Friends coming over but bored

[Anonymous]

Ok, our DD is a little shy so we are encouraging her hosting friends over but we didn't host much in past so not sure how the kids should entertain themselves. They are 9-10 (4th grade)

Do most folks have a TV/Video game, or maybe a ping pong or pool table? We have a bunch of board games but kids look at that sideways. Our house has an addition so no real backyard at all.

What do older kids do when friends are over? Too old for dress up and play with kitchen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, our DD is a little shy so we are encouraging her hosting friends over but we didn't host much in past so not sure how the kids should entertain themselves. They are 9-10 (4th grade)

Do most folks have a TV/Video game, or maybe a ping pong or pool table? We have a bunch of board games but kids look at that sideways. Our house has an addition so no real backyard at all.

What do older kids do when friends are over? Too old for dress up and play with kitchen!

For first play dates you definitely should have a plan. Make and decorate cupcakes. Make cookies. Make some type of craft. Go roller skating then get pizza. Go to a movie then get ice cream. Go to the park, run around and then come home for hot chocolate. Go to an indoor pool, swim, then home for cookies. Get some girl crafts from Michael's and do them.

[Anonymous]

My DD and her friends typically entertain themselves. They do nails and hair. They watch tv. They make up plays. They do crafts - right now they are making jewelry and bookmarks. They make music lys. They listen to music. They shop online and then beg us moms to buy them new clothes. They bake. That's all I can think of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD and her friends typically entertain themselves. They do nails and hair. They watch tv. They make up plays. They do crafts - right now they are making jewelry and bookmarks. They make music lys. They listen to music. They shop online and then beg us moms to buy them new clothes. They bake. That's all I can think of.

Right now we don't have a tv and tend to not let kids use games/computers. We are wondering if we are outliers and that is part of why bored.

We will keep crafts handy thought they had outgrown that.

Movie and ice skating and such are great but right now we are kind of limited to at home play dates when we host.

[Anonymous]

bikes? skateboards, skip ropes? the weather is good they can play outside. Is there a tree they can climb?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD and her friends typically entertain themselves. They do nails and hair. They watch tv. They make up plays. They do crafts - right now they are making jewelry and bookmarks. They make music lys. They listen to music. They shop online and then beg us moms to buy them new clothes. They bake. That's all I can think of.

Right now we don't have a tv and tend to not let kids use games/computers. We are wondering if we are outliers and that is part of why bored.

We will keep crafts handy thought they had outgrown that.

Movie and ice skating and such are great but right now we are kind of limited to at home play dates when we host.

I am sorry but you are better off not inviting the kids over

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD and her friends typically entertain themselves. They do nails and hair. They watch tv. They make up plays. They do crafts - right now they are making jewelry and bookmarks. They make music lys. They listen to music. They shop online and then beg us moms to buy them new clothes. They bake. That's all I can think of.

Right now we don't have a tv and tend to not let kids use games/computers. We are wondering if we are outliers and that is part of why bored.

We will keep crafts handy thought they had outgrown that.

Movie and ice skating and such are great but right now we are kind of limited to at home play dates when we host.

I am sorry but you are better off not inviting the kids over

Can you elaborate? We are trying to help shy child, is something off with our hosting setup?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD and her friends typically entertain themselves. They do nails and hair. They watch tv. They make up plays. They do crafts - right now they are making jewelry and bookmarks. They make music lys. They listen to music. They shop online and then beg us moms to buy them new clothes. They bake. That's all I can think of.

Right now we don't have a tv and tend to not let kids use games/computers. We are wondering if we are outliers and that is part of why bored.

We will keep crafts handy thought they had outgrown that.

Movie and ice skating and such are great but right now we are kind of limited to at home play dates when we host.

I am sorry but you are better off not inviting the kids over

Is it the TV? We will be able to afford one soon, paying for that addition made us cut the cord and we had been just streaming on computers so far...

