What keeps your dcs engrossed?

[TooTicky]

And are boys less self-sufficient activity-wise than girls?

For my boy it is watching football, reading, DS, PS2, playing football in garden and making up his own scenarios/commentaries.

my boys - lego, digging in a pile of mud or sand, some tv programs (eg scrapheap challenge, big engineering projects like moving a lighthouse, things that make them laugh - eg morph or higgledy house etc).

My ds (just 9) is more self-sufficient than dd (7.5) - they both entertain themselves but dd is keen to do minute-by-minute updates about just why the Sylvanians have all taken their clothes off

Ds does Lego, reading, Knex, more Lego, elaborate Sylvanian-scenarios (with dd), puzzles, random explosion noises.

playing outdoors (under supervision as my garden isn't properly enclosed)

hot wheels track

construction sets

and

Peppa Pig

They are 4 and 3 and very good at letting me MN all day entertaining themselves especially when DS1 is home from school.

dd (nearly 4) seems more "self - sufficient" than ds (nearly 6).
dd loves drawing at the moment, it's all she does

ds loves playing "battles" with his knights and all sorts of small things (playmobils, smurfs etc)

they both love to dress up.

reading, esp Star Wars novels, Warhammer, Dr Who and Primeval DVDS, PS2, PSP, computer, chasing me round the garden with a light sabre, trying to convince me that the force says no homework and lots of chocolate; meccano kits from M and S, cooking with me. Sleeping a lot seems to have entered the equation recently as well, but only 6 months til he's 13, so those teenage hormones and habits are creeping in. Also, he gets really engrossed in reasons not to have a shower and a hair wash.

DS is 2.5 - loves puzzles (wooden & simple jigsaws), his train set, his garage & cars ('oh hello I need some petrol''here you go') etc, watching "Wow Wow Wubbzy" & drawing

Dd1 (13) has spent all of today at the kitchen table constructing a giant papier-mache snake out of old boxes and packing paper. She's listening to The Wind in the Willows on the CD player at the same time.

God, that's so wholesome, isn't it?

My younger two are at MIL's being entertained royally. But what normally keeps them occupied is: Books, story CDs, playmobil and arty stuff. Oh, and unspecified activities that involve lots of banging and thumping, muffled shrieks and giggles and always seem to end up with the bedrooms completely trashed. No idea what goes on inbetween, and I don't really want to know as long as no-one's being hurt.

No - girls are worse at keeping themselves occupied.

dd2 much better than dd1 at entertaining herself (unless Hairspray/High School Musical involved)

Thank you everybody
Sorry I didn't get back yesterday.

I think maybe we need more lego.

Dd1 (11) reads nearly all the time and dd2 (2) often occupies herself with various things.

Ds1 (8) used to have great games with playmobil but he seems to have outgrown it . He does like lego though....
Ds2 (6) is probably the least able to occupy himself or concentrate for long

Oh, and they argue...

mine just play together really, but they are much younger than yours. I'd say ds is slightly more self sufficient than dd1 but he is older.

(I need to email you re date (date good) but can't get into my email atm)

Ds, 8 - reading, Lego, Nintendo, Club Penguin, The Revenge Diaries of Alistair Fury

Dd, 4 - "writing", drawing, playing with her baby dolls

I think it is an age thing but ds has always, I think, been more self-sufficient. Dd is a socialite, and nosy and acquisitive to boot, so even when playing a really great game, she has half an ear cocked for the sound of biscuits/food/compliment being paid to any other member of the family except her

A box set of any one of David Attenburgh's series should do it.

oh gosh yes mine love david attenborough

would esp reccomend life of birds, it seems the least violent

was a bit at gratitous bloodshed in lfe of plants

Lego duplo but you need a mamoth box of it. I inherited some then bought another big load on ebay. They build b=huge things with it and all the kids to visit head straight for our massive chestful of lego.

rolls of sticky tape on a prper dispenser, hours of fun to be had.......

actually, wooden blocks work well

they also like string

Yes, we have a large bag of Duplo which gets lots of attention when it's out. Interestingly, ds1 (8) is the most keen.

Riven, tell me about world of warcraft? Is it elven and interesting or military and brutal?

David Attenborough - yes - but I would ideally like to limit their screen time. Even worthy stuff is still sitting and staring, which certain of them do quite enough of.

And wooden blocks are great except that they get knocked over so easily and we seem to have a lot of arguments over them. Okay if only one child in the room..

Playmobil