6 AND 8 YEAR OLD ADVICE PLEASE!!!!

[mummyme]

Hi all, Not sure if I am posting this in the correct place. Apologies if not, I am new to all this.

I have been minding since the beginning of March this year. I have a 16 month mindee who I am more than equipped for. I also have a 6 year old girl and an 8 year old boy for 2 hours at the most every day after school.

Im not used to children of this age!

I have a son who has just turned 4 who obviously has a lot of toys and the 6 and 8 year olds just route through it all and play with whatever they can find. This has started to irritate me (not their fault at all, they are just playing with what is available). This weekend I am going to put all my sons stuff in his bedroom, but have any of you wonderfully experienced childminders got any advice on things that children of this age like to do. Currently, they watch a bit of tv (Sponge Bob Square Pants and Mr Bean mostly) and do some drawing/colouring/cutting out. I want to make sure I am providing for them and feel guilty about taking my sons stuff away from them but I think that would be fairer on him.

Hope this makes sense and does not make me sound mean?

Thanks for all those of you that have taken the time to read this

[gigglinggoblin]

Doesnt sounds mean at all, stuff is bound to get broken if you leave it out and I bet they would love it if you provided them with new stuff!

Have a look on ebay for bundles, search for toys then change the priority to distance first and there are often things for pick up only. Lego is a hit, have a look on ebay again for mixed bundles. Could you take them on a charity shop trawl? You often see really great toys for very little money and it would tell you what they like and is really exciting when you find something brilliant. Oh, Argos catalogues! Mine love them and that would give you an even better idea (even if you dont actually buy much of it). Playdoh, hama beads, footballs, skipping ropes. At the moment my 6.5 yo is playing mostly with puppets and soft toys. Den building is great for all ages, I bought some sticks from wilko and a few old sheets to cover it. Car boot sale season is starting, bet there would be loads you can pick up. Action figures, action man cars etc and boards games, they love monopoly (junior version is shorter), operation, frustration. Pack of cards, teach them a few simple games. Remote control anything usually goes down well, as do walkie talkies - cheap and simple version is a long bit of tubing which they can talk through, that sort of thing can keep them entertained for hours! As an intermediate measure until you get some more resources I would highly recommend a few huge cardboard boxes (ask on freecycle or at local shops) to decorate and build with and balloons. Also ask on freecycle for kids magazines, they can spend hours with a good bundle of those.

Sorry thats a bit of a ramble, I was just trying to think what mine play with and it all kind of spilled out.

[Chell]

Why does it irritate you that they play with your son's toys? Won't it irritate your son that you've put them away? My children are 2.5yrs, 6yrs and 7yrs. They older two understand that anything downstairs is for everyones use. If they do't want other children to use something then they must keep it in their rooms. They very rarely keep things out of the way.

I tend to print lots of bits for the older children. For example I printed some Red Nose Day things from ****** yesterday. They coloured them, cut them out and laminated them to make badges. I don't have a great deal of time to spend with them as I am cooking dinner, have little ones leaving, etc.

They like Hama beads. I've just purchased beans and elastic for making necklaces and bracelets. They enjoy being outside in the garden.

I always have lots of paper, pencils, etc available. The girls especially like drawing or playing schools. I plan to buy some clipboards for them to use indoors and out.

The older ones tend to potter about and use the toy kitchen/dressing up/role play things rather than the 'older' toys like Barbies, My Little Ponies, Cars, etc.

[mummyme]

Thanks both.

It was probably incorrect of me to say that them playing with my sons toys irritates me as its not their fault. they are gorgeous children. basically i just want to have a sort out. my son has just had a birthday and some of his new stuff is still downstairs (my fault i know but my first day of minding was the day after his birthday). He understands that if something is downstairs he has to share it so i need to put all his stuff upstairs and let him choose daily what he wants to bring down. Basically, i think that the 6 and 8 year old would benefit from more age appropriate stuff. they love arts and crafts and i have lots of that. think i will look out for other things for them to make as mentioned by yourselves.

I too printed off red nose day stuff for today and they loved that.

Thanks for the replies

[Chell]

What about making some play dough? It is really cheap to make yourself and you've probably got plastic knives, rolling pins, etc to use with it. Poundland do little silicon muffin cases that they could use to 'make cakes' with the play dough.

[mummyme]

Another good idea. Thanks!

[Pipsqueak]

What about asking them what they like to do

My mix of 5-11yr olds like (after school) mask making, play dough, chilling out, being outside, lego, - they are quite happy with whatever is on offer really