Mrs. A Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I would like to pick your brains and hear from those who have btdt. My DS is very active and I can see, since we've been staying in the house more, that he is bored. With nothing of interest to do, he finds ways to irritate his sisters and generally make mischief. He does fine with our school work, and isn't bored there, but it's the rest of the day I'm worried about. We can't go outside every day once the weather gets bad. All our toys are geared more for the 3 and under crowd. I am totally drawing a blank on what to provide for him to do. What do 5 year old boys like? (I feel terrible asking that!) he does have lots of transformers and plays with them, but we need more than just that. I am thinking mostly of things he can do when I can't pay attention to him, like when I'm cooking or taking care of the girls or what have you. Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 If he is independent enough you might let him pick a special project just for him. This could be an art or craft he could work on...let him have a box or case that is just his stuff. Maybe there is a physical skill he could work on independently. Jump rope, yo-yo, hula hoop, etc. Could he plant a little window garden? Have a goldfish? Play a tamborine? My older dd needed her own space when she was that age. She had her own little set of lacing cards, and stringing beads. She would take the little suitcase they were in and go into a different room from little sis and me and just play on her own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Legos and action figures are a hit around here with my 6yo. He also likes puzzles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I don't know. My son is an introvert and could entertain himself with his Legos, toys, and books for hours at that age. My youngest dd, OTOH, was a mess! She is such a social butterfly and was very antsy when she didn't have something to do, so she picked on her brother because negative attention is better than no attention. When I finally caught on, I started doing more things with her and her brother got more peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirch Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Toys--Legos, K'Nex, Playmobil, matchbox cars and a map rug (bought or homemade) Other things--puzzles, play-doh, wikki stix/bendaroos, lots of "free art" supplies, audio books (he can listen while he colors or plays with toys) You could also make a homemade felt board for him to play with: Get a large, neutral-colored piece of fleece or felt (3ft by 3ft or so) and glue or clothespin it to a foam board or large piece of cardboard. Buy different colored sheets of felt at Walmart or a craft store and cut them into shapes of all kinds and sizes (both abstract and recognizable, like white clouds or balloons). Let him play with the felt shapes on the board--making pictures, scenes, abstract designs, etc. You can also include pieces of yarn cut to different lengths (he might use them as telephone wires, balloon strings, lightning, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 How about keeping a tub of toys for him to play with ONLY when you need to be busy doing household duties or taking care of the other two? Playdoh is a lot of fun but MESSY. How about endless supplies of Playfoam? Legos and Magnetics were favorites of my boys, along with Hotwheels. Games on the computer? Those can be a really special treat. You can get educational games, and he would still have a BLAST!!! Tinker Toys? Lincoln Logs? Christmas is coming! I used to use that time to buy new toys to keep the youngers occupied while I schooled the older kids. I only allowed the toys to be played with at set times, those times I needed to focus on schooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 First of all, I would make every effort possible to get your son outside a little bit every single day. I guess there will be a few days that might not be possible, but for most of us, snow boots and gortex are a partial solution. I used to take my boys out "puddle jumping" when it was raining. I can remember them running across a snowy field because I told them, "lets see how long it takes you to run to that tree and back." They loved being timed. A certain amount of cleaning and laundry was worth it, because they truly did get "cabin fever" when they were cooped up all day. And I do too, to be honest. Even though it might be a pain to bundle up the little ones, I would try, or I would try to find a solution that would allow your son outside while a mother's helper sits with the little ones, or maybe after your DH gets home. This might be easy for me to say, though, because I live in a temperate climate. Anyway, there are times when we really need kid to be occupied. My boys really did love to draw at that age. A stack of paper and a bunch of colored markers kept them happy for a fairly long time. They also did all kinds of things with blocks - just an assortment of blocks in different sizes and shapes. Hours of play. I had a "no tv until 4:00" rule, and many days it didn't come on at all, but the days when I needed them to be occupied, it was good to have a few videos or shows for that 4 - 5 time of day. My mom called 4 - 6 the "witching hours" and said that lots of kids find it hard to be content then, even though it's the time of day Mom is trying to cook dinner and tidy up and most wants them to be happy and busy. My boys liked a challenge. If I set up a bucket and used tape to make a "mark" they would throw a ball 1000 times trying to get it in the bucket. Sometimes I would use masking tape down a hall and day, "Lets see if you can walk along it every step." Of course, that's more fun if Mom is the audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Cover the kitchen table with a huge piece of paper and lay out markers, crayons, stamps, and so on and just leave him to it. Mine likes board games, computer games, K'Nex, legos, play dough, TV, dress up clothes, dancing around to music, simple mazes (I bet he'd like tracing paper with simple things to trace, too, I should try that!), and so on, but he can definitely be challenging at times in this regard, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. A Posted September 30, 2011 Author Share Posted September 30, 2011 Thanks for all your ideas. I've written them down and will be trying some today. I definitely do need to make more of an effort to get outside. It's not winter yet. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Here, it gets so horridly cold that you *can't* have the kids outside. Seriously. We've had a week at a time when its -20 C or colder, and its like instant frostbite to send them out. Although probably not the most popular option, I've found the Wii to be a life saver. They get to jump around, be active, burn some energy, while still cooped up inside. The dance mat for the xbox 360 helps too. I've even thrown on an excercise video! :lol: For Tazzie, and a lesser extent, Princess, they *need* physical activity. Engaging their brains is great, but they need to be physically busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I agree with Legos and some outdoor time, even if it's cold. Also, if it's not too draining for you with your little ones, a weekly playdate helped us-- maybe there is another boy around his age who could come over to play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I would like to pick your brains and hear from those who have btdt. My DS is very active and I can see, since we've been staying in the house more, that he is bored. With nothing of interest to do, he finds ways to irritate his sisters and generally make mischief. He does fine with our school work, and isn't bored there, but it's the rest of the day I'm worried about. We can't go outside every day once the weather gets bad. All our toys are geared more for the 3 and under crowd. I am totally drawing a blank on what to provide for him to do. What do 5 year old boys like? (I feel terrible asking that!) he does have lots of transformers and plays with them, but we need more than just that. I am thinking mostly of things he can do when I can't pay attention to him, like when I'm cooking or taking care of the girls or what have you. Help! There are two things that my ds spent hours with at that age. Legos and Thomas the Train. We started with a bit larger collection of both and continued to build on them. Thomas the Train isn't a draw now at almost 11 but he still builds for hrs with his legos and wants different sets for BD and Christmas. He has had other building sets such as K-Nex, a marble run, and Roku but non of them have had the longevity of legos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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