Ideas for a 6yo off-school time

[psreit]

Most of you don't have this problem since there are younger siblings. My 6yo only has grown siblings. Since we did not adopt another young child which would have given dd a playmate, there are days when dd just does not entertain herself and gets very 'pesty'. She will 'get bored' and not want to play with her toys. She always wants someone doing something with her. She has school 3 days a week, but has snow days lately that have kept her home more often. I am planning to homeschool as soon as this school year ends, but I know it is imperative that I really structure our days so she doesn't become bored and wish she was back in school with her friends.

I have been trying to let dd help with cleaning and cooking more often, but sometimes I need to do things that she can't really take part in. I am making plans to get together with another hs family 2 days a week when we begin homeschooling. But, I'm thinking of days we are home, even now, when dd just can't seem 'to find anything to do'. As soon as I have my books, I want to read the Little Hearts history to her ( we will do Beyond in 1st and start TRL on the two days she doesn't have school. But when that work is done, does anyone have some creative ideas that may occupy dd's time when not doing school, at least until the weather gets nice. She is very hands-on. I want to give her things to do that I don't have to be right beside her all the time, but, because of processing and attention problems, with many things, she still needs supervision. She's very inquisitive and with only adults in the house, she thinks sometimes that she has the same liberties as the older ones, with electronics, etc. I need ideas for now, but, although it is months away, I feel like it will take me months to really prepare for the fulltime homeschooling. I'm not a structured person myself, but I am really going to need to plan our days if our hs will be successful. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[sharonb]

Well, my children have siblings close in age, but they still try to tell me they are bored! Here's what my children that age enjoy:

Legos
Playdough
Lite Brite
Computer (I let them use my old computer and play Sammy's Science House, Atari Games, etc. They also enjoy just opening word and using the "draw" feature to make shapes. Sometimes I let them use my computer and play at starfall.com or pbskids.org. We are looking at getting a router for our modem so they can use the old computer for this though!)
Painting (at the kitchen table with watercolors)
Digging in the dirt outside
Play kitchen/babydolls (just the girls!)
Believe it or not, they also enjoy organizing the kitchen drawers and cabinets (take everything out and put it back in nicely). Just last night my dd organized all the plastic cups.

Hopefully this helps! I know it's hard coming up with things for children to do when they are "bored"!! (One time I told ds he could scrub the kitchen baseboards with a toothbrush if he was going to say he was bored. He actually really enjoyed that chore, and I was grateful that he was willing to do it!)

[psreit]

Sharon,
My dd does some of those things sometimes, but sometimes she just wants somebody to do something with her. I was thinking, in my 'structuring' I should set aside a certain time where we do play games or something together and then she has to realize that I need time to do other things where she has to play by herself. She probably would enjoy scrubbing with a toothbrush. She loves to play in messy things That's more fun than her toys.

[sharonb]

Mine do seem more willing to go off and play if I spend some time with them first, so scheduling that is probably a good idea!

I've also found that hiding some of their toys for a few months renews their interest in them once they are brought back out!

[my3sons]

I can understand what you are saying here! I remember struggling with this when we only had 1 child. I think this past post has some neat ideas in it that may be of some help. This is something I'm still growing into and am always open to new ideas for how to make good use of our free time together, but also allow my dc to have freedom with what they do. One thing I've decided I enjoy is showing them something in detail once, and then letting them go on with it independently, just checking in on their progress now and then. I need some time where I'm not directing their day, and they need that too. So, the ideas that are best for us in off-school time are those I can help get started, but then hand over to the dc. An example of this is latch-hooking, or jigsaw puzzles, or writing emails to family - I can show them a few times, and then they can do it on their own, with me just enjoying commenting on their progress and helping with a few details now and then. Here's the link:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2170&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

In Christ,
Julie

[psreit]

Thanks, Julie. Reading the posts from that link was helpful. I guess as dd gets older, she will be able to more independently. In the meantime, I need to guide her in making choices for free time activities. I raised 3 who were fairly close in age. I don't remember having this issue. Now with dd being 'by herself' in a way, and also because she has some attention difficulties, she has a harder time entertaining herself. I know when the weather gets nice we will be outside a lot.

[Tansy]

I have a 7 year old as you know and we have this problem while her sister is in school... I have to do work some days and she can be such a pest. One I have play dates built into our weekly schedule. I also have books. clay, puzzles, craft paper glue etc. But I also have a list of chores.. like sweeping the bathroom washing off the fronts of cupboards, when she has stuff to do but is demanding that I play with her, I give her one of these easy chores. after about a week she stopped pestering me. And when bratyly behavior "I'm board" etc. pops out I ask her if she wants to do one of those chores and amazingly she suddenly has a picture to draw or a puzzle to do..

[psreit]

My dd loves to help with cleaning, cooking, etc. But, she seems to want to help with the messy work, like anything that involves water or stirring food (which ends up flying out of the pan or bowl) I am trying to find ways that she can enjoy things like this by herself. I have at times been making her a dough with flour and water just to play with (it's real, playdough isn't). She loves it and usually makes a mess at her little kitchen, but it gives me time to do things without her interrupting. I was thinking I should have done what I read somewhere, to get a little swimming pool and put sand or something in it for dd to play in the basement during the winter. It's unfinished, so the mess wouldn't matter.

As far as the 'masterly inactivity' that was the topic of the link Julie gave, I feel sometimes like it's not happening as much as it probably should. For more of this to happen, I feel I have to still be by dd's side. She isn't reading or writing enough to use those skills farther than the schoolwork. She does have some processing issues that cause her to not take time to think things through. So, she gets easily frustrated and won't try. So, again, I have to be there to help. I guess, with help, things will eventually change. I'm still open to suggestions.

[pollo_la]

Well, my dd's do have each other to play with, but one thing here that is ALWAYS a hit with them is craft books... especially the ones done by Kumon. My 5 year old loves the "easy craft book" right now, and they also have an advanced craft book, puzzle books, etc. There are also similar books by other publishers. The craft can sometimes yield a play item as well when they are done (such as puppets), so then they go off and play for awhile with their new craft.