Help! What to do to entertain a kid?

[Dirty Hippie]

My 6 years old niece will be spending the week with me next week. I'm really not that much of a kid person now that mine are grown. Any suggestions (cannot be expensive)?

Also, any suggestions for a good computer learning game for her? Should be about 1st grade level.

[proud patriot]

1. Well she's six so she'll

really be into beading and jewlry making .

As far as computer games go pick something Barbie
or Powerpuff Girls anything with lots of art .

[Dover]

2. That's easy.......you become one!

Play! This is what I do with my nieces and I love to have an excuse to be silly and playful.

Swimming is fun. We go on "nature walks" and sometimes we find treasures. Then we make up a story about what we found. One day one of my nieces and I found an old door knob and some very old and unrecognizable piece of metal hardware. The stories we made up were great entertainment. Now whenever she visits she wants to go on a treasure hunt. One niece loves to hear about my childhood while another loves for me to make up a story at bedtime. We also have taken turns writing each line of a haiku poem. Etc. You get the picture. I recommend keeping it simple, creative and quality.

[grasswire]

3. baking

Gee, you can have a lot of fun frosting cookies or cupcakes. Even making Jell-O in paper cups is fun.

Lay in a few art supplies and a few movies. Some of the old movies might be fun, such as Shirley Temple or the Apple Dumpling Gang. Mary Poppins. Popcorn. Root beer floats.

In several days you could make alfalfa sprouts or bean sprouts. You could make a dish garden landscape with little rocks, twigs, bits of moss, etc.

You could sew something. Gad, my niece had never seen a sewing machine work before, and she is 9 years old. There are all kinds of really simple things you could make, such as a pillow. I remember my aunt teaching me to hand sew about that age.

Get a really great book and read some every day, dividing it to end on the right day.

And if you're stuck, there are always board games.

And the library. Don't forget the library!

[grasswire]

4. another thing...

...Has she every ridden on a city bus? Many of today's kids think that's quite an adventure.

[Maddy McCall]

10. great suggestion...get out and explore...free museums, for example.

[Maddy McCall]

17. I love love love the dish garden idea! Will do that with my son.

Also you could build "fairy houses" outside near tree trunks with the same nature-provided items.

Here is a link to read about it. http://www.fairyhouses.com/features/feature1.html

A couple more suggestions: make a bird feeder out of a pine cone and peanut butter and bird seed and watch the birdies feed.

Or, if you have a home depot or toysrus nearby, you can buy a kit to build a bird feeder for about 10 dollars, and you can help her build it, and then paint it.

Make a diorama out of a shoe box and junk. Make puppets...really, your options are limitless.


OMG, Even though she is a girl, don't limit yourself by thinking only of "girl" stuff. I have seen lots of great ideas here...have fun!

[Dirty Hippie]

5. I knew

I would get some great suggestions! I really want this time to be special. It is a chance for us to bond. I don't want to sound like an idiot but she usually does not enjoy the activities I suggest.

Not to brag (yea right!) but she is so cute and soooo smart. My sister adopted her from China when she was two. I accompanied her on the trip and for months afterward every time my niece would see me she would scream! She is over that now! Whew!

[Dover]

6. She sounds like a real cutie patootie.

I think if you just stay real present with her she'll probably take the lead...and that will be your cue.

What have you tried to do with her? Do you stay current with her through your sister/brother? Are you two comfortable with each other?
I wouldn't look at it as "entertaining" her, but as a friend that's come over who you want to know better and spend time with. Trust that you'll both reach out and bond in your own way and time. Not to worry and no need to rush it or apply pressure/judgement on yourself.

[WindRavenX]

7. Another art suggestion

Origami. If she has the attention span, making origami cranes and other animals could eat up hours of time.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maddy McCall]

11. And you would be surprised at how easy

it is to get yourself barred from DU by such an assinine comment.

[GabysPoppy]

18. The local, local papers

Usually list activities, exhibits etc. for the coming weekend.

They probably will have something to do that you are unaware of.

Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maddy McCall]

9. Freddy the Fish; Pajama Sam

You can buy a three-CD set of these games at wallyworld for about 15 or 20 bucks. They are great games--my son got them while he was in kindergarten, and he is now in 4th Grade and still loves playing them.