[Anonymous]

OP have any of your daughters friends come out and said they were bored?
I don't think you should put a restriction on video games/computers but other than that I think there are some good suggestions here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD and her friends typically entertain themselves. They do nails and hair. They watch tv. They make up plays. They do crafts - right now they are making jewelry and bookmarks. They make music lys. They listen to music. They shop online and then beg us moms to buy them new clothes. They bake. That's all I can think of.

Right now we don't have a tv and tend to not let kids use games/computers. We are wondering if we are outliers and that is part of why bored.

We will keep crafts handy thought they had outgrown that.

Movie and ice skating and such are great but right now we are kind of limited to at home play dates when we host.

I am sorry but you are better off not inviting the kids over

Is it the TV? We will be able to afford one soon, paying for that addition made us cut the cord and we had been just streaming on computers so far...

My 9 year old would not want to go to your house to play bored games. It's not the lack of tv. It is the lack of entertainment period. No electronics, no going out, nothing that cost money. Umm ok... take them to feed the homeless?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP have any of your daughters friends come out and said they were bored?
I don't think you should put a restriction on video games/computers but other than that I think there are some good suggestions here.

One has, but there definitely is some lag in their time together. DD hasn't been invited over much elsewhere so unclear what happens at other play date. Like I said she is shy and we sucked at kid socializing when she was in k-3. What do kids do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD and her friends typically entertain themselves. They do nails and hair. They watch tv. They make up plays. They do crafts - right now they are making jewelry and bookmarks. They make music lys. They listen to music. They shop online and then beg us moms to buy them new clothes. They bake. That's all I can think of.

Right now we don't have a tv and tend to not let kids use games/computers. We are wondering if we are outliers and that is part of why bored.

We will keep crafts handy thought they had outgrown that.

Movie and ice skating and such are great but right now we are kind of limited to at home play dates when we host.

I am sorry but you are better off not inviting the kids over

Is it the TV? We will be able to afford one soon, paying for that addition made us cut the cord and we had been just streaming on computers so far...

My 9 year old would not want to go to your house to play bored games. It's not the lack of tv. It is the lack of entertainment period. No electronics, no going out, nothing that cost money. Umm ok... take them to feed the homeless?

Haha, no we aren't so virtuous. we are looking to invest in the entertainment so we can be a place kids like to come to. The going out limitation is health related (parent), not financial. So do kids surf the web at this age? Video games? Tv? I think we are still in little kid mindset of no screen time, and worrried other parents would be upset if our kids were rotting their kids brains with tv!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP have any of your daughters friends come out and said they were bored?
I don't think you should put a restriction on video games/computers but other than that I think there are some good suggestions here.

One has, but there definitely is some lag in their time together. DD hasn't been invited over much elsewhere so unclear what happens at other play date. Like I said she is shy and we sucked at kid socializing when she was in k-3. What do kids do?

I think your restriction on electronics, especially given your daughter's shyness, is a mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP have any of your daughters friends come out and said they were bored?
I don't think you should put a restriction on video games/computers but other than that I think there are some good suggestions here.

One has, but there definitely is some lag in their time together. DD hasn't been invited over much elsewhere so unclear what happens at other play date. Like I said she is shy and we sucked at kid socializing when she was in k-3. What do kids do?

I think your restriction on electronics, especially given your daughter's shyness, is a mistake.

I am getting that. So what should we have? iPad to share? Tv? Game system? Laptop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD and her friends typically entertain themselves. They do nails and hair. They watch tv. They make up plays. They do crafts - right now they are making jewelry and bookmarks. They make music lys. They listen to music. They shop online and then beg us moms to buy them new clothes. They bake. That's all I can think of.

Right now we don't have a tv and tend to not let kids use games/computers. We are wondering if we are outliers and that is part of why bored.

We will keep crafts handy thought they had outgrown that.

Movie and ice skating and such are great but right now we are kind of limited to at home play dates when we host.

Yes, I think most kids would think it's strange that you don't have tv or video games at 10.