6 Year Old Broke His Leg on the Last Day of School :(

You could take a trip to the zoo. They have strollers that accommodate bigger kids at the zoo in the springs, maybe the Denver zoo has bigger kid strollers too, although all I remember are ones for little kids. Perhaps he could use a wheel chair. Not sure what you would do with your one year old then. Wish I could be more help. That just sounds so tough. I like the legos suggestion though.

How about making crafts. There are so many fun crafts on www.familyfun.com and then they work for gifts. Many of them don't cost a lot but are a lot of fun. We work on special gifts for all our out of town family for Christmas all year long. Check at your Home Depot and Lowe's to sign up in advance to do the monthly project. Here, ours do it two different weekends. If he's not too heavy you can put him in a cart and push him into the store. Our kids like to bring their projects home and paint them. Then they also become gifts for Father's Day, Birthday's, Grandparents Day. Our family loves it.
Also if you have out of town family he could spend the day learning about where they live online and then write them a letter or email telling them what he learned. This way he is virtually exploring and computer time isn't so boring. You could have him make a journal online or in a dollar store notebook and then write about his experiences. This will also encourage him to retain some of those school skills. Try www.starfall.com, www.pbskids.org, www.lego.com and www.sciencemonster.com for some fun games. Maybe some research about skeletons too. The hobby shop has some really cool 3D models. One of my son's friends broke his collar bone but felt fine after a few days in the brace. He thought he would be a daredevil and go out on his bike anyway. He broke it again when he fell on the brace and now he has a serious deformity that can't be corrected. He wishes he's known how bones work now.

I would say from my husband's mother's advice. Make sure you don't get that cast wet! My dear hubby had 3 casts in as many days as an active little boy with a broken arm. Also make sure he doesn't play too rough right after getting the cast off. My DH broke his opposite arm 4 days after getting his cast off. The same thing happened to a childhood friend's brother (broke the opposite one the next day) and one of my nephews (broke the opposite one 2 weeks later).

Most of all try to have patience. A cast in the summer is no fun no matter what age you are.

Poor kid! Is your boy interested in Legos? My 6 yr old son can sit for hours(if I let him)playing legos. There are some really neat sets out there now, and he loves to follow the instructions first and make whatever it may be, then he likes to get creative and make something new with it. We also have some really cool "look and find" books that keep our son busy. Just try to keep his mind stimulated, and get out for some fresh air and sunshine when possible. Going for a picnic, feeding ducks and fishing are good ways so spend time outside without using that leg. Good luck!

You might be able to get a trailer and go for bike rides if he's not over the weight limit. You might ask around and see if someone has ome you could borrow. Also, check into reading programs at the libraries around town. He'd probably be able to win whatever the offer is and the cast would probably be off in time to benefit. I hope he heals quickly with no complications, and I hope you don't lose your sanity. :)

Hi L.,
Rolls of butcher paper, usually sams club or costco have it, it is cheap for the amount you get, kids paint and brushes, roll it out in the yard and let them go at it. Great wrapping paper when they are done. I would find other art projects, clay you can bake in the oven, young kids car or plane models to put together...Things that keep his mind and hands active. If he was going to play baseball ask if he can help with keeping the paperwork during the game, who hit the ball, who made a run, ... Something new he could learn and still keep him active with a team.

Let him help with cooking at home. My son loves to cook, crack eggs, do the mixing, help read recipes, do the measuring (helps with math with out them knowing it), when my kids help me cook they really enjoy it, it creates an environment to converse a lot, they learn a lot and they start learning skills they will use their entire lifes. Young boys enjoy cooking, we pretend it is a science experiment sometimes.
Good luck,
SarahMM

L.,
Just a couple of ideas... one, play games with him. I remember at that age my mom and I would have rummy tournaments, and play board games everynight. I have such fond memories of those game nights, it's a great way to engage him in some fun and spend time with him as well. Also, my father is in a wheelchair, and he is very active. Your son should after some time and getting used to the cast be able to participate in alot of fun outdoor activities. My dad and I played badmittion quit a bit and also differant type of basketballs games, like around the world and "HORSE". I am sure your son knows some of these games. My dad and I would also play catch quite a bit. When I was a teenager he started building remote control airplanes and we would go out and fly them together. It can be a bit pricy of a project to start, but the time you spend building and then flying the plane may well be worth it. Plus if gives your son a really cool hobby to work on and something cool to tell his friends when he goes back to school in the fall. If you get in touch with your local remote control airplane club, there are probably several people that would help him learn to fly those planes. My brother was flying around that age as well. good luck to you and speedy recovery for your little guy!

books are great and, if you can, get him a wheel chair to play sports in or have cruch racings with him