got on with entertaining themselves. I was being paid to mind in this instance and I don't consider watching telly something worth paying for.

Can they do their homework with you whilst having a snack? they would probably be more than ready to play after that.

fullmoonfiend · 31/12/2006 15:07

we are currently enjoying cadoo very much as a game. . .

mine also like monopoly and ludo (yawn)

also, we had great fun with salt dough at xmas (should stress they are not normally craft-orientated children) and enjoyed making monsters/aliens etc to paint.

fullmoonfiend · 31/12/2006 15:07

oh and magic sand!

Original poster

Miaou · 31/12/2006 17:22

Thanks for the ideas! Yes we currently all do homework sat round the dining table but they don't get much so that doesn't take long. I think the thing I'm finding it hard to get my head around is the fact that they seem to need a lot of direction and, to a large extent, playing with, which my dds haven't had since they were toddlers (they much prefer to play with each other without an adult around).

Www, I would love to send them outside with a football but they regularly turn up without even a coat (in the middle of winter! In Scotland!! ) and never any wellies or waterproofs - they would be soaked in seconds then sitting around on my nice sofa in wet things

Dd2 got Cadoo for Christmas so I am thinking we may get that out

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cat64 · 31/12/2006 17:29

This reply has been deleted

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iota · 31/12/2006 17:42

my 5 and 7 yr old dses love Lego, Knex, geomag, drawing, playstation, computer, PSP and TV of course. 5 yr old also likes playdo, paints, etc

and they do it all by themselves with making the occasional admiring noises

But they love to be running around outside if they get the chance

iota · 31/12/2006 17:43

...with me making....

roisin · 31/12/2006 18:09

Miaou - it does sound to me as though the whole thing is a bit of a response to the idea that actually they would rather be at home, bumbling around with their own stuff, rather than at yours.

I wonder if there would be any mileage in asking them or their parents whether they got anything for Christmas that they could keep at your house, to make that a special thing to play with? That they would look forward to playing with.

I would also gently insist to their parents that they must bring coats and waterproofs so that they can play out:
Mine go out in all weathers
Where are you now anyway? I thought you were very remote again and didn't have neighbours

My boys (7 and 9) get very little direction on play from me at all ever these days, and will play their own games for hours at a time. Some days it might be lego/k'nex, other days reading, or some imaginary game, or writing a story, or drawing.

After a day of direction at school, most children relish a bit of freedom. But if they do absolutely need direction, then maybe you need to resign yourself to that and plan activities - such as baking and decorating biscuits, playing a 'board-type game together'.

If all else fails, why not resort to that being their TV-time? Blue Peter at 5pm Mon, Tues, and Wed might work quite well?

PeachysaysBlwyddynNewyddDda · 31/12/2006 18:28

My two love a pile of apper / junk etc to model from 9they're 7 and almost 6). That keeps them amused, also lego works for hours, maybe they have some at home they can bring? Mine also like baking, games (Jenga is big atm), DS2 like making stories and treasure hunts. They both like bugs.

Original poster

Miaou · 31/12/2006 20:17

lol Roisin, yes very remote again, but in a remote village

Hmm, have asked about wellies etc, their dad said "Oh, I don't mind if they come home wet and muddy". The mum works away from home the days I have them and he never thinks to check they are suitably dressed before they go to school!!

Yes I think this is the experience I am lacking - supervised play is maybe the way forwards. Plus I will talk to the mum about leaving spare wellies etc at our house and possibly bringing over a couple of things to play with. They really need to run off some energy at the end of the day, particularly if they've had wet break/lunchtimes too. Argh, roll on summer!

OP posts:

Wallace · 31/12/2006 20:54

We bought Great Game of Britain which I had as a child, and ds (7) loves it, and it is fun for grown ups too. Also Uno is good

Elasticwoman · 31/12/2006 20:58

Yes, insist on wellies, that's the way to go. Boys need to run off their energy. Is there a football they can play with? No such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. All very well for Dad to say they can come home muddy - the point is you don't want them muddying your home!

roberta3 · 04/01/2007 22:08

Have boys the same ages. They must have chance to run round. Can't you give the dad a bit of a 'kit list' about what you need and keep the wet weather stuff at your house? How about Top Trumps or table football (the table top ones are quite cheap). Mine love bingo, beetle and yahtzee too. All the kids could play that together - perhaps with you acting as referee! Could they make a comic or school/class/house/village newsletter. Fact or fiction! Good luck and let's hope the sun comes out soon!

misspinkcat · 04/01/2007 22:13

My ds would play on a pc, play outside, no way imaginary games. Watch tv. Don't organise boys too much after school imo.

misspinkcat · 04/01/2007 22:14

I think also boys find school very wearing, god, do they have to be organised? Let them watch tv for an hour. If they get bored of it they will turn it off.

sexkittyinwaiting · 04/01/2007 22:47

Boys are very different to girls, my girls 3&5 can concentrate on playing the same game for ages whereas my boys 7&8 have the concentration spans of fleas . It's tricky in winter, but you know it's after school, they are tired, let them watch some t.v. if they want. When my boys have friends over it is noisy mayhem, they charge around like lunatics,for an hour or so, eat and then tend to do a bit of a collapse after that. Boys are full of energy!!

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