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

carol_a_3

This brings back memories, I was a childminder for 9 years in the 80s/90s

How about getting him to write lots of different activities on pieces of paper that he would like to do, both indoor and outdoor. Then, after "vetting" them, put them in an old biscuit tin or large envelope and get him to pick one out each time he comes after school to see what you can do. Mine used to love playing shops and "libraries" with home made tickets etc as well as the Fisher Price people, lego, duplo etc. The cooking sounds a good idea.

sammybo22

Poppy9 wrote:

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.

He is only out the house early on 1 day he comes to me at 7.00am and i take him to school at 8.30am, the other two days it is only an hour after school.

Sway

I love carol a's idea, I'm going to pinch that too hope you don't mind!

Have you tried to do games or activities that have an easy and a more challenging option... for example if you make masks the let the older child create the whole thing but maybe have ready made eyes, ears, nose and mouth for the younger ones. That way both are enjoying the same activity but are both challenged.

-Or with construction give the older child lego and the younger duplo....
-painting, older child paint by numbers, younger child a colour in between the lines picture.
-junk modelling is great for all ages, the only limit is imagination!
-paper mache, so much fun and so much mess, beware!
-brio, fun for all ages (tip, ikeas train sets if they still make them are cheaper and just as good! otherwise check out ebay/carboots)
-make an assault course using sofa cushions, skipping ropes, hoops, old sheets, whatever you have to hand really, involve up, under, over, through, balancing and you'll have them ready for bed in no time!
- one for all of them, marmite painting, even the tiniest tot can do this (altho i advise stripping toddlers down to the nappy as they wear most of it) literally give them a huge bit of paper and some marmite and let them see what they can make with it. For the older ones use forks or spoons to make patterns in it on the paper.
-use poster paints and add glue, glitter or sand for different textures, it has some really strange results when it dries.

It is also worth checking out 'the rainy day book' as a search on amazon as it brings up heaps of books with collections of art, cooking, sewing, painting and creative ideas...

Or you could google 'childrens activities' to find 'stores' of ideas such as
http://www.gameskidsplay.net/
http://www.activitiesforkids.com/
http://www.creativekidsathome.com/activities.shtml
are just a few...

As a childminder it might be worth looking up your local the childminder network as they often have sessions to meet and share ideas with one another. You can go about this by contacting your local sure start or CIS (childrens information service). Try http://www.childcarelink.gov.uk/index.asp for a local link. Not sure where you are but I may be able to help you more if your in Yorkshire, cambridgeshire or the North East (i've been working with children a long time) as i know heaps of people in these areas.

Ok sorry i've gone on a bit, hope it is useful, have fun and remember only buy washable paints/pens