how to entertain and 8 year old.. ideas please

[nadmaj]

Hi ya

I have to childmind an 8 year old tomorrow and i've got no idea what to entertain him wth - we've got a playstation so he can play on that and it leaves me with 7 hours with him getting bord. I've only got a toddler myself so not got to the 8 year old stage yet.

Help please.

Thanks

[vik3000]

Ask him!!! Sounds simple but sit down with him and ask him his fav things to do, least fav things, what he is good at, what he would like to try Sort out some rules and boundaries and talk through his and yours expectations.

Kids of his age may like:

science experiments (ie/make a volcano)
get him involved in some cooking and baking
nature hunt
make sure you have parental controls set up the 'puter
my 9 year olds like history
sporty type things, footie kickaround, bat and ball, cycling, rollerblades

lego, magnetix, bricks, building,

my lot like arts and crafts, making things (you've got halloween coming up)

let him get involved in playing alongside the toddler
if he is allowed out (the setting) to play with friends make sure you set times and boundaries

[sarahnev707]

Like Vik says - make sure you have good parental controls on the computer - I use K9 from download.com - it's free and very good - you can set it to how you want it to react

It's a pain to start with cos you have to enable certain safe sites to work with a password, but once it's running it's great

Good luck!

Sarahx

[lorri]

Could you go to the park?

Collect leaves and do a montage or try and get him to research what type of tree the leaves come from?

Ask him to design a poster for Trick or Treat or Firework night safety?

Colouring and dot-to-dot?

Make a card for his mum just to say 'hello'?

I don't know really just wanted to try and help!

Lorri x

[nadmaj]

thank you lorri and vik300o for the great advice.

i've been looking for a good parent control program for the computer - i'll do it now

[rach30]

When i used to work in an after school club all the older kids (8&9 yr olds) used to go mad for messy activities . All the kinds of stuff that the nursery kids do all the time eg playdough , cornflour gloop ect.