What do your pre-teen boys do w/friends?

[cougarmom4]

I mean, aside from video games...which seems to be all that most of them want to play. Ds11 isn't addicted to them, but I'd just like to find some new things he can do when friends are over that are not centered around an electronic device, but are perhaps a little more 'grown-up' than legos (although he's still very much into legos, the neighbor kids seem to be past that).

 

Any ideas? :bigear:

[Danestress]

We have 7 boys aged 11 and 12 in this immediate area, and they spend a lot of time playing sports - mostly according to the season. There is a great grassy easement where they play hours and hours of football - also basketball and baseball. Once in a while they play soccor.

 

They are recently getting into "air soft" guns, which I am not wild about.

 

They also like to explore the woods right around the houses, build forts -that kind of stuff. Really, none of us let them come in and play video games much - sometimes they do at one kids house, but not for very long.

 

When the weather is bad, they sometimes watch a movie, but they also build stuff (knex, legos). Honestly, sometimes it will be raining, and all the boys will be playing football - it's hilarious.

[MamaT]

My son and his friends play outside a lot. We are lucky enough to live on a piece of property where they can explore small streams, take a walk up the trail on the mountain, explore in the barn, etc. Sometimes we have a kickball game in our pasture. They also like to jump on our trampoline. I know that's not the safest thing, but we've had it for 12 years and no one has gotten hurt yet.

 

Aside from that, Nerf gun wars are big with these guys.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

They juggle, learn cards tricks, draw, make stop-action movies (digital camera), nerf guns, lazer tag, basketball, yoyo, magic tricks, on the fly science experiments...

[Caroline]

Play capture the flag, all kinds of sports, manhunt...

[Tracey in TX]

Outside activities:

ripstik, skateboarding

football, basketball, soccer, hockey, golf (Rules change according to who plays.)

fishing or climbing trees

Air Soft gun wars

walking to Sonic for ice cream, etc

Video games are actually near bottom of list now.

ETA: This is with friends and neighbors. List is much smaller when it's just my two boys.

[elegantlion]

Nerf wars. they play army outside. We're blessed to have kids right next door so they have about 2 acres to play on. the dad next door chases them on his 4 wheeler, they think that is a hoot.

 

They build forts and dig up stuff in our yard.

 

They both have game systems too but especially in the summer that time is limited and us and the neighbors make them stay outside for a period of time.

[KidsHappen]

Well, I don't have any pre-teen boys but my girls play with one. We have all girls on our cul-de-sac so if the boy wants to play, he has to hope the girls will include them. They roller blade, skateboard, ride bikes, fly kites, play basketball and kickball. Inside they play board games, listen to music, watch movies, and of course play video games. And sometimes they do silly things like throw stuffed animals at each other, play with old McDonald's happy meal toys, play toss or roll the ball. Sometimes they do homework or read. Art work and crafts are a popular as well. And then for some reason I can't understand they will sit right next to each other and text each other. I am sure legos would be a big hit if we had them. And finally, they eat. A lot. I don't think that the rest of the mothers in the neighborhood feed their kids.

[Laura K (NC)]

They also build elaborate battles and armies with action figures (my 12, 13, and 15yo's were doing this with a 16yo, lol),

last Wed. night they played capture the flag in the rain,

they camped outside last weekend and built a fire,

they take pictures of themselves and edit them, and make movies (they haven't done this in a while),

they read about guns and military equipment and compare notes and drawings,

they built a tremendous fort/airsoft bunker last year,

they were playing with the Google program Sketchup last week, making buildings, helicopters, and tanks,

 

seems like they're always either wanting to build something or blow something up, in real life or in some virtual world.

[dragons in the flower bed]

My 11yo pretends, mostly, just considerably more sophisticated versions of pretend, with props like maps and costumes that he works on for days. Most of his friends are from his acting class. Maybe that's why they're inclined to this sort of play. He and his friends also like to play the more complicated table top games like Dungeons & Dragons, chess, Settlers of Catan, etc. Occasionally he's roped into a game of kickball, too.

[Pretty in Pink]

They play outdoors, ride bikes, skate, swap music on their MP3 players, play board games, practice their instruments together, have sleepovers and watch movies, stay up late telling stories, and play the occassional video game.

[kewb]

Weather permitting they are outside. Bike riding, skateboarding, pogo sticking, basketball. Or elaborate pretend games.

 

Inside: Board games: Life, Apples to Apples, Othello, Battleship to name a few. Or more elaborate pretend games using block cities and trucks.

 

If they are over for a really long they will sometimes watch a movie.

[Anita in NC]

Mine will play outside, we'll meet friends at the park or we'll all go for a hike. They also like the Y where they can swim with friends, go to game room or play basketball.

[Firefly]

My 11 year old DS, when he gets together with friends, will build legos, play with their Bakuman (spelling?? They're these little Japanese magnetic ball-thingies that turn into robots), trade cards (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh), play a game (inside-board games, outside-- tag/soccer etc), do magic tricks (they all have kits) or just do imaginative play inside or out. I will let them play video games if they request it, but I limit it 20 minutes and then they have to go do something else!