what do 2nd graders like?

[tbone_kneegrabber]

So I have a 4 year old (4.5 in Feb), but I am going to be student teaching for the next semester in a 2nd grade classroom.  I was hoping you lovely folks could clue me in on what 2nd graders (7/8 year olds) like. What do they think is "cool"?  What do they play with, what kind of books do they like, even tv and movies that they might be interested in?

TIA!

[LuckyMommaToo]

My DS is in second grade at a public school. There's quite a large group of boys and girls in his grade who are WAY into Harry Potter. Many of them are working their way through the books. Boys like Legos, Star Wars, video games and sports. A lot of girls in his class are interested in fairies and fairy houses. Also crafty things like making friendship bracelets. I see cootie catchers around, too!

My DS and his friend saw Hugo over the break and LOVED it. He didn't want to see the Chipmunk movie. He did enjoy the Muppet movie, though. Most of his friends watch Phineas and Ferb and Spongebob. The girls in our group aren't big into the iCarly kinds of shows, but I don't know if that's typical or not.

Have fun! I think second graders are lots of fun!
-e

[pianojazzgirl]

Dd is a 2nd grader.  It seems like a lot of girls in her class are into Barbies, somewhat into Littlest Petshop, make-up (yuck), nail polish, jewelery, etc.  Dd and a lot of her friends enjoy doing lots of different crafty stuff.  Baking is popular too.

The boys (as far as I can tell) are into Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pokemon (this has recently become really big with dd's classmates), Lego.

Lots of kids are into animals.  Some are into science.  Of course it depends a lot on the kid.

Book series that dd likes are Junie B Jones, Clementine, Ivy and Bean, Judy Moody.  Dd, unlike a lot of kids her age, can't really deal with anything scary, so movies and books have to be funny with no (or almost no) tension, suspense, scary bits, etc.  It seems like most kids in her class watch (if not read) stuff that I would think would be for older kids, but maybe that's just compared to dd.

[Peony]

American Girl dolls, any of their books. The never ending Rainbow Fairy books also for the girls. The second grader girls at the school we go to do a lot of crafts, finger knitting (if you teach them this, they might love you for life. .DD1's 1st grade teacher taught her and 3 years later she still does it daily), friendship bracelets. The boys seem to be into legos and sports, they all play soccer during all recesses here. 

ETA: TV, Wizards of Waverly Place just ended their show last week and I know some 2nd grade girls that watched it. iCarly is a bit old IMO for a 2nd grader. Phineas and Ferb is a hit with that age group. 

[ollyoxenfree]

For books, the Captain Underpants series and The Day My Butt Went Psycho series seem to be pretty popular with the boys I've met in 2nd grade. Lego and construction toys and radio controlled cars also get a lot of attention too. 

[Zan&Zav]

The bad kitty series is awesome, my 5 year old and my 2nd grader love them. Some of them are done in a comic book style that i find really encourages my 2nd grader to read where normally he would rather do anything but. And of course the captain underpants series, because they are just cool apparently anything that gets them to enjoy reading. We are also reading the ramona series together, they both seem to enjoy them.

[Mom31]

Magic Tree House books are very popular here at that age. Ds is very into these MOSHI MONSTERS on the computer-

the boys at his school are always trading their treasures( pencils, rocks, crystals, marbles, cars,) It is quite comical to hear the hustling going on.

He loves Harry Potter and has read the whole series but it is too advanced for most 2nd graders.

He likes the Wimp diaries for books.

[bandgeek]

Ds will be 7 this month.

As far as books, he likes the Bad Kitty series and Harry Potter.  He also likes comics.  He liked Magic treehouse for while but I think he's finding them a little boring these days.  He liked Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  He prefers funny books over anything else.

For board games he likes blokus, battleship, yahtzee jr, and guess who.

He likes legos and really any toy you can build with (legos are the biggie though).  Anything with magnets (like these and magnatiles).  Tangrams.  Play food and kitchen stuff (he's on the verge of outgrowing this I think though).  He likes video games of course.  Mario especially.

He likes crafts a lot.  Anything with beads or sparkles or googly eyes.

His favorite cartoons are phineas and ferb, ruff ruffman, spongebob, and bakugan.

[pianojazzgirl]

Oooh... I just thought of something.  A game/toy that would probably be super popular in a 2nd grade classroom is Perplexus.  My dd's best friend got one for Christmas and everyone in our circle (kids that age and adults) has been obsessed. 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/games/b0d0/?itm=perplexus&rkgid=274549174&cpg=ogty1&source=google_toys&gclid=CJCdlNuky60CFTEBQAodlU67-w

[rhianna813]

I have a son in second grade who is into: bugs/bug catching, frogs, dinosaurs, fossils, rocks/minerals, pretending to dig for fossils/rocks. Also into legos, transformers, hot wheels, Star Wars figures, Bakugan, Beyblades, Hexabugs. Military play with camoflage dress up.

Games: Lego games (oh they are so cool), Blockus, Connect 4, Jr Monopoly, Battleship, building things with Dominos to knock over...

Books: DS likes the Jigsaw Jone's books about a kid detective. They are second grade reading level chapter books. His teacher gave him for Christmas.

TV: he is huge into Phineas and Ferb. Also likes Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman, Scooby Doo and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

[BubbleMa]

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is really popular too.

Also, there's a series of graphic novels called Babymouse that my DD has been into for a while now.

[pianojazzgirl]

What's Babymouse like?  It sounds like something my dd might be interested in.

[jtbuko]

Puns & jokes, paper airplanes, secret codes, tricks & illusions, etc. will get you cred with the 2nd grade crowd.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

Awesome folks. Keep 'em coming!!!

[BubbleMa]

Originally Posted by pianojazzgirl 

What's Babymouse like?  It sounds like something my dd might be interested in.

They're really cute graphic novels, for girls.  DD thinks they're HILARIOUS!  And the illustrations are simple, so she can re-create her own scenes. :)

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/babymouse/homepage.htm

ETA: she's been into Babymouse since 2nd grade, she's now in 4th!

[greenmom4]

My DS is in second grade.  HUGE into Legos and science of all kind.  He loves when they do science experiments at school, and especially when they study animals.  They had a "camp out" at school right before winter break where the teacher had all the kids bring in flashlights and they turned the lights off and made constellations w/ the flashlights, told stories, etc.  That was a big hit.  Jokes are popular.  He'll draw and make art stuff forever.  He loves clay and building stuff out of other stuff.  He likes the Dragonbreath books and Roald Dahl.  He loves Mario (sigh).  He's pretty fickle with TV shows.  He likes Johnny Test, Last Airbender and Sponge Bob on TV.  Spiders and ninjas are his favorite things.

[pianojazzgirl]

Originally Posted by BubbleMa 

They're really cute graphic novels, for girls.  DD thinks they're HILARIOUS!  And the illustrations are simple, so she can re-create her own scenes. :)

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/babymouse/homepage.htm

ETA: she's been into Babymouse since 2nd grade, she's now in 4th!

Those look great!  I'm totally going to get one for dd.  :D

[CrazyCatLady]

My second grader is really quirky.  But she loves anything to do with animals or especially bugs.

She loves art and craft projects of all kinds (today she way painting leaves and stuff that she found outside).

Littlest Pet Shop.

Anything outdoors (park, scooter, climbing, hanging upside down, etc).

Cat in the hat, dinosaur train, Phineas and Ferb (tv shows).

She doesn't read yet, so nothing like that.