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Need indoor activity ideas for 12 y.o. boy
Need ideas.
I work, after school, at a child care center in the school age program. Many of the kids are K-2 grades. Usually, we rotate to different centers for an hour or more each afternoon. Centers often include things like legos, blocks, coloring (I'm suprprised they still enjoy those things are their age, but they do). A 12 y.o. boy started today; he is older than many of the kids, and I expect that he will be bored very quickly. Another thing that we do is play board games, or card games, and he might enjoy that. He might also be able to be a helper, role model with the building kinds of toys for the younger kids. But, does anyone have any suggestions about other ideas for things that he could do, indedpendently, in a center of his own. Or, other center ideas that I could plan that might interest him, as well as the younger school age kids? He's a cool kid, and I don't want him to dislike coming there. ~ Faith |
It would be wonderful if he would read to the younger kids! Does he like to read? Start him on the classics and he will be hooked for life.
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See if he was a girl I would have all kinds of fun craft ideas for you. I know nothing about boys! (other than they are mean, smell like boys and like to make messes). Decoupage maybe?
My 14 yr old nephew is really into science. He also still loves legos. But most days you can find him in front of a video game or outside playing football. What if he is kind of the ring leader for the smaller kids? Like playing red light green light? He can be the one calling the shots? Or... you know Uno is a wonderful game I don't care how old you are! |
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Another possible time for him to read would be during the "Teacher Reading" center that I have once a week. We are currently reading Stuart Little. He might be interested in doing that for me. Both of those things would depend on the cooperation and behavior of the other kids. I wouldn't want to stick him with a task that would require him to be a disciplinarian. Thanks for the idea! Someone else suggested that he might like to make his own comic book. Any other ideas out there? ~ Faith |
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He might have some good lego building ideas that he could share with younger kids. And, I do sometimes do group games during center time, such as Mother May I, Duck Duck Goose, etc. I haven't tried Red Light, Green Light. We don't have a gym, or a very big area of floor space for a running game indoors. That might be something we could do outside, during recess. I don't generally offer anything structured during that time, but, I can see that he might be bored there, too. Indoors (your post has me "thinking out loud" here, using your ideas, and Doydie's: - Your lego idea - Some group games - Reading to kids - Maybe he could also help conduct a science experiment that I plan. I usually have 4 centers going at a time (15 minutes each). with no more than 4 kids per center. When 15 minutes is up, they rotate to the next center. Often, in 3 of the centers, the kids play pretty independently. I try to plan one center, most days, that requires more teacher assistance. I'm not sure if he'd be interested in the helper thing, or not. But, I can do some brainstorming with him, and see what he thinks. Being a helper might also be a good idea for one of my 4th graders, who would probably do well with that too. She sometimes requests to just go to an independent 5th center, and read a book or do homework. Maybe I could think of some independent ideas for him too. ~ Faith |
I like the idea of having the boy helpout with the younger children - I'm sure that would help both you and him and would probably give him a lot of skills for later on in life. I know at one of the Youth Clubs I used to go to here in the UK, they used to pick the older children to help out with re younger children if they were doing something like cooking etc.
I too have lots of ideas for girls seeing as I am one and of a similar age but I don't have that many ideas for boys unfortunately!! I have seen boys play at my school and they tend to like the games consoles etc so that might be something to look into if you haven't already got any!! Do you have any of re paper models that you could build? A lot f the younger boys round here like to build wooden paper airoplanes from kits that they have and they are quite practical also!! A lot of the boys that I know like making cards or something crafty with lots of different things so that might be something to look into also! A lot of the teachers ad child minders here also like to run projects with the older kids so it might be an idea to do a project on drugs and alcohol, relationships, growing up etc. I have done one of those projects before and I really enjoyed it and the teachers made it fun as well as interesting so it didn't feel like school work!! Hope this helps a little and if you need anything, feel free to PM me as I am a teen and might be able to help!! |
He may wish to get his homework done so he is free when he gets home. Also - there will be all the adults there to help him should he get stuck on something.
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Thanks, Ali and Jaspar.
Ali -- Yeah; we have one computer that 16 kids can take turns on. Sort of a reward for good behavior. But, that gives them, maybe, one 15 minute turn per week. I'm hopeful that the helping with younger children thing can work. I'd need to be careful about who I matched him with, and how many kids, because I don't want him to have to deal with their behavior problems. I've only been working there about a month. I've been told that, in less than 2 years, they've had 5-7 different lead teachers in that classromm; so, not much consistency. They have also not had much structure in that classroom before, and the director put me in there, hoping that I could provide that by using the center idea. The first few weeks were more chaotic, but, as we seem to be getting into a routine, discipline problems seem to be decreasing, and the flow seems to be going better. I've never heard of wooden paper airplanes. Not sure that we have the budget for major craft supplies, or, that it would be fair to purchase something just for him and not others. You could tell me more about "re paper models" (what's that?). And, making cards -- are you talking about greeting cards? We have construction paper available. I don't really know who he'd present a project to. As I said, most kids are K-2. I have one third grader and fourth grader, but he's the only one in his age group. His mom works out of town, in the next county, and is just not comfortable leaving him home alone if something should happen. Ali, it's good to hear from someone a similar age. Thanks for your input. :) Jaspar -- Yeah; doing homework is always an option. Could mean he'd have more time for fun at home. I'd still like to offer some fun things at the after school program too. MY DS17 has a magnet shape construction toy that he used to enjoy when he was younger that he says I could take. I'm considering it, but it has so many small pieces; and sometimes the kids aren't careful about that. Maybe, if I let him play with it together with just one other kid, by themselves, and had to have an older kid playing, because of the small pieces, and because it does not belong to the child care center, that might work. ~ Faith |
My 12 year old son likes Origami. I also like the idea of science stuff because my son really loves science, too.
There are always brain teasers, too. Give him a mystery to solve. When I was in a gifted program in school, they had things like that to work on. Since I don't know his intellectual level, I'm not sure what he could handle, but something like that is appropriate for someone who isn't gifted because he could work through ideas at his own pace and could get help from you. I'm too tired today to figure out where you can get these resources, but I'm sure they are pretty easy to find. Maybe give him a large goal to design an activity for the younger kids where it is all him doing it with you approving it one step at a time. I also wanted to say how lucky he is to have you. Most people in your situation would just expect an older child like that to entertain themself instead of trying to really work with him. |
Hi Faith,
Sorry about my typing today, it's terrible - probably because my RSD arm is hurting more than usual! Here is a link to a picture of a Wooden/Paper Airoplane that I was talking about ... they are usually quite cheap (about $30 - although they can vary in price) and can be lots of fun for teenagers and even lots of children like doing them so that might be something to look into for the younger children also if possible!! http://mahogonymodels.com/pics/c130-20.jpg Yes, I was talking about greeting cards. A lot of the children round here like making their own greeting cards and lots of the Youth Clubs get funding for arts and crafts work as it tries to give the children somethign to do other than sit around on the streets creating trouble!! I make my own greeting cards and I know a lot of other children and boys my age do also ... it can be fun making a card for a special occasion etc!!! I like Holly's idea of Oragami also - I like that so i'm sure other children my age or younger might also! Magazines might be something to look into also as I know myself and other teenagers love reading magazines! I hope you find something to works soon! I think it's a great idea to put the older boy with the younger children as i'm sure it would really help! Let us know what you decide to do!! |
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