Childminder:What games/activities can i do with a 6 year old?

sammybo22

i am a newly registered childminder and have a 4 year old boy & 2 year old girl. I have just started looking after my first child after school & before (7.00am-8.30am) the problem is i have always planned my games/activities round pre-school age (easy with having a 4 & 2 year old) the boy i am looking after is 6 and likes computer games, action figures playing with little soldiers with a very detailed imagination (he is an only child and normally plays on his own or with his dad), i have been looking after him for two weeks and it was going well, i put out dinosaurs, die-cast cars and planes and he and my son have been playing well but today he said he is bored and my son doesn't understand the 'missions' (he always tells my son they have a mission and tells him all the mission plans which my son being 4 forgets or doesn't understand)
I have just bought some micro machines & action figures from ebay so that might keep them happy
i don't want to just stick on the telly all the time though i did do it today and he sat happy and watched power rangers!!!!
So what i am asking is, has anyone got any ideas for games or activities we could do?

mamamia

How about playing football in the garden? I know it is quite cold atm, but children love it when they are out in the garden. You could also try playing indoor games( snakes & ladder, downfall, UNO etc) with them. Story sacks also keep children entertained, you can borrow this from your local library.
Crafts are also good.

rio

It sounds to me that part of the problem is the very active imagination. my 4 year old is an only child and is so particular about things when he is playing that it is untrue. I know that ideally you want the children to play together, but he may be better playing on his own for a short time, whilst your son does another activity, this will give him his own space and then he will be happier to play with someone else for a while. I know that when my son has friends to play he always wants to wander off after a while and do his own thing it's part of being an only child I think.

Pooky

Maybe encourage him to draw and write down his missions and make a scrap book for him to stick them into - he can then decorate the book with lots of "top secret" stickers etc.

Ask him to help you teach your little ones some counting or word games, kids of that age get a lot out of helping to teach younger ones.

Hope that helps

addicted2shoes

my son is 6, he loves glue, glitter, cutting etc
he thinks tin foil is amazing and is always making robots, action figures from tin foil, it doesn't have to be that messy either, as long as you stick a piece of newspaper under his 'art!!'

Yorkshire-Lady_3

Hama Beads
K'Nex
Duplo/Lego
Playmobil

Poppy9

What about cooking? He could help you make pizza, cakes etc and he can use his imagination to decorate etc and he would have something to show his parents when they collect him.

I wouldn't try to force an activity on him every evening as children of his age are often tired after school. There is no harm with a short period of TV for him to chill out to.

sammybo22

he is staying late on Thursday so we are going to make spiderman cakes and make our own pizzas which should be fun, great ideas from everyone thanks!!
I think it is true about him maybe playing on his own and giving my son other things to do, and i think i will go out and buy some board games.
liked the 'mission' book idea maybe once the action figures come in that i have bought i can help him make up mission ideas and get my son involved.
Big thanks!!

Poppy9

No offence to you as a childminder but you can't help but feel sorry for a young child that is out of the house at 7.30am and doesn't return home to his parents till evening.

Mado

My son who is 7 is mad for the geomag magnets... He is always building things out of them.
The other things my lot like is craft: they made their own set of card games using stamps to play Snap or Old maid. And they like playing Top Trumps!

Rachie_B

have you asked him what he would like to do ?

arts n crafts

some time on the PC either playing educational games (BBC website is good) or writing stories etc ,as it sounds like he has a good imagination.

Jigsaw puzzles

making camps / dens with old sheets etc

It will be easier in the warmer weather as you can get out and about every day ,for walks,play parks etc