What do your 6/7/8 year olds do all day?

[shimmer]

I need some help understanding what kids this age are doing at home with their free time.

Some background on us...we are pretty relaxed homeschoolers, a typical day might involve maybe 1 hour of "schoolwork" for my 7 year old. She has swim or piano lessons 3 days a week and I try to have a playdate for her several times a week. She also has 4-H every other week.

Lately she's taken to loitering around the house. She just mills about and can't seem to find anything interesting to do. In my opinion, she has plenty of interesting things to do: a room full of good toys, scooter, jumprope, Sudoku book, coloring/art supplies, CDs to listen to, books, etc. She's not reading fluently yet and dislikes reading so that isn't a good option.

I try to help engage her as much as possible. But, I've got 2 boys under two at home as well. I can't play games, do art, etc. as much as I'd like with her.

I worry that she's bored or unhappy. I want her to be happy at home and to like homeschooling.

So, what are your kiddos this age doing to occupy their freetime? Do they self-direct? Are they happy?

[hellyaellen]

well i'm not a homeschooler but i have been observing my dd during spring break this week and she has the same tendency. she does read so thats sort of her fall back plan. she does have a lot of ideas of what to do (art or cooking etc) but they're often things she wants or needs me to do with her and when i can't she has a herd time focusing on something else to do. she has been spending a lot of time outside now that its warmed up some. we just have been working on our treasure maps and she has really enjoyed that. also word searches are something she really enjoys.

[simple living mama]

Here is some of the stuff my eight year old is in to at this time.

He plays lego's, plays piano (his choice) skateboards, listens to me read, plays board games, makes things, hangs with grandpa, works in his little garden, plays with his sister, plays with his hermit crabs, plays with his friends, helps me cook, basketball, hangs out with dad, goes to work with me (I run a after-school arts program) draws, reads his tin tins, reads tons of comic books, and goes to story-time on wednesdays at the library.

Does he ever tell me he's bored? Yes but I think he confuses boredom with wanting me to do things with him and sometimes I just can't. He usually finds something after complaining.

[Momalea]

I have a 6.5yo dd and a 15 mo ds. My dd likes a lot of activity and outings. More than I can handle. We go to a playgroup with good friends 1xweek, we get together with fellow homeschoolers 1-2x week at a park, she has swimming lessons 1xweek, Girlscouts 1xweek, some other class depending on current interest 1xweek. She spends one afternoon with her Grandmother a week. Then there are "playdates" from 0-3xweek. Whew!

At home, she listens to books on CD almost constantly. She does lots of arts/crafts project. She works on little projects that I sometimes hear about and sometimes don't. She plays in the yard. She has a couple of websites that she likes to look at. She loves to ride her bike, but she needs an adult with her to do that (we live in the city). She watches videos.

She can be very self-directed at times, a huge shift created by necessity since my ds was born. She also claims that she's bored a lot and has nothing to do. We battle over her cleaning up her projects/minimally helping out around the house.

I too worry that she's too bored or that I can't help her do some of the things that she'd like me to do with her (more help with reading, working on a detailed project with her, reading outloud with her more).

Sometimes I think the boredom is okay-it pushes her to think/create/be with herself without being entertained. Sometimes I think she has too much of this time. I'd say she is happy a good amount of the time (more than me!) but I don't know if she is getting her needs met. We are still very much in process around this whole homeschooling thing.

[Brigianna]

She spends a lot of time in her room by herself, mostly reading I think. She practices her dance. She does crafts (we're building a toothpick city that's taking over the living room). She's pretty self-directed. She enjoys playing with the babies, but the 4 yr old gets on her nerves. I usually only need to intervene with her when she starts fighting with him. I recently got her some curricular stuff (math, history, and science) just because I was concerned that she was bored. I think she's okay mostly self-directing, though.

[Callimom]

I have 4 kids pretty close in age so they all play together. The girls - almost 6 and 3 still do a lot of pretend play around babies, tea parties, play mobile, playdough etc. The boys' play (9 and almost 6) is lego and building centred. They all do a lot of craft activities - painting, clay mostly right now. They'll do science experiements - mostly mixing stuff up and playing with our science box stuff. They do a lot of group play, putting on 'shows' and exploring their imaginary land (which seems to be under the covers on my bed . My eldest reads and and they all have a selection of audio books to listen to. They have some computer programs they play. They don't play a lot of board games or do a lot of puzzles independently but they will do those with me.

