Ii is a nice Saturday afternoon and your 5-year-old has more energy than you can stand. He likes all kinds of activities but gets bored easily, like most young children. You have exhausted the board games and he already spends a lot of time in the backyard playing ball with friends. You now wonder what new activities to come up with that the child will enjoy for hours.
Take him to a day camp
If it is summertime, give your child the chance to learn new skills and make new friends by taking him to a day camp at a community center. There are all kinds of day camps available that will suit your child's main interest and some of these camps are free of charge. For example, if your son loves arts and crafts, look for a day camp that has this specialization.
Read all kinds of books together
Instead of plopping your child in front of the television, you can visit the library with him and have him check out books that he might be interested in. Once you get home, read the stories to him and then ask him to tell his own funny versions of the stories he read. This teaches him creativity and how to enjoy good books in an interactive way.
Work on gardening projects together
Kids need to understand where fruits and vegetables come from so if you are a gardener, take him outside and let him assist you with planting the crops in the yard. Your child can help by putting the seeds in the soil and covering them with additional soil, raking leaves and debris from the garden, picking up trash or watering the plants with a hose. During the project explain the process of planting fruits and vegetables.
Talk about your family history
If your child asks questions about his relatives, start a conversation about your family history. You can start with memories of your own grandparents and parents then talk about life with other relatives. This is a great way for your child to learn about his cultural heritage.
Play tag
Your 5-year-old needs physical activity in order to stay healthy so you can play tag with him and some kids from the neighborhood. To start the game, the group will choose the person who is "it" and then as the rest of the group runs around, he tags the next person. Once that person is tagged, he repeats the process.
Dance around the house
Most 5-year-old children enjoy dancing so if you are not able to leave the house, turn on a popular radio station and let the kids dance off the songs. Have them create their own dances and teach them some dances that were popular when you were young.
It might seem difficult to entertain 5 year olds all day but these strategies will help you get the day going. Ask other parents for suggestions and take hints from conversations you have with the kids.