Boys

[Cookies4me]

Ok My son loves to take things apart. He will rip apart his toy gun to get at the sound of it. Then takes that apart and asks a ton of question on why it works.

:hehee <me

Is there anything out there for this child of mine. He is almost 9 and loves legos. But he is getting more and more into the process of this.
This is the same kid who made every other child back away from the train system on our visit to Thomas. He was 4 and wanted to see how the system worked from below eye level. :pound

[Biblenuggetlady]

K'nnex (Spelling?) and Connectrix are metal piece "modeling kits"-best way to describe them. They come with all kinds of pieces that you assemble, with screws and bolts and he can make cranes, ferris wheels, etc....WITH moving parts, but they are a bit expensive. I got my son one but it didn't impress him as much as "de-semmbling" things around the house. :doh One idea would be to go to garage sales or Goodwill and buy toasters, hairblow dryers and the like and let him take those apart and figure out the workings. hahaha My brothers and my own boys are the same as your son, it's like...."WHY" :reaction did you take that apart, and they look at ME like I am the dense one. :lol2 When I got my first computer, one of them wanted to know what would happen if you put a magnet on the screen... :bash

Oh, there are these really cool kits you can buy, where your child works like an archeologist and chisels with these tools into this stone to find the bones of dinosaurs, etc. My kids love those and it took a good couple weeks to get to all the goodies in them. :thumb

Target and Toy's R Us have a "science" section now full of creative things like that. My boys also liked the complicated puzzles, the ones that have 3D pictures on them, or the ones that when you put them together, they actually are shaped in 3D. There is a site online that I bought ours from, I'll find it for you if you are interested, but again....these are about $25-$30 puzzles. (The ones that are made into 3D, not just the picture being 3D).

Your Thomas Train experience is similar to my sons trip to Universal Studios. I gave him a disposable camera to take his own pictures (he loves to snap pictures, but more often than not we don't even develop them-he's autistic it keeps him more focused in what we are all trying to do). Anyway, while we're there and he was taking pictures of the food stands, the lines, restrooms. :doh Since he was about 5 he has said that he wants to build his own amusement park when he grows up so he has tunnel vision on that one thing most of the time. It was funny though, all the other kids are excited about the ride that's coming up next and he's counting the steps in line, examining whether the lines were formed with rope, wood or metal bars, with or without TV's to view in line, with or without the matted walkway or were there cement sidewalks only, how the gift stores were laid out....what a day. :rolls

If he is really good mechanically, or maybe when he's a little older, he and dad can get a RC plane or RC car and get into that. Another expensive hobby, they ALWAYS need parts replaced and things adjusted on them, but you get the pleasure of seeing them run. My older boy is into RC cars now.

I feel for you...hope those ideas help some. :hug

[Cookies4me]

Dad help him :pound
I love my husband dearly but he has no clue. My son actually gets this from me and his uncle, grandfather..... My side.

My husband wanted to do something with him so one day we went and got a boat model. I went to walk away as they started to build and they both looked at me like :twitch where are you going get back here. ::hehee

I should let him rip apart a really old computer we have. Don't know if I want him to take after my brother though. That man can void any warranty on anything in 5 seconds. He is IT. lol Go figure

[Green Darner]

Find the books "The Way Things Work" and "The New Way Things Work" by David Macaulay. They have great illustrations and explanations on how lots of things work. My 10yo son LOVES them. They are his most prized books LOL!

[farmgirl]

Your son sounds like my son, he just turned 9 too. We actually used to hide things like flashlights because he would take them apart, but always lose one of the parts, so we had several nonworking flashlights when our power went out. He loves bionicles and legos. He also has already developed an addiction to using duct tape. He took a toy rifle, duct taped a hollow tube and a working flashlight together so he has a light directed aim site. We also rent the Extreme Engineering shows for him.

[funmudder]

My dismantler is still only 4 so I'll be watching this thread for ideas lol

[lisaann]

My ds has been eyeing my old computer. :heh Little does he know that I have an ancient laptop in the storage room as well. :evil3 I want to get a couple of very simple, basic computer books for him so that when he takes them apart he has a clue what he is looking at. I see Usborne has a couple that might work. :thumb

[MochaMel]

The calendar club (plus toys and games) has the neatest science type toys' and i cannot remember the name of it -- but it is like electronical gadget eh hem stuff.. lol It looks great for boys' like that! My son was like that too, still is to some degree at 14 y.o. -:doh It was $30 at this store - but i can almost bet if you don't have one of these stores near you - toys r us would have it too!! :thumb

[Wally]

Lego Ko'nex, Erector sets(yea they're valuable) are great for young boys. My DS does the same thing - destroy it by disection, "but look how it worked..."

Try to find old radios, contraptions, motors, at yard sales. The real challenge is if you can get the boys to make them work again. Be very careful with electricity - Do NOT let them touch TV or CRTs as there can be deadly amounts of electricity stored in the components. A safer venue: Radio Shack has many electrical educational kits available.

The Way Things Work series is great as are any books with cut-away views.

Models(cars, planes,...) may help in teaching assembly and following instructions, But once built.... well... maybe you can get them a couple Craftsman tools....

In PA we have a store called Educational and Fun. I believe there are similar science stores around too full of kits and stuff for the young engineer.

Old clocks are another neat thing, as some children may actually get them running. If you can, try to get to Columbia PA (west of Lancaster) and visit the National Watch and Clock Museum.

And if your daughter is the gifted one.... Paint that tool box pink! :thumb

[firstoftwelve]

Get "The Dangerous Book for Boys" and " Boys Book, how the be the best at everything". These books are great fun and teach them everything from history and grammer, to flying a helecopter and skinning a rabbit. They're just really neat books for boys.
Also there's a yahoo group called homeschoolingboys.com. if you sign up for the email loop, there are alot of emails with suggestions and sharing helpful hints for homeschooling your boys.