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Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children
How Does Your 10 Year Old Son Entertain Himself?
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chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 3:48 am
My son is almost ten and in fifth grade. He has always had trouble entertaining himself after school. He doesn't like to read or do crafts, he loves the outdoors - but now that it's cooler outside and gets dark early that's less of an attraction - especially since his friends don't go out after school.

He will go to friends, but he claims he's just as bored there. Yesterday I suggested that he bake cookies, so he did with a friend that was great. But I can't have him baking all day - what other activities do your boys about that age do (preferably things that they do alone)?
Suggestions of games and or toys are great also.
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salt




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 4:09 am
Reading. If he's not an avid reader, comics books are a good start.
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chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 4:14 am
salt wrote:
Reading. If he's not an avid reader, comics books are a good start.

DS has difficulty reading. He doesn't enjoy it, he has some graphic novels but they don't really capture his attention. Reading is a chore for him - not entertainment, he won't spend more than 15 minutes with reading material - even magazines and comics. (I know that's sad, since both DH and I are avid readers, so is his older sister - but for him it's a struggle and just not fun).
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rachel6543




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 4:46 am
What about Legos? My son is 8.5 years old and can spend hrs playing with Legos.

When I was 10 years old I loved playing Mad Libs with my friends. We would even write our own Mad Lib stories.

I also loved card & board games at that age: Uno, monopoly, checkers....etc.
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chavs




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 4:51 am
When my son was 10 (he's 11 now) would entertain himself with doing lego, painting and playing with warhammer, reading, playing games on his ds and online, tv and he really loved horrible histories as well, he also liked cooking.
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chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 4:59 am
chavs wrote:
When my son was 10 (he's 11 now) would entertain himself with doing lego, painting and playing with warhammer, reading, playing games on his ds and online, tv and he really loved horrible histories as well, he also liked cooking.


What's a "warhammer"?
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chavs




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 5:08 am
Warhammer is a tabletop fantasy wargame where two or more players compete against each other with small figures that they build and paint as they want. It's apparently quite similar to dungeons and dragons although I don't know dungeons and dragons.
Google it to see pictures and get more info. It's a great hobby.
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chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 5:11 am
chavs wrote:
Warhammer is a tabletop fantasy wargame where two or more players compete against each other with small figures that they build and paint as they want. It's apparently quite similar to dungeons and dragons although I don't know dungeons and dragons.
Google it to see pictures and get more info. It's a great hobby.

Thanks, I'll introduce him to it. He's not really into fantasy games, although I know some of his friends are. Maybe we'll try lego again.
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myself




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 5:58 am
Try games like Rush Hour, IQ Fit Brainteaser, Chocolate Fix, Pallino, Bop It, or Simon Says.
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imasinger




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 6:24 am
My 10 y.o. also can get bored a lot, and is the only non avid reader in the family.

Screen games are entertaining, but maybe too much so. Use, but with caution.

The bigger, more complicated Lego sets are fun while they last. Costly, though.

DS really enjoys Step It Up. That's both screen, and exercise.

He likes looking at maps, and figuring out where things are. He likes one player games like rush hour, gravity maze, laser maze.

I'll be following this thread for more ideas.
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chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 6:28 am
myself wrote:
Try games like Rush Hour, IQ Fit Brainteaser, Chocolate Fix, Pallino, Bop It, or Simon Says.

Good idea. We actually have a game along those lines "gravity maze" and it is a success with this child. I'll check out these other games you suggested.
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 6:51 am
What about lego books or websites that give him ideas of fun projects he can do with your existing lego?

eg

http://frugalfun4boys.com/2015.....kids/

Do you let him play on the computer? A lot of kids that age love minecraft.

My son (all my kids) are huge readers.
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shoshana2




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 7:43 am
My 10 yr old loves his door mounted basket ball hoop. He also likes listening to stories on cd or on the phone. Wonder Words has great Jewish stories that he enjoys (212) 444-1119). He recently got a travel Hangman game he is into playing lately.
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redheaded




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 8:14 am
Children need to learn it's ok to be bored. You set up clear parameters when you are available and when he has got to figure it out on his own.

Like I heard from a wise Shlucha (4got her name) "I am not the entertainment director on this cruise."
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amother
Forestgreen


 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 8:17 am
Does he not play sports ? My nine year old plays after school
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momwifedaughter




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 9:31 am
I filled up my sons ipod / sansa with stories he enjoys listening to. Hes rolling on the floor with his headset on and relaxing while listening to his favorite stories.. Its lasting so far for good few months. Once hell get bored, well fill up more stories. Following this thread for more creative ideas
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amother
Ecru


 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 11:30 am
chanchy123 wrote:
My son is almost ten and in fifth grade. He has always had trouble entertaining himself after school. He doesn't like to read or do crafts, he loves the outdoors - but now that it's cooler outside and gets dark early that's less of an attraction - especially since his friends don't go out after school.

He will go to friends, but he claims he's just as bored there. Yesterday I suggested that he bake cookies, so he did with a friend that was great. But I can't have him baking all day - what other activities do your boys about that age do (preferably things that they do alone)?
Suggestions of games and or toys are great also.


why can't he bake all day? I don't mean literally, but maybe he can develop skills in the kitchen. one day cookies, another day something a bit more complicated. kitchen skills is not only a hobby for girls.
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sky




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 11:37 am
I also have a 10 yr old who really doesn't like to read.

Even though it is dark early I push him to go outside for one hour right when he gets home as long as the weather is decent. Right now the neighborhood boys are getting together to rake each family's lawn. We all benefit. they are busy - and we are getting our lawn cleaned.
they were also very busy recently building a clubhouse.

Sometimes the neighborhood boys will come over to play a game. Great games for this age have been Life, Ticket To Ride, Catan, Monopoly and Sorry. I give them a big bowl of popcorn and sometimes hot cocoa.

He went through a phase where he loved to make intricate, detailed mazes for others in teh family to do, many times centered around a theme.

I let him bake one night a week, early in the week if he likes. Brownies, cookies, rice crispy treats, etc.
Thursday nights he can help peel and cut if he wants.
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gold21




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 11:46 am
I feel that boys and girls are different in this regard, and what kept us ladies busy as kids may not work for our boys....

iPad games that we approve of

Watching sports games (we don't have a TV, but you can watch games online or through an app- I set it up when there's a good game on)

Trading baseball cards (or other sport cards)

Indoor basketball hoop

Play sports outside even if it's chilly!!

Reading

Lego

Listening to story CDs

Playing card games
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mamita




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 08 2016, 11:59 am
gold21 wrote:
I feel that boys and girls are different in this regard, and what kept us ladies busy as kids may not work for our boys....

This.
It seems like he is very good hands on.
Make sure your crafts are boy-oriented. The kind that include wood popouts and heavy glue. screwdrivers and screws. More like construction sets.
Let him play outside a little in cool weather. Indoor he can do things like pingpong . as long as not every table he sees is converted to a ping-pong table I guess Smile
Lego and similar kind of toys where they can construct more intricate stuff as they progress.
My boys are very into monopoly and those kind of board games that include male thinking like finances , strategy and territory. Other kind of games I need to encourage in order to get them to play.
We have very limited total.screen time per week in our house. But you'd be surprised what they come up with once they have what to work with.
I had boys who also weren't big readers at ten. But I always kept a supply of age appropriate books and Jewish comics. And as they turned eleven and twelve reading time extended to the degree that I would hide them!!!
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