My awesome 4.5 year old is a middle child and a nice kid. He gets glossed over at times since he doesn't cause much trouble, isn't the oldest (she has most school and class stuff to do), and isn't the youngest (she has super difficult personality). He's just sort of "there" being a good brother and good kid, sometimes on the sidelines. His dad travels non-stop, so I do worry he doesn't have enough "guy time" and I have made sure to put him in Tae Kwon Do with some good guys and to include him in activities with nice male neighbors and friends. He's having a new "bigger kid" bout of "Strong-willed" behavior stuff happening, which is to be expected. He's looking older and acting older-his testosterone levels are definitely going up already (noooo, my baby!!!)
So anyway. I want some suggestions for good activities you love doing with your 5-ish sons and/or "letting them do" with other boys/kids. We don't do video games. He loves playing checkers and running wild outdoors. Swords. Super hero games etc. He spends Fridays on a Mennonite farm playing and learning some farm work with some other boys his age. He loves Tae Kwon Do. I want him to start doing some other "skilled" tasks as well as healthy plain old fun stuff. His dexterity is not quite up to music lessons yet. I'm looking for all types of fun/educational/whatever ideas we can do together, or I can "get him into" to move into this new older phase and make use of this new energy and creativity.
What are some of your favorite things to do for/with your sons?
Both my sons *love* it when I make them a huge fort (out of blankets and sheets & FYI: plastic clamps are amazing for this!) and we watch movies, have snacks and play board games, in their fort!
No suggestions, just want to commend you on being such a good Mama!!! Alot of the "easy" kids don't get the focus so I applaud your efforts to keep him rewarded...
How about swim lessons, gymnastics, dance, or a short-term (i.e. 6 to 8 weeks) instructional (not competitive) soccer program?
It sounds like he might benefit from a 4-H program.
InMy30'sAlready has a great idea forr you. I did this with my son when his dad and I were not together. We'd pop popcorn and make hot dogs and pretend to be camping. We went everywhere together. Library or Barnes & Noble and we'd pick out a bunch of books and borrow the ones he likes or purchased 1 or 2. Food shopping...he was my food picker and would put it all in the cart. Bike riding....I'd let him lead and would tell him, you're the little man, lead the way. Swimming, soccer, t-ball. I also played board games...battleship was a particular "boy" favorite. You are doing a great job, keep at it!
Play baseball! At his age, he can start learning how to catch with a glove and how to bat using a t-ball stand.
Roller blading
Bike Riding
Go to the library just the two of you, read a book there and choose one to go home. go for a bike ride.
As for outings, my five year old loves to go play mini golf, go to the arcade, or go bowling. He's also super happy if I play baseball, soccer, basketball or any other sport with him in the yard or at the park. He also loves board games, which can be hard since I also have a 2 year old, but we do play when we have a chance.
Honestly, it doesn't need to be anything special. Just do stuff with him and he'll be happy.
I ride bikes w/my son all the time.
We go play mini golf.
I pitch baseballs (kids kind) to him so he can practice batting.
We play soccer together.
I set up mini, kid-friendly obstacles out back.
We race at the park.
We sword fight (the play foam kind).
We just stay active together.
Going for walks, checking out new parks etc.
Take him to a park by yourself when the other kids are in school so he
gets "you" time.
You can get him involved w/sports so he's around other boys.
I think the Tae Kwon Do is an excellent idea for many reasons (interacting w/other boys, structure, activity, exercise discipline and most importantly....self defense).
My son found a book on origami that i forgot i had bought & he looked thru it & found some airplanes. He immediately asked if I could do one & I did then he wanted to learn it too. Now the book has like 8 different ones and he is determined to do them all, so that is our pet project. After he learns how to do it, he has to practice & he flies them all in & out side & chases them all!! He has quite the collection & now he is picking up on blinging it out with markers etc. so it is getting the creativity going. Saw him the other day showing some of the 6th grade boys how to do it in the cafeteria before school (I sub there) & It was kinda cool that my 6 year old could impress the older boys & I could tell that it was a super boost for his ego!
My son LOVES baseball. It's getting cold out, so we cleared out our (unfinished) basement enough that we can still play catch down there with a t-ball (which is a little softer than a real baseball). We also put up a net that he bats into using his T, all in the basement so he can keep working off that energy all winter.
