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Original poster

What do Year 6 boys (age 10/11) do when they get together with their friends?

26 replies

FluffyHamster · 15/01/2011 15:47

Just wondering really...

DS has a school friend round (not one of his usual/ close friends). They seem to be a bit bored really.

So far they have

  • had lunch
  • played on the Wii
  • played with nerf guns n the garden
  • played a bit of swing ball
  • raided the biscuit tin
  • looked at some computer games/ DS's ipod touch
  • now watching a DVD

DS is always nagging to have friends over but seems hopeless at 'doing stuff' when they're here?

He's not a sports club sort of person (although played badminton this a.m.)

We're not really close enough to walk into town, and there's nothing on at the cinema.

DS seems in this strange phase between being a child/teenager, and doesn't seem to know what to do with himself...

What do yours do?

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Cyb · 15/01/2011 15:48

They are probably doing what grown up men do. Sitting together, with a shared hobby, in companiable silence

onimolap · 15/01/2011 15:49

I've begun to think it's probably better not to find out.

TanteRose · 15/01/2011 15:51

go to the park

out on bikes

EAT!

computer/PSP etc.

your sounds v.normal to me...Smile

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TanteRose · 15/01/2011 15:51

yours

LovelyJudy · 15/01/2011 15:52

lots of computer games...yesterday he and a friend made a film of themselves (i had to be cameraman) using their nerf guns, properly planned and choreographed using different shots, then put it together on some free software. sounds like i'm showing off. i just mean, they kind of combined playing with a more teenage attitude, it was nice to watch. but there's lots of mooching, and dvd watching. once football's over.

Earlybird · 15/01/2011 15:55

Does your ds ever play imaginary games - building castles/forts, etc?

What about a board game, build something with lego, marble run, puzzle, even using old building blocks to build a road, etc?

DD is this same age. She tends to veer toward the 'easy' stuff with friends initially (computer, wii etc), but eventually something will spark their imagination and they'll disappear for long stretches of time.

But....maybe boys are different.

Quattrocento · 15/01/2011 15:58

Mine run around, play on their laptops (WOW is popular), play some form of rugby, play with nerf guns, play the piano and sing. In roughly that order for around 10 minutes a time each activity. Funny creatures

You might like to have more than one over. They seem happier in packs.

Original poster
FluffyHamster · 15/01/2011 16:08

EarlyBird
He's a bit past the marble run/ bricks/road stage now, although he DOES do stuff like lego robotics, makes computer animations etc

I wish there was more stuff they could do outside locally, but we're straight onto main roads, so bikes etc is more difficult...

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Original poster
FluffyHamster · 15/01/2011 16:11

"They seem happier in packs." Grin

I can imagine that's true, but I can't stand all the noise/mess when there are loads of them - I feel I have to barricade myself away til they go home Sad

I'm also quite surprised by how much this friend has eaten in the few hours he's been here - he keeps coming and asking if he can have fruit... a yoghurt... museli bar... pretzels Shock

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Earlybird · 15/01/2011 16:19

Fluffyhamster - hmmm.....just like your son, dd is straddling the childhood/adolescent years. But she will surprise me sometimes by still playing with things I would think are too young to hold her interest.

But perhaps boys don't want to appear 'uncool' to their friends, by doing something 'babyish'.

Ragwort · 15/01/2011 16:25

My Ds does more or less does the same of yours except that we only have one 'family' computer so I do not allow him to use it when friends come round; also don't have any other techno. gadgets - perhaps that's why he prefers to go to other people's houses Grin. We do play board games/cards sometimes, but that usually means I have to supervise join in which rather defeats the object.

bellavita · 15/01/2011 16:59

Park, bikes, football, wake the hamster up, ask for food constantly.

Ooopsadaisy · 15/01/2011 17:04

Don't they go out?

