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Original poster

so what do you 5/6 year olds do?

18 replies

anniebear · 31/07/2007 13:15

My dd's are 6 in 4 weeks

They dont seem to play at all (one has sn so she is a lot behind the other with her development)

they play rough and tumble still lol and chat a lot but they cant play imaginary games together because of Ellies SN

But they just dont seem to be able to play

Obviously I can excuse Ellie!

Grace when 3, used to play with pollys loads, would sit in her room for an hr playing with them

But not anymore

Now she wants to go on the tv or pc or is bored. Surely not at 6!!!!! surely she should still be able to play

She is fine with her friends round, I dont see her then!!! she is straight upstairs with them

But we cant have a friend to play every day

we have been out to a friends house this morning, but now boredom has set in

I cant entertain 24/7 through the hols

Help! How do I get her to play on her own for a bit?......

do 5/6 year olds not play on their own???

OP posts:
MingMingtheWonderPet · 31/07/2007 14:16

'I cant entertain 24/7 through the hols '

Sounds exactly like what I say to my DS (age 6) all the time.

'I'm bored', he says.

'You've got lego, power rangers, balls, bike etc etc to play with' says I.

'I'm still bored', he says

Aaghh!

He is on a football course today, so just the lo to deal with today. Howver, can't pay for stuff like that all the time and to a certain extent I want him to be around - I just don't want him moaning and fighting with his sister!
Just keep repeating the mantra 'It's just a phase'!

MorocconOil · 31/07/2007 14:25

Have you tried those hama beads. Mine will play with them for a good hour or so. They also like plasticine modelling, painting, drawing and general making with old boxes, sellotape etc.

My DS age 5 discovered how to make fire with a magnifying glass yesterday and is now looking forward to many days of sunshine. The thing has been hidden now.

They like doing experiments with food colouring, baking powder, water etc. It does get messy, but I grit my teeth and try and bear it.

3Ddonut · 31/07/2007 14:37

Sorry, what's SN? Mydd is 5 and loves creative stuff, also baking, even the magic of jelly or icelollies. I recently downloaded her some bug and flower and leaf ID sheets and she loves hunting around looking for things to tick off. Paddling pool? Good luck.

florenceuk · 31/07/2007 14:42

yes my DS is a bit like this - happy to play if with others, otherwise will tend to moan. I send them out in the garden, where they dig up my salvias and look for ants and snails. Or they will make a den with blankets etc. You have to be firm though and say, no TV, no PC, no mummy - find something to do. They usually do in the end. DD is much better at 2.5yrs than DS at 5.5yrs at playing though.

Original poster
anniebear · 31/07/2007 16:07

sorry, SN is special needs

I do creative stuff, we have had play dough out today and we painted yesterday

It is a bit hard at times with her twin having special needs, but we still manage to do lots

I guess I would just like her for some time to go and play for a bit

I just wondered if it was her age, maybe she needs a friend to play imaginary games with rather than on her own now

thought she would still play with ehr pollys1 she has never played with dolls and barbies much but always loved the fiddly pollys!!!! lol

I just thought she would have a bit more 'play' in her for a while yet lol

I dont let her sit on the pc or watch tele too much, but it is more than I would like

I just feel I have to keep coming up with things to do all day and I have to do it with them whereas I would hope that she could still go and play a bit

Not expecting her to disapear upstairs for 2 hours but 30 mins would be nice!!!!

saying that, she did do a pretend picnic earlier with her teddies on the grass!!!

OP posts:
LIZS · 31/07/2007 16:16

Mine does but she has ds (9) to interact with. Today we've got a doll and buggy out and they are playing with that out in the garden. Also had Swingball on the go.

Other days they'll play with Playmobil (either together or separately) Bionicles, cuddly toys ...

LIZS · 31/07/2007 16:20

Oh and next week they are doing an activity course, to give us all a break !

Original poster
anniebear · 31/07/2007 19:29

thats great!

you see , she wont really play with anything like that

she did do, but doesnt seem to much now

I am always saying to her "Go and find something to play with, you have loads of stuff etc etc"

OP posts:
mckenzie · 31/07/2007 19:34

anniebear, DS (age 6) often tells me he is bored and wants the TV or computer on. I then suggests he goes and plays with one of his numerous toys or games or reads one of his numberous books and if he says 'no' because that/they are too boring that I start collecting them all together to throw away ("no point keeping them if they bore you")
He usually soon finds somehting to interest him, for 10 mins at least!

KTeePee · 31/07/2007 19:46

I think it helps during the holidays if you can plan out your week so you have something on every day - doesn't have to be a whole day out, but something to break up the day, say a trip to the park or library, visiting a friend or having one over, etc. Less scope for getting bored then.

(My ds aged 6 is also obsessed with snails at the moment btw!)

Original poster
anniebear · 31/07/2007 20:04

Thanks

we are usually out most days for part of the day at least

Lol, DH often threatens to get out a black bag to "bin everything"

suppose I just thought at 6 they would still play with their toys

OP posts:
oxocube · 31/07/2007 20:10

ds2 is 5. When he is with other 5 or 6 year olds, they seem to play lots of imaginary stuff, incl Lego, Action men, army men etc. When he is with big brother and sister (11 and 9), the dynamic changes a bit and he's more into Playstation and pc games to be like them, I guess. They have all just finished making parachutes from bin bags and elastic and are dropping army men and plastic animals from the balcony. Really, I wish they would just go to bed

LIZS · 31/07/2007 20:46

We go through phases of playing , being creatvie and reading though and some toys (like Polly Pocket) haven't been out since we moved at end February. So if one of them is bored we rifle through a box or cupboard and find something "new" (ie not seen in a while !) like today's doll's buggy. If it is all available all the time the choice is almost too overwhelming.

MorocconOil · 01/08/2007 08:34

KT, my DS who is 5 1/2 is into snails, and has a row of jam jars on the windowsill, with some of his 'prisoners' in. He has made them beds out of kitchen roll and has found them a variety of leaves, flowers etc to furnish their jars with. It took him ages.

The dss had a snail race one day which was very amusing and occupied them for about an hour.

KTeePee · 01/08/2007 12:04

My ds has given his snails names - but they keep escaping overnight from wherever he has housed them (thankfully outdoors!)

MorocconOil · 01/08/2007 12:09

Ah yes, we had an escapee in the house who ended up in dd's mouth There must be some French blood in our genes somewhere a long the line.

twinsetandpearls · 01/08/2007 12:13

she plays out with her friends a lot, they ride theri bikes, play ball games and just hang out togther.

We have a dog anf they play with him and have also spent the past half hour watching our fisha nd chatting about them.

When she is on her own she plays with hama beads, plays with her bratz dolls, makes things - she spoent ages the other day making pictures from coloured sellotape and sometimes she goes on the computer or watches tv, even kids need down time.

She also sings a lot in her room and makes up dances and her TV feeds that, so for example she has high school musical and is making up her own version.

Original poster
anniebear · 01/08/2007 12:39

In an ideal world she would be out playing with her friends like I used to do when younger...............but not til she is at least 18

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