They are outdoors a lot. They also (in theory ) help me cook and bake.
HTH

Karen

[3momkmb]

My 8yo DS likes to play with his cars/dinosaurs/pirates, be read to, watch TV, play on the computer, play outside, paint, play board games with DD, do his *work* (workbooks-his choice), help me with cleaning (again-his choice, the kid is channelling Felix Unger I swear!), play chess (sometimes by the rules, sometimes as a big game of war), make *clubhouses* both inside and out, talk about life in general

I don't know how much that will help you, he's a unique kid

[reeseccup]

We don't do any schooling at home, so throughout the day she (dd8, middle child and only girl) will do whatever she is in the mood for. Rarely ever does she make a comment that she is bored, and if she is, usually it's because tired, but doesn't wish to take a nap.

She is very good at finding something to do, and if I'm not able to do something with her when she wants, she finds something to do until I can play with her.

Right now her "time filler" while she's watching tv, or listening to the radio or a book on tape, is to practice her crocheting or hand sewing. She also loves to read, draw and write, play with her dolls, play outside (lots to do out there), work on the puter, practice math skills, crafty art projects, puzzles, board games, card games (she loves to play solitare and rummy with someone), do dishes (yes, she practically begs to do the dishes), vacuume (again, she loves to do this and asks to be allowed to do it, like I'm going to say no), sometimes she grabs the spray bottle of diluted dr. B's and a rag and starts cleaning whatever she feels like cleaning.

Sorry, I'm probably not much help, overall my children are pretty good at being self-entertaining/directing.

[sewingmama]

My DD is only 5, but what about taking your DD out to pick out some new art supplies and such? Maybe shaking things up will help a bit. I know for my DD, when we moved and suddenly had a totally different setup for her art supplies, she started spending a lot more time drawing and creating things with paper and tape and the like.

Or how about teaching her a skill, like sewing or crocheting or cross-stitching? There are kits available that could get her started. My DD also loved when I let her pick out small amounts of various fabrics and then helped her thread a needle; she spends a lot of time cutting and trying to sew and make things out of the fabric -- it becomes doll clothes, she tries her hand at cutting out a shirt for herself and trying to sew it, etc.

How about some dirt and seeds and such for digging and planting?

Ymmv, of course, but I know my DD is very hands-on; she loves to create things and to use her hands, so for us, having lots of opportunities for that sort of thing is key.

[Dar]

Rain at that age spent hours and hours playing "pretend" games... she'd set up hundreds of playmobil pieces to make a scene (we called them "set-ups") and she'd know each character's story.... "This boy was supposed to take the goat to the field this morning, but he slept too late because he was up too late when his uncle came to visit, so he's trying to bring the goat around the back way so no one will see and know that he was late, but he didn't have time for breakfast and he's really tired so he just stopped for a rest and an apple." That kind of thing... she'd use playmobil, mostly, with some blocls and happy meal toys and other stuff. Sometimes she'd make set-ups of books she liked, like Harry Potter, and sometimes she would do this with friends when they were over...

She spent a lot of time with other kids - we'd probably have an extra two days a week, and she'd be off at someone's house two days a week, and then there was park day and soccer and other stuff. We were on the go a lot, although I worked from home part of the time and watched a baby part of the time, so we worked around that. Imaginary play was huge, though.

She also read a lot, but you said that wasn't your daughter's thing. She loved books or CD, because she could listen and play at the same time.

WHat does your daughter like to do, with her friends or with you? Can she do whatever tasks you're doing with you?

Dar

[Brisen]

My 7 yo, like Dar said, does a lot of pretend play/story making. He also loves making stuff.

I think 7/8 tends to be a bit of a developmental milestone... it seems to be mentioned as such across many different sources on child development. I know toddlers and younger kids tend to get restless and cranky before making a breakthrough to a new stage -- maybe she's going through something similar?