I didn't read through the other posts, but here is what I suggest for a week of fun. You don't have to take her out to a million places and "entertain" her all the time. Just do stuff with her!

Bake cookies with her--I do this with my own son; get some seedling flowers and let her plant them with you; go for walks together; make ice cream sundaes, pizzas, and tacos--that's fun to kids.

You can make play-do together and then design jewelry or make animals. Teach her to play dominos. Read children's books together.

Kids her age don't have to be expensively entertained all of the time. Whatever your interests are, share them with her...she will get to know you better, and you two will be making memories!

Best wishes!

[Shanty Oilish]

12. Got water?

Water's the best toy, learning game, and exercise. And when she's tired, feed her, give her a bath and she'll give you a break (by going to sleep).
My daughter's favorite computer game when she was 6...My Little Pony. Avoid Barbie Pet Rescue. Gives kids ideas.
Reading is great too.
Catching fireflies (teaches coordination and mercy).

[morningglory]

13. There are books in the library for fun things to do that are free.

For example: paper japanese flowers. Cut the flowers out, fold the petals in toward the center, float the "flowers" on water and they gradually open. Make lots of them, watercolor them and float away. Also, if you put a tennis ball--or something softer--in the toe of a sock and use the top of the sock as a handle, you can play "catch". Maybe that is more of a boy's game (I reared 2 boys), and they were rambunctious. Kids adore things that are dangerous or might result in burning the house down, like candles, (maybe boys entertainment again). Make fudge (you can get burned that way)! Make a monkey out of a sock. I bet there are internet sites with this stuff. I relied on books. Look at some children's magazines in the library. I recommend that Nemo movie or something appropriate for 6-year-olds. Good luck. Here is a link to Fisher Price age-appropriate activities: http://www.fisher-price.com/us/myfp/

[soup]

14. a few ideas

online games:
http://www.playkidsgames.com/

http://www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html

list of online games:
http://www.kinderstart.com/artsandentertainment/onlinegames/

although nothing beats the 'real thing', and it's hard to snuggle in with a monitor, here's lists of children's stories online:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/stories.html
http://www.kidsdomain.com/kids/links/Online_Stories.html

Go fly a kite!

Blow bubbles.

Count butterflies.

Let her help cook.

Give yourself a break. go to a nearby park with a playground. kids make friends in a snap. Pack a lunch for a picnic, or just take drinks. take along a book or magazine for yourself. don't forget the sunblock. One of my favorite sounds is children playing.

Someone already mentioned beads. my 6 year-old granddaughter loves 'em. I've got more key chains and necklaces than I can count.

she also enjoys making pictures and cards-

old magazines for cutting out pictures
kid scissors
school glue
paper
crayons
markers
stickers
glitter
paints

rent a movie, pop some popcorn

get a disposable camera (or 2) let her take pictures for a memory book

grocery shopping- go together, rather than in advance. She can pick out her favorite juices, cereal, snacks, fruit, ice cream treats, whatever.

The main thing is relax, enjoy your time together, become friends, spoil her rotten, and have fun.

[izzie]

15. Well having had 5 kids I will tell you they are fun and smart.

Sit down and make friends with her, you will learn almost as much as she is a week. Ask her what she would like to do and find a place that is really odd she may never have seen. I used to take mine to things like old farm villages etc. And to see them make candy. To this day all my grandchildren talk about the odd trips they made with Nana. My children still recall the frog hunts we went on. I was a big kid myself, I guess.

[TreasonousBastard]

16. Got a good zoo in the area?

Some may have free days, like the Bronx Zoo does on Wednesdays, but even if you pay, it's a fairly cheap day out.

Kids have a natural affinity for animals, and the better zoos have children's areas with petting zoos, butterfly tunnels, and all sorts of things to keep the them entertained.

You just might have a good time, too.

And...

Any local parks around you where the parents take the kids to play?

And yet again...

An Ikea or other store around with the kiddie play area?

(One side advantage of taking the young 'un out for playtime is she'll be passed out asleep later when you want to get your own stuff done.)

[buddhamama]

19. check with your local library

during the summer months most libraries host special gatherings for children; puppet shows,crafts,animal studies,stuff like that.

check the paper too, for free or cheap local gatherings. where i live there are guided nature walks,visit the farm day,etc,etc.

my son loved his Reader Rabbit computer games.