One handed things that a boy can do to entertain himself please! (Broken arm).

[Jezabelle]

The 7 yr old DC of a friend has just broken his arw. It is in an L-shaped plaster. We're all going camping next weekend and they are trying to think of one handed things to bring to entertain him so he doesn't get too down watching his mates hurtalling about on bikes and swimming.

He's a real computer addict, and although his parents wouldn't normally let him play on a computer all weekend of a camping trip, it might be the only way to keep him entertained without doing himself any further damage. Thing is, the DS requires 2 hands. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[PandaG]

what about boules or quoits type throwing games he could play with his mates?

swingball if his dominant hand ok?

[VivaLeBeaver]

Angry birds

[ElphabaisWicked]

Angry Birds on ipod touch or someone else's iphone. I think you only need one hand for Where's my Water? too.

[lisad123]

Card, swing ball, guess who, den building, sand castles, scooter, and fire building

[meditrina]

Masturbation...

[VivaLeBeaver]

Now I resisted saying that!

[HazeltheMcWitch]

skittles? skimming stones?

Communal card games? (but he gets a free pass from shuffling / dealing)

Does he like challenges; could he learn to juggle?

Drawing (depends if his dominant hand is is)

Board games: connect 4, jenga etc?

Rounders?

[Bluebell99]

My dd managed her ds when she broke her arm this time last year, it was her left arm and she was able to hold it gently with her fingers. she also managed to build a Lego ship one handed too, it's what she chose when we went to toysrus after her operation. You can get waterproof cast covers, which some people use in swimming pools. We only used ours in the bath. My dd coped really well with her broken arm, I however felt really sad for her.

[spendthrift]

Angry birds ace.

Drawing, painting and jigsaws.

Binoculars and spy glasses. Invisible ink and spy books, usborne used to do a great series. Where's wally. Comic books, tintin and asterix.

Download some films.
Put one if those specifically designed covers on it and let him do some messy things.

[spendthrift]

Pick up sticks/spillikins

Being in charge of the toasting fork for toasted marshmallows on the bbq.

[mercibucket]

Ooooh such a leading thread title ....

[TheHouseOnTheCorner]

He can do with a yoyo? Also what about teching him to juggle with one hand? Very cool....two balls..small soft ones in one hand and throw one up then the other and catch and throw etc.

Also he could do a kite with one hand and a helper...

[Jezabelle]

In an incredible course of events since writing my op, my own dd (3) has jumped off a trampoline and broken her arm! In hospital with her now. She has to stay in over night and they'll operate in the morning. : ( she's been very brave considering her arm resembles a banana!

So now this thread will be of additional interest to me! At least neither will feel like the odd one out on the camping trip! Thanks for all your replies, it's been a long day, (with another long day tomorrow I guess!) Will read through all the posts tomorrow.

[TheHouseOnTheCorner]

No!!!! How utterly odd and very sad too....poor little DD!

[ChippingInNeedsCoffee]

Oh no!!! A 3yo is even worse!!

Playdoh
Jigsaws
'Board games' (Orchard's Bus Stop is good for both those ages)
Snap
Memory
Lego
Painting/drawing/colouring

Kids adapt pretty well, I'm sure they'll both be able to do most of what the others are doing except swimming.

[paddyclamp]

I would cancel! There's no way i could torture my kids watching all their friends having fun whilst they were stuck in a cast :(

[ChopstheScarletduck]

My ds was 6 when he broke his arm, and still managed to play the ds.

We also took him swimming, ours was right before a holiday too. You can buy things online to put over the cast to protect it. TBH it didn't really hold him back too much at all! He even managed to write with it fairly well and did a lot of colouring in and stuff, even though it was his right and dominant hand.

Good luck with the op, hope it goes well.

[ChopstheScarletduck]

I think my ds would have been distraught if the holiday had been cancelled on top of breaking his arm!


cast covers

[SoupDragon]

Definitely get a cast cover. DS1 had one when he had his leg in plaster last year and it meant he could shower etc. It would mean that the children could still mess about in water.

[paddyclamp]

maybe.....but i think i'd def rearrange it if i could....i guess i don't know enough about plastic covers etc and i suppose it would depend on how recently the break was

[ChopstheScarletduck]

uploaded a pic of dt1 on beach with arm in plaster, building sandcastles. :)

We also bought him a huge rubber ring he could bob about in, since he couldn't exactly swim with an arm in plaster.


I think the first week would maybe be a bit of a problem, but it depends what kind of op she has. DT1 was a very severe break where the bones ended up lying parallel to each other. So he had to have open surgery on his arm and a metal nail inserted, and go back a fortnight later for cast change, then we drove to Italy the day after. Most limbs can either be pinned or simply reset by manipulation.

[DeWe]

Well having got a dd who was born missing a hand I would say he can do anything except monkey bars and be a concert pianist.

[oldgreyknickertest]

Dewe, if your dd wants to she could be a concert pianist; wittgenstein's brother Paul was a one handed concert pianist. He lost a hand I think, and he wasn't really top flight but he commissioned at least one concerto and several arrangements. I'm only saying this so your dd has even fewer limits to her imagination, though that one would be tough.

[ChippingInNeedsCoffee]

DeWe - it's not quite the same thing! A soggy cast is not a good idea and they haven't grown up only using one hand so their balance/co-ordination etc will not be great for doing things like scootering/bike riding and the last thing they need is another fall on their broken limbs!

I'm pleased it doesn't hold your DD back though :)

[Milliways]

We went camping with friends when DS had his arm in plaster, but one of his friends has CF and was not allowed to swim then either as he was a bit chesty. When the other kids went swimming DS & other boy had fun throwing a ball from the side to them and trying to catch it back etc. They didn't stay in the pool too long either.

It didn't restrict him much at all in things like camping and group games. His main hobbies though were swimming, diving & guitar playing which were all off!

We got a cast cover eventually as within 4 weeks of his cast being removed he broke a different bone in the same arm!