[UUMom]

My 8 yr old's Saturday--

Got up, took dogs outside to pee, ate breakfast, played with Breyer horses ( guessing that was over an hour?), played fetch with the dogs while I sat on porch with my coffee, unloaded dishwasher, fed dogs, went out back to our pond to look for snakes and frogs (caught nothing, but watched snake slither on a log and tired to catch the huge bullfrogs that live in the pond). Caught nothing. Had a bath, played for a hour in tub with toys, sat and chatted with me as I combed out her hair, read two chapters together from The Railway Children, watered indoor plants we are sprouting for garden, went for 1 mile walk to village/town, (had a light lunch, picked up dog food & deli cheese), walked one mile back (with me, of course! lol ), collected shells (we live near the ocean) on the beach, picked other people's dandelions, checked out baby lambs at small farm on our way home, found a half of a horse-shoe crab shell, found some violets, picked them, came home, unloaded nature finds on nature table, went to vist pond and saw two huge bull frogs jump in pond as we walked near, ran with dogs in yard, loaded dishwasher from the day (together), made a chicken salad sandwich wrap, drew on chalkboard for a loooooooong time.

Is currently eating a popsicle and watching Part I of Ted Danson's Gulliver's Travel on video. lol Ted Danson as Gulliver....hmmmm

PS I do feel blessed.

[singin'intherain]

I wish I could help! My kids never complain that they're bored (maybe because I have four?). They do start getting cranky/having fights when they get tired or need attention, though.

I second the books on cd idea. My kids really go for those. Another activity that really absorbs them is clay and a bunch of stuff to stick in it, like beads, feathers, etc. My 8 yo (oldest) really likes dolls and setting up pretend towns. She also spends hours making up clubs, even when no-one is around to join them!

[KaraBoo]

Yep, my 8yrold does a lot of pretend play, setting up "worlds" (that's what we call them) and narrating things. Sometimes, she'll get out paper and draw pictures of the scenarios she's creating. Or film it, using the vid camera on a tripod. She likes when I edit them and add titles and funny subtitles.

She likes to play "vet" lately or "pet shop" or "pet rescue." I usually am a small part of this play as well, being the vet or the trainer.

She is into reading lately, so she'll curl up and read on the loveseat and then run over and tell me what she just read, if she thinks it's funny (she likes comics). Speaking of comics, she gets inspired at times and creates her own comic panels.

She has two classes a week: pottery and paper craft. Also she sometimes attends a "jam session" with other kids, taking along her harmonica and recorder. (We have some our best talks either right after we wake, right before sleep and on the tram rides to these classes...it's our special time)

She has computer games, Wii, NintendoDS, puzzles, board games, cards, tangrams, art stuff, crossword puzzle books, Sudoku (she also makes her own for me to solve),...and lots of toys.

My husband is semi-retired and works at home but does errands with us. And the way life is here (and due to our small fridge) we have to go run errands often. She goes and helps carry home stuff. We also have a park near us that ROCKS so we visit often when the weather is good. If she's busy with the other kids, I use this time to make my lists (I love making lists, menus and such).

She hangs with her dad on his breaks from working. He's showing her how to read music and scores while listening to the movement. He also plays games, Wii or cards usually, with her on his breaks. He's also teaching her to play backgammon.

I'm reading about Greek myths to her on a daily basis, snuggled up with the cat on our bed. (Guess the cat likes myths too ) A lot of her pretend play has subsequently taken on a decidedly Greek flavor LOL In her pottery class, she made Pandora's jar, for example. LOL The phrase, "pray to the gods," is a part of her daily vocabulary.

Each morning, we wake up with her in our bed so we hang a bit and read maybe. Then she and I make the bed and exercise together. She's into push-ups for some reason right now...don't know where that came from. But she also does some yoga with me then comes out to the living room for breakfast.

We have pets to care for so that's also part of our daily routine. She's involved in keeping the house clean. The chore she chose to do is mopping. She's always loved mopping so we let her go for it! LOL

Weekends are for friends, either meeting them someplace outside when it's nice weather or having them come over here. Her best friend's dad sometimes takes her with his kids to concerts and puppet shows.

[KaraBoo]

Originally Posted by UUMom

My 8 yr old's Saturday--

Got up, took dogs outside to pee, ate breakfast, played with Breyer horses ( guessing that was over an hour?), played fetch with the dogs while I sat on porch with my coffee, unloaded dishwasher, fed dogs, went out back to our pond to look for snakes and frogs (caught nothing, but watched snake slither on a log and tired to catch the huge bullfrogs that live in the pond). Caught nothing. Had a bath, played for a hour in tub with toys, sat and chatted with me as I combed out her hair, read two chapters together from The Railway Children, watered indoor plants we are sprouting for garden, went for 1 mile walk to village/town, (had a light lunch, picked up dog food & deli cheese), walked one mile back (with me, of course! lol ), collected shells (we live near the ocean) on the beach, picked other people's dandelions, checked out baby lambs at small farm on our way home, found a half of a horse-shoe crab shell, found some violets, picked them, came home, unloaded nature finds on nature table, went to vist pond and saw two huge bull frogs jump in pond as we walked near, ran with dogs in yard, loaded dishwasher from the day (together), made a chicken salad sandwich wrap, drew on chalkboard for a loooooooong time.

