So I'm keeping my 6year old niece for two weeks

[April20]

My sister and her husband are going on their first extended vacation without their daughter and I immediately shouted "I want her while you're gone!" We don't have kids and I'm planning a two week auntie extravaganza while I have this sweetie. I have an insane slumber party with every child in her age group that I know invited as well as other fun things planned. I'm also seriously considering buying her a cotton candy machine just to screw with my sister. I've got nothing to lose here.

I could use some other fun / evil things to spoil this wonderful six year old with. Hit me with suggestions please!

 

[D&T]

How sweet of you! are you in the states? would you consider any trips with her or just something more at home?

 

[Gypsy]

Where are you located and what kind of kid is she? Is she princess-y is she a tom boy?

 

[arkieb1]

If there isn't one there should be an old proverb that goes beware aunties that fill small children full of sugar & candy - if you need to do it, do it when they are on their way home rather than at your house so that you don't have to deal with hyped up kids, and lots of late in the day tanties and meltdowns. My son is 6 so are his friends so I have a little firsthand experience.

If you are bored and run out of things to do the junk shops have cheap bracelet making kits, and kits with plaster that you set over night stick a magnet in them and then the next day you paint them, and you have magnets for the refrigerator, if she is into princesses painting nails and dress ups are always a winner as well.... toy shops have these really cool little snow globe kits that girls can make with animals and little characters and sparkles in them. Making cookies, dog cookies and baking and chocolate making things are also fun

Mine loves animals, petting zoos, museums with interactive kid type things in them, the movies, DVDs, he love helping to do everything and be involved in general.

Have a great time, it's a great age!!!!

 

[dk168]

Cooking, especially baking such as making cakes and cookies?

Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for any mess/breakages/weight gain/etc. etc. for my suggestion.

DK

 

[April20]

Where are you located and what kind of kid is she? Is she princess-y is she a tom boy?

I'm in Atlanta.

She's a bit girly girl, but willing to get into it all. She lives in the country and goes around with my grandfather on the RTV and names all the new calves. She'll get dirty, but she also likes to dress up. She's a really easy kid.

 

[April20]

Cooking, especially baking such as making cakes and cookies?

Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for any mess/breakages/weight gain/etc. etc. for my suggestion.

DK

Cooking is always a good idea and she likes to do it. She told my sister a few months ago that she wanted to play "Chopped" and came up with some concoction. The play by play pics were a kick!

 

[kenny]

Spoil the crap out of her to piss off your sister.

 

[ckrickett]

I always LOVED making things. If she is girlie maybe take her to a few craft bead stores and have her pic out charms and beads to make her own necklace jewelry. cooking and baking is super fun (decorating cookies is a blast) art is always fun!

 

[yennyfire]

Take her for a tea party/lunch at American Girl at Northpoint Mall (I say this because you're her auntie...I have never taken my 7 yo DD to AG because she'd ask for everything that wasn't nailed down and probably have a tantrum at some point when I said "no"). I'd also take her to the Children's Museum and maybe the botanical gardens. You could also take her for a mani/pedi and to a "Five Below" store. We can spend at least 2 hours browsing in there and since nothing is more than $5, it won't break the bank. The zoo is really nice too and they have a fun playground at the end...we can easily spend 4-5 hours there. You could do a "paint your own pottery" kind of project...there are quite a few of those places in the area.

The Tellus Museum is also pretty cool for kids. I second baking/cooking. My kids love to do that, though it is definitely messy!! Have an awesome time with your niece!!!

If you need more ideas, just ask....I have a whole list of things I have done with my kids and will probably start doing again once school gets out this week.

 

[MollyMalone]

* Ride MARTA (maybe out to the airport & back?) - every kid who visits me in NYC (and who does not live in one of the few metro areas with commuter rail transportation) loooooves riding the subway, especially those segments that are above ground

* You can purchase discounted tickets in advance through AtlanTix's web site; current offerings good for her age group include ZOO Atlanta and performances at the Center for Puppetry Arts, which is a fun place to visit even if you don't see a show (also has puppet-making workshops)
http://www.atlantaperforms.com/Discount-Tickets/AtlanTIX-Discount-Tickets.html
http://www.zooatlanta.org/
http://www.puppet.org/

* The High Museum has nifty, activity backpacks that are free to borrow:
https://www.high.org/en/Programs/Programs/Family-Programs/Discovery-Backpacks.aspx

* Don't know when she will be with you, but the 1920's Fox Theatre has a couple of movies scheduled throughout the summer that would be age-appropriate -- and its over-the-top decor is surely unlike her local cineplex
(if she's only watched videos at home or at friends' houses, you may want to discuss movie theatre etiquette with her ahead of time, so she knows yakking as the movie unreels on the big screen isn't A-OK)
http://foxtheatre.org/shows-and-events/

 

[momhappy]

You might think that you've got nothing to lose, but two weeks is a fair amount of time. Spoiling her rotten seems like a good idea, but remember, you're the one who is responsible for caring for her during that period of time. Sure, things like slumber parties, junk food, etc. are tons of fun, but everything in moderation or you risk a cranky, tired 6 year-old with an upset tummy, which is not fun for you or her.
Now on to the fun stuff (sorry for being a Debbie Downer) - what kind of kid is she? Is she artsy-craftsy? You can plan ahead for some fun craft projects (jewelry-making with beads, picture collages, etc.). Modeling clay (Crayola makes some) can be fun as well as outdoor activities that includes bubbles, sidewalk chalk, etc. You could take her to a movie, go to a children's museum, etc.
Have fun

 

[kenny]

Last weekend my SO's parents visited with their 5-yr old granddaughter in tow.
She's really bright and insisted on helping Uncle Kenny bake bread.
She was so proud to bring some rolls home to her mom and dad.

