Activities for 7 yr. old boy

Last post 12-20-2008 7:40 PM by GrandmaK_54_Illinois. 16 replies.
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  • 12-20-2008 9:27 AM

    Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    My DGS is going to come stay with me for a few days during his Christmas vacation.  I'm very excited because he lives a few hundred miles away so I rarely get to see him.  But now I'm also feeling a bit panicky wondering what I'm going to do with him.  Please, can you folks give me some ideas?  He is SO into video games (seems to almost live for them) and NOT into reading or crafts.  I do plan to have him spend some time in the kitchen with me but other than that, I'm at a loss.   Help, please!

    Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. - Plato -
  • 12-20-2008 9:52 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    Gormetta:
    My DGS is going to come stay with me for a few days during his Christmas vacation.  I'm very excited because he lives a few hundred miles away so I rarely get to see him.

    I'm wondering the same thing as my DGGS is coming in on Tues and what do I do with him. He will be 6 that day.  His DM and DGM are also coming to that should help.

    Have a good time with your DGS.

     

  • 12-20-2008 10:10 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

     It seems to me that kids that age need and enjoy physical activity.  Pehaps pick up a frisbee.  You can largely stand in one are and let him do most of the running around.

    Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught ____ for. -- Justice Earl Warren (1891-1974)

  • 12-20-2008 10:11 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    There are a ton of websites for kids.  Here are a few for them to play on:
     
     
     
    This one has links to more websites - crafts, coloring pages, recipes, games, etc.
     
     
     
    Enjoy your time with your DGS.  I remember how special it was baking with my grandma; I think doing anything together will be memorable for him.  Maybe you can make something Christmasy that he can keep and use year after year --- an ornament maybe?
     
     
  • 12-20-2008 10:17 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    Well, of course, the kitchen is a great place to start.  Why don't you take him to the library and let him pick out a couple of children's cookbooks to check out, and the two of you can pick recipes, go shopping, and then put them together.  Don't forget--while we've become jaded to the experience, a grocery store is a fantastic place to take a child--so many things you can teach/reinforce there.  Look at all the produce, for example, talk about how and where it grows, how it gets to the store, the gorgeous colors and interesting shapes.  And maybe let him pick out one food he's never tried to bring home and taste test.  How about reading a book together then cooking something to go along with the story (Strega Nona--spaghetti salad or spaghetti pie; Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs--do those little cocktail meatballs with the ketchup/jelly sauce--kids love them; Now I Will Never Leave the Table is good to use with those Bisquick spinach squares.)

     

    Take a look at your neighborhood as if YOU were a visitor.  There are so many interesting things to see and do in any neighborhood--the fact that he's from out of the area is great.  Look for: interesting playgrounds, natural history sites (the first full dinosaur skeleton ever discovered was found about 3 miles from my house--it's fun to take kids to see the area, the placque, and then go downtown to see the life-sized dino sculputure).  Not saying you have a dinosaur site in your area, but you've got something interesting.  Children's museums.  Zoos.  Check around to see if your community theater is doing any children's shows.  Is there a working farm, or other place of business that might interest him?  If you want to avoid spending much--think about things like going to the local pet store to see the animals, or the science, rock or hobby shops in your area.  See if the library is doing any children's activities.  How about going to the local animal shelter for a morning to walk some of the dogs?

     

    Take a penny walk through your neighborhood--at each corner, flip a coin to see if you go right or left. 

     

    Oh, and buy a copy of the book, "The Ultimate Book of Kids Concoctions".  Great resource--all kinds of crafts, art projects, etc, that you can do with kids with ordinary household products.  And they're all really fun--I've used a lot of those things with my summer school kids.  They LOVE the activities and I've found appropriate ones for ages 4-10 in the book.

     

    I bet anything, if you sit down and really think about it, you'll come up with more activities to enjoy together, than you'll have time to do in one visit.  Have fun!

  • 12-20-2008 10:18 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    It's a bit disturbing to hear that a 7 year old practically lives for video games.  Gormetta, your DGS may not be into crafts and reading and such, but I would suggest you do these things with him anyway. Consider it an opportunity.  You may be able to open his eyes to a whole other world he doesn't even know exists. 

  • 12-20-2008 10:19 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    Make popcorn and watch cartoons & movies together.

     

    Are there parks, farms or museums nearby he might enjoy? Do you know other people who may have pets or hobbies they could show him?

     

    When DS was that age and would spend time with his grandparents, he also liked just doing their regular errands and shopping with them. Especially if he felt he was helping them (not that they were old just making him feel special). Come to think of it, when I was that age, I also liked adults including me in their regular day-to-day stuff....makes a little one feel grown up.

     

    DS loved matchbox cars at that age - he would could play with them for hours.

     

    Have your DGS bring a few of his own small toys with him. He can show them to you and tell you about them. DS enjoyed just having someone watch him play and periodically comment about "wow, that car goes fast" or whatever.

  • 12-20-2008 11:07 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    This website with ideas has been advertised on TV lately:

    http://www.grandparents.com/gp/home/index.html

  • 12-20-2008 11:16 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    I see my DGSs (6&8) only a couple weeks a year, and if they could, we would bake constantly. Their Mom bakes with them, but I guess I am a bit sillier in what we make.....bread, but shaped like turtles or alligators, etc.

  • 12-20-2008 11:25 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

     My DS was into Legos at that age. They can get pretty expensive though.

  • 12-20-2008 11:31 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

     Card games like Uno, or Fish  or snap .  Teach him to play clock solitaire or my kids loved to see how big a card house they could build .

    Board games like checkers or parchesi, or.......

    Snow art -- paintings done in the snow with colored water in a squeeze bottle  (liquid dishoap or shampoo) 

    Bark rubbings  or making bird feeders and observing the visitors

     

  • 12-20-2008 11:39 AM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    organic--pat:
    Card games like Uno, or Fish  or snap . 

     

    My 8 yr old LOVES to play games.  Uno is easy (& cheap) - pine cone bird feeders are very fun to make. 

     

    Understand that he may complain about ANYTHING you suggest (mine does) but I just start in doing it & he chimes right in - then says later, wow that was fun.

     

    All the kids in his class love to paint too.  Paint by numbers are fun.  Coloring with crayons doesn't seem to interest him much unless I'm coloring too.  Playdoh is another biggie that's loads of fun.  You could make a salt dough & then bake his sculptures to keep.  I think they can be painted too.

     

    Have fun!



  • 12-20-2008 3:59 PM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    Oh, wow...I checked my email and found many wonderful ideas from you folks.  Thank you  so very much!  I now seem to have enough things listed to keep us busy for several days and then some. 

    Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. - Plato -
  • 12-20-2008 5:41 PM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    First on my list would be to the pottery store.  They have stores where you go in and paint already made pottery.  They then glaze it for you for a later pick up.  What a wonderful treasure that would be!

     

    My kids always love bowling and they will put up bumber guards for you.  You could enjoy pizza and a coke while playing.  It'll wear him out!

     

     

  • 12-20-2008 7:23 PM In reply to

    Re: Activities for 7 yr. old boy

    My DGS is so into video games too, but when he comes here, he LOVES to play cards with me.  I have been teaching him, the last couple of years, starting out with WAR, then a match-card game I invented, now we are up to POKER and UNO.  He's nine now.  I use a plastic cup for pennies to "bet" on, and then when we are finished playing we count out who won.  Then we put the pennies back in the cup for the next time.  I did this with my sons when they were little also.  They all really enjoyed it.  Have fun!

    Rosemary

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