Ipsey Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 My poor kids. My house is boring, apparently. We don't have a trampoline, or a pool, or a Wii, and we don't watch a lot of TVs or movies. We have games, but the kids' friends don't like to play games. My children are 11, 9, and 7 now, and my house is too boring for their friends. They can play outside or at the park across the street. . . . What do you suggest to make my house "fun"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 We have a pool but no trampoline. Obviously the pool is a big draw in the summer. But other things my kids' friends like to play when visiting... My DD9's friends come over and play with art/craft supplies and write books. They set up (very girly) forts in the back yard, which they use mostly for reading and snacking. My DD's friends are not yet tweenified, so they also spend a lot of time pretending, playing with stuffed kitties, and journaling. They also enjoy having fake problems with the boys. Don't really know how to explain that, but it is all pretend, thankfully. LOL My boys are 8 and 11. Their friends like to have Pok'emon battles, build with LEGO/k'nex/Zometool, and play with Nerf guns (they have bizarre battle tactics...there is a lot of climbing over the fences involved). They all climb trees at the park and have picnics. We have sports equipment for every sport, LOTS of baseball stuff in particular. In good weather, they will set up games at the park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Inexpensive outside toys: athletic ball stuff, lawn games, etc. I wouldn't go investing in anything expensive. Woodpiles, hammers, and nails are awesome if you have boys. Fruit. Otherwise, nothing. If you wanted to be the videogame/TV/trampoline family, you would have already bought that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 In a few years, all you'll need is food to make your house THE place to be. Teenagers are very impressed by food. For current ages, maybe a parachute or a bin with PVC pipes and fittings for building large creations? Sprinklers or a bubble machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Water play? Small baby pool to refill lots of water squirters? We get the kind that don't look like guns. Water balloons? Anything with water has been a big hit around here lately. Keva planks, rube goldberg machine making supplies and kits, lego, playmobil, fort kits. Maybe put some effort into organizing some games? My kids don't play board games, so that's never a big thing here. We have them, they just don't get used. But the kids always seem to entertain each other. Food. Lots of snacks. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 When my kids were little, we were the house because of food. I'd pass out fruit or crackers or otter pops. We didn't have a pool, and friends couldn't jump on the tramp. We didn't have a gaming system. The kids entertained themselves, legos, writing, drawing, playing pirates or Star Wars or superheroes (we had costumes, and some of their friends did too). Now that they are older, we are the house because of food. My son had several friends over each week during World Cup, and I made sure to feed those teen boys a LOT. I think some of it may be attitude. I don't know that I have a "good" attitude, because kids in any number scare me. But I pretty much have always laid it out there: "1) You call me Mrs. Day; 2) do not touch my walls ever, under any circumstances, and 3) please do not drink anything red over my area rug, because it if spills, I will cry, and you don't want that." Then they are on their own. Oh, and during the recent World Cup, my ds's friends were greatly impressed that I could play Mario Kart AND beat them. That might not go far for many people, but these are lovely, geeky, homeschooled boys. ;) It's the only video game I can play. I was shocked and thrilled and touched that they actually wanted me to play against them. :001_wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Well, when my DS was little, the boys liked playing at our house because I didn't care about them making messes. We had an upstairs playroom, and they could dump out every lego, build an elaborate track for the trains, set out the race tracks etc. they really liked being able to leave their creations out for several days. I also let them eat in the playroom. I let them use sidewalk chalk, play dough, moon sand- all the messy stuff that they could not do at home. Oh one other thing, we did not have a pool, but we bought an inflatable water slide thing that we would set up in the back yard in the summer. It made a mess of the lawn, but those boys loved it. It was a very big deal for my DS when we moved and had to get rid of it. He picked which of his friends that we gave it to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Junk food. (sorry) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Snacks!! Growing up I didn't have anything exciting at my home- but my mom always fed us yummy snacks! Everyone loved coming to my house to play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Mine was/is the house where we bake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Let them draw on the walls? Seriously, a chalk wall is easy to clean and fun. Better games? I agree that snack food is a big draw - doesn't have to be unhealthy, though luring kids with fresh strawberries all summer could get expensive. I think you have to decide if you want to be the fun house or not and that it's okay if you decide not to be. But that if you decide to be, you may need to invest in something - like a Wii and Mariokart and four Wiimotes - that will bring in the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Food. I can't say I know for sure lol.... Apparently there is something about our house that makes it a draw for kids. Cousins are always asking to spend the night... friends are always asking to come over... and neighbors are always in the yard. :blink: Outside we have a trampoline (my auto-correct just changed that to trampling! No, we don't have regular tramplings in our yard!!! :D ), a wooden swing set/playhouse thing, a tetherball, and in the summer, a sprinkler. :lol: Oh, and a basketball hoop (leftover from the last people who lived here). There is a small section of 'woods' according to all the boys - it's not really, its like this bramble of yucky trees and poison ivy and nothing really pleasant - but the boys sometimes like to go in there. Link doesn't really anymore after his last bout with poison ivy. He just had to learn the hard way. :rolleyes: The others