Is currently eating a popsicle and watching Part I of Ted Danson's Gulliver's Travel on video. lol Ted Danson as Gulliver....hmmmm

PS I do feel blessed.

That sounds so very nice! But what time do you guys get up?! YOu did all that stuff (from getting up to the walk to the village) before lunchtime? I'm impressed, woman!

Also, my dd loves the bath too. She could stay in there for hours, playing with figurines and splashing around with her goggles on. LOL

[Roo_Online]

I know that loitering routine! It drives me crazy, which sometime I think is the point, lol.

If they truly have enough in their lives, and by what you've written in you post, your child certainly does, then I ignore the wandering and boredom. Often the bored period proceeds a really great breakthrough. So, let them be bored - it's good for them!

Another approach is to take the loitering as a sign to you that the child is ready for more responsbility. Are there some tasks you can delegate to her? Making dinner, for example, or taking over some yardwork jobs?

[Aurie]

I have an 8 and 10 yo. So they usually do something together.

Usually they are outside doing something. They aren't permitted video games during the week, only on the weekend. I do let them watch TV during the week days. However if they are stuck in front of it too long, I 'find' something for them to do, either house work, give them some craft materials and let them go at it, give them books to read or letters to write.

We have a ton of craft materials which I try to keep stocked up. They will grab those things on their own and create. We have board games as well. This is for inside stuff incase they are bored being outside and/or the weather is bad.

We just got our pool all ready to go, so I am sure that will be added in over the summer.

But it isn't all fun, they do have chores they have to assist with every day. And they are required to help with their little sister who is 4 yo.

Late afternoon, they have their scheduled activities. This spring we run from baseball, soccer to Tae Kwon Do. There is usually something we are going to from Monday - Saturday.

[UUMom]

I am not sure this would work well for you, as you have two babies who might get into it, but I found occasional rearranging here often will get creative juices flowing. Fi, can you set up, maybe in her room (away from the babies), a little cozy reading area. A new bean bag chair, or a little tent, perhaps-- or one of those silks that hangs over the bed from the ceiling. Add a little clip on book light, a couple of new books on tape, some headphones etc. Maybe get one of those library wall shelves and display her books. Put up a little poster that says cozy corner, or somehting...or an art poster.

In the kitchen, reorganize the art baskets or create a couple of shelves (away from the babies reach). Maybe add some new glitter glue, some sequins, a new book or two from on art ideas from the library. Maybe a couple of different size sketchpads/books. (We have gotten some nice ones not too $ at ACMoore).

My 8 yr old tends still to want to work near me for some things. Maybe just helping her set up (up and away from babies) but still be near you might work. I also find I can play simple games like Go Fish etc even if I am a bit distracted. Maybe while you nurse you can sit with her and play a card game, or listen to a book on tape together while you feed.

When you are in the kitchen working, it would be the time for her get out the clay and such at a table?

If you have a double jogger, it might be a nice time for the two of you if the babies are engaged or chilling in the stroller, to chat, and look for treasures (feathers, pine cones, interesting stones etc) along the walk.

I am sure it's a challenge with two little ones.

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by KaraBoo

That sounds so very nice! But what time do you guys get up?! YOu did all that stuff (from getting up to the walk to the village) before lunchtime? I'm impressed, woman!

Also, my dd loves the bath too. She could stay in there for hours, playing with figurines and splashing around with her goggles on. LOL

lol I think we had lunch about 2:30...but yes, she's an early riser these days ( achange from her past). My oldest dd was away all week with her father and brothers, but she gets up at 5:30! I need to teach my 8 yr old to start the coffee machine for when the others are away. If I can smell the stuff brewing, it's a bit easier for me to haul my own self out of bed!

I forgot to add that we met my sister and her ds at a little playground in the village before we had lunch. It was a lovely day and it didn't even feel busy. It felt totally relaxing. lol

[warriorprincess]

My 8 to DD reads ( she is into Disney fairies and Rainbow fairies), plays with her brothers, "schools" her little brother, digs in her garden beds and does artwork ( she recently discovered painting with pollen pigment).