Games For 7Yr Old And 5Yr Old

[Dizmo]

I'm struggling to find any game(s) that my nephew, aged 7, and niece, aged 5.

My nephew is obsessed with Minecraft, every time I go round he wants me to play, at Minecraft. I hate Minecraft but I play it just to keep him happy.

The problem is that my niece won't play Minecraft, she'd rather make jigsaws. I'd rather make jigsaws.

I've tried dealing with this by telling them I'll spend 30 minutes with one and then 30 minutes with the other. Unfortunately this causes a fight as my nephew tries to get involved when I'm spending time with my niece. It upsets me niece and I don't blame her for getting upset. She doesn't annoy her brother whilst he's playing with me.

In the past I've suggested bike rides which have worked but it's a little cold and the pavements are still icy.

I know it sounds selfish but it is making me not want to go around because I can't deal with the stress.

Help!

[mallyh]

what about a box game they both like .....frustration etc

[Canary42]

Simple, play with niece first, and if nephew interferes he forfeits his turn.

[Dizmo]

mallyh: He refuses to play any type of board game - I think this is more because he just wants to play on his Xbox (I should of added more information into the opening thread, I was typing it on my phone though).

Canary42: I've tried that but I want them to play together. I might not be a parent but I've lived a rather unsettling childhood. I don't want either of them to feel left out.

My nephew is happy to help build a jigsaw if I'm building one but won't if his sister wants to build one. However my niece can't play Minecraft, because she doesn't know how to.

I might have to put my foot down, but how without making myself feel worse? For the people who know me, as some of you do (enough to be able to comment), I suffer from severe mental health and I do sometimes get to a point where I feel so low whilst being with them - not because I don't want to be with them but because I hate to see them arguing.

[sherrardk]

Avoid Frustration like the plague - it is the must aptly named game we own.

[Dizmo]

Does anyone know of a suitable Xbox game which they could both play together? At least then I could take in turns with them and they would both be interested.

I wouldn't be leaving the game there - so the only time they'd get to play it is with me.

[Retrochic]

Xbox lego games
disney infinity
both suitable for that age group

Or buy some lego and get building -if boy likes minecraft he's sure to like lego heck everyone likes lego.

[Dizmo]

Retrochic: Thanks for the Xbox games ideas. My nephew has about £2000 worth of Lego. He never plays with it as such but has it as 'sculptures' around his room. I don't understand why people keep buying him Lego as he just makes it and leaves it as it is. He's got fire stations, hospitals and construction yards.

I used to love Lego and Meccano. I just wish he'd appreciate the fact he has so many toys. Maybe I should stick my foot down.

[Retrochic]

Lego seems to have changed since I was small -we used to make things then smash them and start again -now you buy specific things to make which takes ages and people just keep them as sculptures. The lego game on Xbox is great -my 8 year old grandson loves it. As for sorting out the kids - you are going to have to try and find something they both like which is hard -what about something silly like 'kerplunk' or 'operation' or 'Buck-a-roo'?

[Dizmo]

They have some weird games similar to what I used to play with as a child. I just don't understand why he doesn't want to play with them - well I do, because he wants to play with his Xbox.

I wonder what would happen if I told him I don't like Minecraft anymore. A bit risky I know but he's tough skinned and I could always back peddle if I had to. When I was his age I used to play outside, go bike riding, see my friends and climb trees. Now children are just obsessed with consoles, computers and television.

[Dizmo]

Retrochic: Has your Grandson got that shark game? The one where you have to use a fishing rod to take items out of its mouth and at any given time it snaps it jaw together.

[sherrardk]

Why don't you go round with an Argos catalogue and get them to look at the games and decide together what they would like to play?

[Dizmo]

Well he's just called me (my nephew from my brother phone). "What are you doing?", 'I'm a little busy at the moment, why?', "I want you to come round".

That show on the BBC (Iplayer) called 'Uncle' seems to describe me pretty much down to a T.

Cheers for the advice all, I best go and see what the little *$£"$ wants. I'm only joking, I love him to bits.

[boxtops]

Perhaps he's seen this thread, diz :-)

[Dizmo]

Boxtops: If he had a computer then it wouldn't surprise me, but he doesn't so :p

Niece is happily watching Frozen and Nephew gone to his friends house now. I had a house full of kids an hour or so back, I've now palmed them off onto one of the other kids fathers lol. It's always a mad house here, there's always kids coming and going.

[murraymints]

my young nephews liked operation and mousetrap...kept them occupied forever !

[Dizmo]

Murraymints: Mousetrap can keep me entertained for hours :)

[murraymints]

lol xx

[jourdain2]

I don't know what Minecraft is. The only game on my computer is Solitaire. All 3 of my grandchildren play whatever I give them when they visit and they all enjoy it. Ludo goes down well, even with tinies, as does Snakes and Ladders. They've never shied away. All of them also enjoy jigsaws. The awkward one (whichever it is) has to play a game the others like and then do something s/he prefers - picked from a limited range, computer games are a no-no. They seem happy about it and we all enjoy visits.