Independent Activity/toy for 10-Year-old Boy

Yeah he may be sick of Legos but one does not grow out of Legos :)

Actually my son is similar. He still asks for Legos but then he really does not play with them. He just wants to play video games all day. I love the basketball hoop idea but we are moving next summer so we will wait.

Some other ideas - Loopz electronic game, perplexus, small metal puzzles where you try and take them apart. Easy crossword puzzles (Target has a kid puzzle brain quest book over in the book section). Music - iPod. Simon game.

Oh and stacking cups - I am getting those for my son too

A dremel tool (for drilling holes, sanding, building things)

Knex building set (different than legos, but some sets can work with them)

Anything involving marbles because it's like a video game brought to life (games such as mousetrap, screwball scramble, or kerplunk, a small pinball machine, or a marble maze building set)

Mythbusters Science Fair book.

Skateboard
Chem set / bio set / circuit set
Comic drawing
Build your own remote control thingmy (helicopter, plane, car, etc.)
Basket ball & hoop
Baseball & bounce back net
Camera / Flip

Few things in our house have received more play time than the basketball hoop in our driveway. He can do that alone or with some buds.

My 9 year old also loves collecting baseball cards and liking through boxes and boxes of them....

I would spend millions of hours riding my bike or reading. An art set? Wood burning set? An instrument like a keyboard or guitar? My brother and I literally spent hours and hours with my microscope. We had a great set with premade slides and a few dozen blank slides, all the little tools (scalpel and stuff) and we'd look at EVERYTHING: hair, finger nails, scabs, grass, carpet lint, we'd disect tadpoles or whatever else we found and stick it under the microscope. Cool toy! I was in 5th grade and supervised my brother. Magic set?
I like the idea of the basketball and hoop, if your HOA allows them in the driveway, because he could get some fresh air and sun, a little exercise, and sometimes it's a good ice breaker to meet/make friends.

A pocketknife (of course teach him how to use it safely.)
Explorer type things like a flashlight, compass, magnifying glass, tent for the back yard, etc.
A cool wristwatch with hi tech features.
I know you say he hates to read, but what about comic books, or other graphic novels? Those are visually very interesting without the overwhelming amount of words. My son got into Tin Tin at about that age.
How about an inexpensive camera/video camera? My son was also into taking photos and making movies at that age, often using his green army guys and other action figures (including his sisters' Barbies lol!) as characters :-)

Is he into model building? You could find some cool model airplanes or some other kind of model kit.

Puzzles

From my Discovery Toys site, you can order a Build a Remote Controlled Sports Car kit that is a lot of fun: http://www.discoverytoys.com/PUBLICSTORE/stores/karenchao... Once the car is built, he will have a great toy to play with, too. It is 10% off through November 28.

Another great Discovery Toy for boys his age is Tricky Fingers: http://www.discoverytoys.com/PUBLICSTORE/stores/karenchao... I sell a ton of these to boys in the 8-13 age range. They love trying to complete the puzzles and it really improves their fine motor skills and manual dexterity (might help build up his finger strength for video games!) It comes with two boxes, so he can play alone or race against a friend.

If he likes science, he may also like our Solar Energy System Kit: http://www.discoverytoys.com/PUBLICSTORE/stores/karenchao... He'll assemble a solar panel and use it to power several different included devices. This is also 10% off through November 28.

If you need any other recommendations or have questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

Thanks!
http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao

I was going to suggest a basketball hoop too! They are a HUGE hit in my neighborhood...seriously, you can tell ALL the houses that have kids b/c they ALL have hoops in the front yard! I vividly remember when we moved into our neighborhood remarking on how there were SO many basketball hoops! And now, sure enough, we bought our boys one and it is THE most used expense (besides the Xbox and Computer) we have ever had! Hours of entertainment and can be done solo!

Other than that, what about models he has to put together...or remote control cars...or Beyblades...or a science experiment kit...or geography puzzles (I love these & they are useful to teach the kids the states and continents and stuff)...is he artistic? Crayola has some of the coolest 'glow n' the dark' stuff I have ever seen! What about Magic? A magic set maybe? How about music? Is he into that? A drum set, a keyboard, a guitar? Is he into any of that?