sort of followed suit. They of course have bikes and scooters and stuff, too. Inside (to be used outside) we have swords (foam), lightsabers, and about every nerf weapon imaginable (and others, too). Mace, longswords, hatchets, crossbows, bow and arrow, nunchucks, you name it we got it. One time my husband took a picture of the doorstep when he got home and sent it to me with the caption 'I think the entire Fellowship of the Ring lives at our house.' Just tons of weapons laying on the doorstep lol. :D I'll see if I can find the pic - it's just funny. :) Inside (to be used inside, which I rarely allow when friends are over, honestly) we have several video game systems. I'm also pretty hands off. So it's like someone said above, These are the Rules, Follow the Rules (usually for outside it has to do with what to stay away from - the 'woods' has a lot of poison ivy, I prefer for them to stay in the back/side yards, only so far down the driveway, etc), and Have Fun. Don't Come in Unless Someone's Injured. :lol: I'll open the door and stick my hand out with snacks. (Totally kidding on that one :D ) We always have popsicles. And food. So Idk. When my kids are all older I want a really 'cool' house. I want all my kids' teenage friends to want to be here, kwim? :) ETA: So it's not as many weapons as I thought. Oh well. I attached it anyway. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 My 3 kids are close in age(12, 10, 6) and our house would be "boring" as well. When their friends come over they play with each other--not with things. I guess we are lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I've been told that my house is the "best place ever" by 10-12 yr old boys. Apparenrly food, Legos, toy weapons, and live snakes add up to a place boys that age like to hang out. Girls seem a little more mixed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ipsey Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 Thanks so much for the ideas, everyone. I'm no sure what I'm going to do, but at least now i have some possibilities to consider. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Food! Do,your kids know how to play card games like spoons? So fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 What do your kids like to do? They'll likely find friends who like similar things and invite them over. (My son begs to go his friend's house to play games.) Give the kids freedom to do things most parents won't deal with - bake, paint the play house (my kids did this today - wow, was that a headache), climb on the couch, etc. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Mine was/is the house where we bake! Yep. Ours, too. Preteen/teen girls love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I think it says less about how fun your home is and more about how they don't know how to entertain themselves without the items you mentioned. I would assume they need a little guidance WRT how to play. That's kinda sad to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I think it says less about how fun your home is and more about how they don't know how to entertain themselves without the items you mentioned. I would assume they need a little guidance WRT how to play. That's kinda sad to me. :iagree: Sad, but you can offer them something when they come over if you have the time/energy. I have read aloud to other people's kids and you'd think the kids had never seen a book before. Everyone loves it! (probably your 11yo's friends are too old for that though) Allowing kids to paint and do messy art is also a big hit. I have my kids' friends change into one of my own kids shirts before starting, then change back when they're done, as I'm never sure how their parents would feel about a gluey glittery painty kid coming home... Alternatively, you could just buy a bunch of cheap art smocks at ikea. and I'll second (third? tenth?) the food thing. And for the younger set, letting them help is also a big draw- making english muffin mini pizzas, build your own nachos/twice baked potatoes, etc, etc. Consider having Friday night be a movie night, where each child can invite one friend, and do sundaes or popcorn. It is an investment, but if you get a projector, you can make the movies the size of a wall and that's always cool, and you can put it away when done and not worry about screen time for the rest of the week. One thing my ds7 friends really like is our science cupboard- we have various "specimens" the kids have collected, lots of magnifying glasses and loupes, a few dropper bottles with vinegar or water in them, some fossils and sea shell sets, a balance, measuring tapes... next to buy will be a dissecting microscope, then a good microscope and slide set when they are a bit older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 My boys are 16, 14, and 10. They all LOVE board games. We have had friends over specifically just for board game night. However, these are homeschool friends......not PS friends. PS friends seem very into sports (my kids aren't) and electronic gaming. I really would like our next house to have an in-ground pool. Right now we have an above ground and I don't really care for it, but it is in good condition and came with the house. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I think it is more about attitude than anything else. We just recently got a Wii and Minecraft but even before then we had kids to play here a pretty fair amount. I try to talk to the kids about they want to do and let them do most anything within reason. Both my and dh's parents where the place to go growing up. I think for my parents it was because they respected us and gave us space but where there if we needed them for dh's parents I know they had tons of food and when he was a teen he had an old VW they would work on, ride and rebuild every weekend, best investment ever for his parents. When the kids were small the biggest draw was our huge dirt pile, they still play on that thing. They also like trying to build various forts around the house, inside and out. The girls like to borrow my clothes for dress up and do their nails. The boys seem to do legos or minecraft these days. We have a big wooden playset as well that is always used at some point during a visit. We have and enjoy board games but it seems often their friends aren't familiar with our games. Personally I find it easier as the kids get older as I get along well with older kids whereas toddlers and younger are harder for me. It's so much fun when they are able to hold bigger conversations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.