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Discussion Forums » General Discussion
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How to entertain 7 and 8 year old boys?
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15 Jun 2010, 17:26
Acid Fairy
Post Count: 1849
I work as an after school assistant. I am only working for the next four weeks, but I have just been given two new children to look after. Every day I will have:
three 8 year old boys
sometimes another 8 year old boy who is horribly hyper
one 7 year old girl
one 3 year old boy.

And on two other days I will also have another 3 year old boy and a 4 year old boy.

When I just had the younger children and the girl, they were very interested in doing arts and crafts. But these boys are not. On a nice day, I like to take them outside and let them play imaginary games or football. But what do I do to entertain them when we are stuck inside, in a very small space? Any ideas?
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15 Jun 2010, 18:26
~RedFraggle~
Post Count: 2651
Do you have a Wii? My 7 year old cousin is obsessed with his Wii! He likes playing board games too though, so perhaps you could try that?
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15 Jun 2010, 18:38
Acid Fairy
Post Count: 1849
We do, actually. I kind of forget to get that out sometimes. I think that will be my fallback on days when they are impossible to settle down lol!
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15 Jun 2010, 18:56
*~Loving You~*
Post Count: 507
movies... maybe let em watch a movie... or vedio games... i wouldnt know...
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15 Jun 2010, 22:24
Dreamer ♥
Post Count: 167
Build a fort and have a picnic!
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15 Jun 2010, 22:25
Dreamer ♥
Post Count: 167
Do some painting, get some foam swords and play pirates uurrrrmmmmmm My little boy is only 2! lol! Try and find some cheap indoor games that are designed for children, last thing you want (well I would want) is for them to be sat in front of the TV all day!
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16 Jun 2010, 04:26
Lovin'MyLittles
Post Count: 322
Try to get them into something relatively better than video games or watching movies.. The wii is great, it's at least more active. Have them create a fort.. or have them create and act out a play together - something that's more boyish than girlish lol - have them write a scary story.. or a funny story... do you know how to do madlibs? those are awesome. :)
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16 Jun 2010, 05:01
chelseaz
Post Count: 83
It's been so long since I've watched normal boys that age. Most of the kids I work with are downs syndrome or autistic or something. Wii, definitely. Especially a game they can play together. And some board games might keep them entertained. Boys that age like to wrestle and run around though. You could put together some sort of scavenger hunt for them! That might be fun :)
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16 Jun 2010, 14:23
starsmaycollide
Post Count: 408
I just worked with 6 and 7 year olds in first grade in the US.
Try looking up teachers' websites to find ideas-there are tons of ideas out there for that age. I'm sure you could find some simple games-you could find card games, simple math games, or games you could make yourself with just a few pieces. (or that they could help you make, coloring in their own game board, making their own pieces, if you gave them a template).

I'd also look into having them build something indoors. Also, if you had the giant rolls of paper, they could trace each other, and color themselves in. I totally understand that boys at that age are super active. But I've noticed they love feeling like they made something 'cool'. Maybe you could shift some of your crafts towards their interests.
(My male students were obsessed with the new cartoon version Star Wars, lol ).

And all the kids loved reading/learning about animals-especially if it involved strange and amazing facts about how strong/big/tough they are. You could pick some and help them have a theme for their games or activities.

I also taught my kids about space, and they loved drawing all the planets. It was pretty tough for them to understand-mostly it was how some are different colors, hot or cold, and their names. They also thought it was funny to learn the order by the memory trick- my very excellent mother just served us nine pizzas. ;-D

Here it is typical at that age to have centers set up during reading instruction-my teacher had different ones depending on the week, but they included- tracing words into play doh using letter stamps, making books with vocabulary words they knew, (making a book is always fun when they get to decorate it) simple matching games like memory with cards turned face down, a listening center where they listened to books on CD, computer center set to educational kids sites like starfall.com, and games matching words to their endings (-ing, -ed, -s) as well as contractions. (do not matches with don't).

Obviously I know you are entertaining them more so than teaching, but I just wanted to give you the ideas I'm familiar with, and you could alter them to be about just about anything.


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16 Jun 2010, 14:27
starsmaycollide
Post Count: 408
oh, and one more- help them put on a play-it can be as as simple as dividing up lines from a picture book. the little ones who can't read can be special assistants, helping them with props-the older ones read. this was another center we did-we called it 'reader's theater'. :)
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16 Jun 2010, 17:34
Acid Fairy
Post Count: 1849
Oh very helpful, thanks so much! And the method I learnt for the planets was 'My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets'

But I guess we need a new one now since poor Pluto has been demoted ;D

And I have done plays before so I might try that again and take it outdoors on a nice day, because the space I have to entertain them is crazy-small!
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15 Jun 2010, 21:17
F C U K
Post Count: 134
I only babysat one 7 year old boy in my whole life and he was easy. He loved Video Games and GI JOES.
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16 Jun 2010, 01:34
Nanny Nessa
Post Count: 2
Bag of army men to set up play battles, toy cars, make paper airplanes, finger painting, play doh (you can find recipes online for it), board games, mad libs (boys tend to love that gross-out humor and will enjoy using words like poop and butt), science experiments, mud making (water and dirt in the house works if you put a plastic tablecloth on the floor of the kitchen)... just a few things off the top of my head. Good luck! :)
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16 Jun 2010, 02:49
Nanny Nessa
Post Count: 2
I also forgot: Hide and seek. To make things interesting (especially if playing with anyone over the age of 10), play in the dark. I was a nanny for a 12yo boy and when he'd have his friends over we'd play this. It was awesome and made it even harder. Although... we had to stop when one kid climbed on top of the fridge and dented it. lol.
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16 Jun 2010, 12:18
*amour de bebe*
Post Count: 235
My 6 and a half year old loves army men and playing "army" also loves to colour, pain and draw. We do finger painting alot it keeps my kids entertained for ages :D And shape painting like curring a carrot/potato/apple/sponge shapes and make a picture of a boat or house etc. using them shapes lol, great fun ;D
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16 Jun 2010, 12:18
*amour de bebe*
Post Count: 235
Paint*
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16 Jun 2010, 12:18
*amour de bebe*
Post Count: 235
cutting* omg @ my typos today sorry for spaming
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