My son is 9 and is still *very* much into anything Army or War...he can sit for hours playing with his (cheap) green plastic Army men and Army sets, setting up battlefields and stuff!

4M build a robot kit. They have several ones. Some made with soda cans, others with brushes. here's a link for a tin can robot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4meywU13-UY&feature=en...

Another suggestion is makedo you can also search youtube for it.

If he "hates" reading it might be a lost cause, but both my boys really loved the Redwall series.

Like someone else said...Outgrown Legos?! Did you know that they have Lego sets designed for ALL ages right into adulthood? Surely you can find some sets that he would like. Match his other interests with the Lego kits that fit them -- for instance, my friend's son is into Star Wars so he builds the very complex adult Lego sets of Star Wars pieces (spaceships, stations, etc.) There must be other "themes" your son might like. Frankly unless he's still into Santa, I'd take him to a Lego store and let him choose for himself. Have an adult who works there show him the cool sets that are way beyond kids' Legos.

Or search online for other building kits that aren't plastic blocks. Be warned, they can get expensive.

Look online at catalogs under searches for "kids' science kits" or "building kits for teens" etc.

As for the reading, talk to a children's librarian at the local library and especially talk to your school librarian for ideas. Graphic novels are one choice -- school libraries actually stock these now as legitimate reading choices for elementary age kids! Also, does he hate ALL reading or just fiction he's forced to read for school assignments? Have you tried him on nonfiction that is tied to other interests? Studies in recent years have found that boys this age and into the tween years often are much more interested in nonfiction than in fiction stories. If he's into science, get him science books; into nature, nature books; into sports, sports fact books; or try a kids' almanac with a ton of different, fun facts. Try a subscription to a magazine like National Geographic Kids, too. The librarians can help you out a lot on this.

Outgrown legos? wow, didn't know that was possible! LOL!
Our 10 yr old also loves to draw - mostly comic books about video games! Maybe some nice new drawing stuff?
Also lots of new rubix cube type games..........

**Adding This: get him a Journal. A blank pages book. Barnes and Noble has MANY for any gender or age. Journals are ALWAYS good things, for kid or adult... they can write their thoughts and imaginations and hope and dreams and invention ideas! It is a real productive thing and fun and creative. He can use it for jotting down anything.
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Skateboard?

Cards?

The brand "ThinkFun" makes great games, for all ages, for 1 to more players. Barnes and Noble, or Amazon has it.

Woodworking things?
Crafts?
Things that uses his imagination...

Science kits?

Gardening kits?

Cooking sets? Lots of boys are good cooks! And many good Chefs are men!

A Tree Hammock????

Per Legos, some States have Lego Clubs... which are for kids 10 years old and older, even adults. My State has one. Also, "Lego Robotics" is really hot, schools even compete in it etc. Google Search "Lego Robotics Kits." It takes creativity and intelligence and problem solving skills to a whole other level. It even can involve learning computer programming. It is not "kiddie" type activities. Our local Middle School even has a Lego Robotics team and club. For example.

When your son says he is bored... and if my kids tell me that, I tell them to think of something on their own. And they do. My kids are 6 and 10. They always find something to do.

A snap circuit set?

Maybe get him something that engages the whole family, maybe he's disinterested in some things because he's doing them by himself. Your son sounds like he likes challenges. We really like these games to play as a family (the parents and a 10 yr-old and 7 1/2 yr old, both boys):

Roll Through the Ages
Dominion
Ticket To Ride
Blokus
Blink (even though it's for younger kids, I love that game!)
Settlers
Mancala
Small World (I don't care for it as much, but the kids love it)

This Christmas we're getting Set and Swish, too. I also like puzzles that sometimes my kids will help me work on.

As for books, are you still reading to your son? This could help solidify his interest in reading. Some books that my 10 yr-old has enjoyed are the Geronimo Stilton books and Amelia Rules. They're a little simpler, but pretty enjoyable.

Good luck!

NABI 2 My 9 year old is in love with it... So is my 3 and 14 year old. I even like to play with it. It is just wonderful.. The real all in 1 game it has everything.

Just FYI, I think there is a new Wimpy Kid book out. It has a brown cover.

Came out in November.