My ds has hardly been here since 2006. (Year 6).

bellavita · 15/01/2011 17:06

Mine either Ooops. He is very much a needs to go out whether rain, hail, sun, gales, snow.

Ooopsadaisy · 15/01/2011 17:08

I meant to add - wait until he's Year 10.

The less you know about what they do, the better.

As I said - hardly been here since 2006. We had to remind him we were moving house. (Snigger - not that bad really.)

bellavita · 15/01/2011 17:24

Oops, I have one in Yr9 so I get where you are coming from Grin

mangoandlime · 15/01/2011 17:31

Go and play cricket and football, (pre season training before the season started).

X box - ipod - psp

yes, eat!

Talk in bedroom.

Meet friends..boundries of where he is allowed are very clear and well adhered to. Woe betide they are disobeyed.

Earlybird - Boys are different I guess, (good different!) mine would politely decline if I suggested building a fort or playing marble run.
Smile

mangoandlime · 15/01/2011 17:33

Just seen your last post. I don't feel it's to safe face, he is very laid back and doesn't really care what people think of him. Those things are just beyond him now.

mangoandlime · 15/01/2011 17:34

Save face!

Original poster
FluffyHamster · 15/01/2011 21:40

Where do they go out when they are in Year 6?

Sometimes DS meets a friend to go to the cinema, or he'll mooch around Game/ WHSmiths/HMV etc when we're at a shopping centre, but he's not really into the habit of 'going out' with his mates yet.

What do they do? Where do they go?
Think DS is too much of a 'homebird' Grin

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Original poster
FluffyHamster · 15/01/2011 21:45

DS also has a little brother (DS2 - age 8) so already does a fair amount of the lego/marble run/ games type thing wth him.

I just don't like it when DS1's friends come over and they default to the Wii/computer...

He DOES go to sporting things (cricket nets/ swimming etc) but that tends to be organised stuff we have to take him to.
I want him to start initiating more stuff himself really...

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timetosmile · 15/01/2011 21:52

Had three round last night...2 electric guitars and a selection of upturned bedroom bins quality percussion instruments. And the three year old on a harmonica Confused

Second the amount of carbohydrates they get through.

There are a few friends who are all secretly still into Gormitis and playmobil knights etc....but they don't come out from under the bed for just anyone!

Lots of 'down' time just aimlessly twiddling bits of lego.

Basically just the same as his year-younger sister but with less squealing!

Ooopsadaisy · 16/01/2011 12:22

Fluffy - You have asked where they go when they go "out".

Now mine is older I tend not to ask so much because he is sensible/responsible/does not get into trouble/has good mates.

Obviously when he was 11 ish I asked a lot more.

He was still playing up the park - football, cricket, rugby, bikes, building ramps in the woods etc.

I was strict about ensuring that he understood not to hang around outside the local shops or stand in big groups that might intimidate elderly people etc. I used to say "imagine what Great-Granny (died last year age 98) would think if she saw you". (He loved my Granny and this really brought it home for him).

He also had a very good "trouble detector" so always came home if older kids were drinking up the park or if anyone was hanging around he didn't like the look of (or looked a bit drugged up).

He's also been taught to look out for his mates.

He's turned out extremely well so far.

Worrying time though - you have to let them out there to make their own judgements on the world.

LovelyJudy · 16/01/2011 17:52

mine doesn't want to go out with mates yet. but we are in london, and he'd have to get a bus to go anywhere. maybe that's why. or maybe i'm hideously overprotective... i've taken him and his friend to the cinema, but dropped them at the door and picked up again at the end while i mooched round the shops.

PandaG · 16/01/2011 18:03

when he has a mate round my 11 yo DS

builds robots and programs them - Lego NXT

lots of computer games, an dthey write their own games together,

board games sometimes

playstation

k'nex

design imaginary worlds

write a novel

not very physical, we have a tiny garden and DS's favourite sport is cycling, but the roads round here are a bit busy at the moment, especially at dusk and later.