What can I do with my ten year old son when he doesn't have a friend over and is bored?
A bucket of Legos. A ton of clay, baking soda & vinegar - build a volcano. Just take him to a craft store and see what he is interested in...
All I can tell you is there is only so much you can come up with. My 10 year old is ALWAYS bored! I build stuff with him, take him to the pool, do online games, whatever, but as soon as the event or project is over he is bored again. I talked to my mom about it and she reminded me that I was bored all the time at that age too, it is just a thing they go through. I say, don't put too much stock in it, my son and I agree to do one project or fun thing per day, and we have a small list of chores every day then after that we wing it. Sometimes he is just going to be bored so I tell him to get a book, draw a picture, go outside, tell him to get creative, it is good for him.
Good luck.
P.S. He and I do the meals together each day too, it is a fun thing for both of us and takes up a good amount of time.
Does he have any chores around the house? If not, he's old enough to start doing some. Teach him how to sort laundry or load the dishwasher or teach him what plants around your house are weeds and which ones are flowers. Give him a book to read or some markers and a sketch pad. Just a few ideas.
Chores - weeding the garden, taking out the trash, loading dirty dishes in to dishwasher and putting clean dishes away, folding laundry, washing off the car (what 10 yr old doesn't like to play with a hose on a hot day?), sort out old clothes that don't fit anymore, vacuum, dust, learn how to clean his bathroom, how to cook some simple dishes (salads, tuna fish sandwiches,etc), how to do some basic laundry. The list goes on and on! All are good basic skills that will last him his whole life. And in between chores, he could get a library card and read. With books he can identify butterflies outside or learn to tie various knots or he can read pirate stories or anything. Boredom is a mind just begging to learn something - anything! Keep him busy and point him in some good directions.
Build a model rocket, car, airplane? Make a kite...draw some designs and create it...internet has patterns too. Then take him on a picnic and fly it.
Take him on a photo hike. Give him a list of colors to find in nature and photograph them and print them to make a journal. He can hand make the journal.
Also, have him pick out a puzzle, 200-500 piece, work together to put it together and then glue it down and frame it.
Go to a waterpark, tour your area, go to a nursing home and volunteer to help others, they always welcome children...make it more about others than himself....
And then there is the stand by of: "Oh you are bored, well OK, I will get on the internet and print out some worksheets for you so that you will be in good practice for when school starts!"
Day camp.
Agree with CC, guitar lessons are great!
Does he like to build? Get him something to build.
Some kids are okay alone. Others desperately want friends around all the time. Your son is coming onto the age where most want friends around constantly. Get him on teams, clubs, etc... Anywhere he can make new friends. Invite them to your house often!
Get him a hobbie. I have any only child and she plays guitar. when she wants to chill out she goes to her room and plays guitar. Encourage him to read anything! Are there kids magazies that you can pick up for him to try? I get my daughter a preteen magazine at the grocery store when I shop. She loves the quick reads but this has led to her reading books. Do your freinds have kids his age? Invite them over for coffee and have the kids come along. Plan what they could do, like play in the yard, watch a movie, play a video game together. I do this all the time and it works. ( its secretly a playdate for the kids) I just say Diane is coming for a visit and she is bringing Tom. Kids need a push now and then. After a while you can ask, hey want to have Tom over? This will increase their circle of friends too.
Hi, E.;
Is he in the Boy Scouts? He can volunteer in the
hospital, nursing home or the the dog pound.
Good luck. D.
He could read a book. He could also help you out with chores when he is bored. May be help you fold laundry,clean his room,empty the dishwasher. If he likes making things then do some craft projects with him. If he likes cooking or baking may be help you out. If you are not busy you could play a board game with him. Good luck
