grandson comes to us after school, his parents pick him up around 8. normally he's downstairs playing cricket with the colony boys from 5 till dark. this month it has rained almost every evening and he's indoors with two old people and a tablet he's allowed one hour on by 7 he's bouncing off the sofa. we have carrom and cards. he's tired of beating me at carrom ideas welcome, cheap ones
My older one at that age loved anything he could build and leave half-done overnight. A big jigsaw on a tray, or a marble run made of cardboard tubes taped to a wall. The point is that it's still there the next day, so 5 pm doesn't start from zero.
When my daughter was that age, my father taught her one simple dish on rainy evenings. Upma, an omelette, lemon rice. She still makes his lemon rice. Nine is old enough to measure and stir with someone beside him.
Uncle, give him a job. My boys at nine would do anything if it counted as real work with their thatha: oiling the gate, sorting his old coins, fixing the loose cupboard handle. Bored goes away once he feels useful 🙂
Library books on a topic he chooses, and then he 'teaches' you what he read. My students love being the teacher. Works at home too.
Our son is a baby, so I'm no help with nine year olds. But I spent rainy evenings at my grandparents' at that age, and what I remember is my dadu's old radio and the stories he told about every programme on it. Nothing planned, just him ❤️
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