Games/activities for a bored 6 years old dragged back by younger siblings

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Please help me.

I have three DCs, dd 6 yo, dd 4 yo and ds 1 yo.

The younger two are happy. 1 yo plays happily with toys, books. 4 yo picks up books and pretend reads, plays with toys, does craft.

DD1 is bored, so she pesters the two others for entertainment. We are getting into a Horrid Henry/Perfect Peter dynamic with dd1 and dd2 at times.

DD1 and DD2 got to school all day (finish 3.30pm) and have no extra-curricular activity/clubs. We go home after school, have snack, 40mn of DVD, then homework (reading) then free play: crafts, dolls, cars, puzzles, books, construction (lego, duplo). I suggest board game but DD2 and I are the keenest. Dd1 mainly skips around the house and does not want to play or read.

She recently complained that our toys and games and too baby-ish for her. She has a point. She enjoys playing chess and draughts. We got a board for Christmas.

What would you suggest for age appropriate activities/games for her, knowing that I still have the two younger sibling with me?

PS: DH works long hours and some weekends, so I need activities that do not require another adult.

Hi. I'm not quite in the same situation as you in that my DD's are 4.5 and 2.5, but I am always trying to find things to do with both of them without the older one getting bored. I'd say your 6 yr old and 4 yr old could play a game of UNO with you (while the baby potters with a toy or naps) - it's the kind of game they both will love at 6 and 4. This Christmas I bought her Kerplunk and Connect 4 - your older 2 could play with you supervising, baby does other things.....could you emphasise the 2 bigger kids being the older ones and big enough to play proper games together/with you. Or could you do big girl Cooking Of The Dinner with her while 4yr old plays with the baby.....

Thank you Jenny. You have my sympathies. Keeping the eldest interested is tricky as DD2 is hot on her heals. Because of birth dates, they are actually only one school year apart so very close in abilities. But it seems unfair that the youngest picks up skills so quickly/enthusastically when the eldest has to work so hard at it, and then gets put out when DD2 catches up. DD2 has the advantage of DD1 stretching her, but no one is stretching DD1.

I do like the Cooking of Dinner idea.

UNO is good. I had forgotten card games entirely. This sounds good. Plus they take so little space. We seem to accumulate so much junk and with baby I am not keen to prune our toy collection as he will be using the basic toys again.

I do not know Kerplunk, but I will have a look at the reviews. Thank you.

Monopoly is good, but sometimes the younger ones trash it!

Gosh, I forgot about the classics. Monopoly is a good idea.

I think cards and board games are more interesting for kids as they grow older. I do too much crafts I think.

We had what a performance, but the novelty has worn off now.

Keep them coming!

Guess Who is also good at about that age (but toddlers do eat the little paper things given half a chance!)

Operation might be fun

We got very excited about hungry hippos (despite choking hazards for littlest), but it broke within 30 mins, so recommend avoiding that one. It's also very loud.

Plasticine went down well with my 4 and 6 yr old (now 5 and 7). Not as babyish as playdoh. Things like fimo too (if expensive). Tbh you're better at it than me. At that time of day it's computer games or tv here. Mine generally play with each other making dens, hide and seek etc if screen time's not allowed. I think how well that goes comes down to personalities.

Would she be interested in a puzzle with lots of pieces? My ds6 loves doing them. There is a brand of games called Thinkfun, they are brilliant at stretching the kids abilities. A good one is Rush Hour.

Argh. I typed a longer answer but l lost it!

Puzzles - unfortunately DD2 is a puzzle fanatic and, sibling rivalry etc., DD1 avoids puzzles as I think she perceives that she does not want to be seen as doing not as well as her little sis. I need to address her self esteem there. Maybe a big girl puzzle would do that.

Plasticine - she does like this. We did a dinosaur island at the weekend and she plays in with it for a little while. I will google for tricks on sculpting the plasticine. I always end up helping too much because I love crafts.

I have 3 DC too, mine are 3, 5 and 7.

Is there a particular reason why you don't do after school clubs? I know they can be a bit of a hassle logistically, but your 6yo sounds like she would really benefit from physical activities and spending time with friends rather than her little sister. How about beavers / rainbows, gym / ballet, swimming etc?

Maybe there's your answer? Mine play better together if I leave them to it. A bit of benign neglect does no harm. They also enjoy crafts etc far more if I leave them to do it their way (helping if asked) rather than directing them how to do it when they will get frustrated and lose interest.

Inviting another child the same as your eldest over to play can also be a nice thing. Though then you end up needing to give the middle one even more attention to compensate for being left out

tumbletumble cost and logistics have been my excuses reasons up to now. DC3 is a bit bigger now and I think I will have to bite the bullet re: cost. DD1 needs sport I agree. We used to do swimming, but she was ill all the time. We did dance, she liked but it was baby-ish Dqncing so she has outgrown this. I will look at gym or rainbows. Sounds good. I asked her what she wants to do and here answer is "cycling". A bit young for cycling club I think .

Just received an ad for drama. Any good you think?

floweryhat ah, I am very good at letting them play, and doing MN but recently DD1 has started pestering the younger ones when she is left to her own devices. I want to break that new dynamic.