She was delightful for just a weekend, but I don't think I could handle 2 weeks of incessant questions.

Pic posted with permission.

 

[April20]

I have her starting next Sunday. I didn't even think to check The Fox. She would loooove that.

The crafty thing is a good idea. I actually sell craft supplies on etsy so I actually have an entire room full of beads, flowers, and other things (but I don't make costume jewelry, go figure). I'm actually expecting her to want to make something when she sees two walls of my inventory!

Riding MARTA isn't a bad idea either. I live really close to the line and could take her into town on it fairly easily.

I'm thinking of possibly taking her to the aquarium. My sister and I took her to the zoo and aquarium here bit she was really little at the time- I think she was 16 months or so.

I'll have to ask my sister if she's into dolls. I kinda of don't think she is. I think she's more about animals.

I asked my sister last night what she usually eats. I got a typical list back, to which my niece added "tell her I like butter!" at the end. She cracks me up.

 

[monarch64]

I love the idea of the cotton candy machine!!!
My niece is 6, too. Here are some fun things I can think of:

Find a photo booth and take lots of fun pics. Make a scrapbook the last day of her stay so she has a nice reminder of her time spent with you.

Make up a scavenger hunt on a trail or in a park.

Make a fort out of blankets and furniture.

Dress up as superheroes (make up the coolest super hero you can think of) and go around town doing good deeds. Wear masks you decorate yourselves. Wear your undies on top of your pants and obviously you'll need capes.

Get your faces painted or DIY at home.

Squirt guns. Sprinklers. Fountains. Hoses. Water is fun.

Eat cake for breakfast.

 

[MollyMalone]

I'm thinking of possibly taking her to the aquarium. My sister and I took her to the zoo and aquarium here bit she was really little at the time- I think she was 16 months or so.

I'll have to ask my sister if she's into dolls. I kinda of don't think she is. I think she's more about animals.

* I really like the Aquarium down there in Atlanta, but it may have the highest admission prices of any in the USA. The biggest discount usually possible (without becoming a member) is to buy an Atlanta CityPass; but although the CityPass worked very well for my SO and me, it wouldn't make sense to consider buying it until she is older & would get something out of the CNN studio tour:
http://www.citypass.com/atlanta

BUT here's good news, there is a TravelZoo offer for Aquarium visits up through June 13 (excluding May 24-25); very nice discount & it includes admission to, e.g., the Dolphin Tales Show:
http://www.travelzoo.com/local-deals/Atlanta/Other/112976/Georgia-Aquarium
If you go, arrive as early as possible on a weekday morning to minimize colliding with groups of day campers, tour buses, etc.

* I've not been there myself, but the Chattahoochee Nature Center, outside of Roswell, looks like it would be great, reasonable admission prices, & it gets very positive reviews on TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ttahoochee_Nature_Center-Roswell_Georgia.html

The Nature Center's web site design isn't the best, so look for the additional links in the right=hand sidebar of this page
http://chattnaturecenter.org/visitor-information-directions/plan-your-visit/
and check out the Events pages as well.

 

[Gypsy]

Atlanta! Oh I have the perfect thing. Just outside Atlanta! https://www.facebook.com/NoahsArkAnimalSanctuary GO HERE! They do tours: http://www.noahs-ark.org/Come-Visit/Tours

They are an amazing organization and it would be a fun day for her! Plus, it's good to teach kids about rescuing wild life.

This would be fun for her too, but it's a safari park, not a rescue, and I really do try to avoid safari's personally (though they are fun for the humans) because they aren't good for the animals: http://www.animalsafari.com/Wild_Animal_Safari.html I have no idea if it is near Atlanta or not.

 

[MollyMalone]

P.S. Are you already a Goldstar member? Costs nothing to join; like TravelZoo, they simply ask for your e-mail address -- and Goldstar doesn't litter your In box with lots of e-mails. I take advantage of their discounts for all kinds of things here in NYC & wherever I can when traveling around the US. Here's the preview page for Atlanta deals:
http://www.goldstar.com/atlanta

 

[MollyMalone]

Noah's Ark looks intriguing, Gypsy, but alas, children are not permitted on their tours "at this time" (the sentence is buried in the tour description) & it looks as if the tours, and special events, are the only available options to see the place?

 

[April20]

Atlanta! Oh I have the perfect thing. Just outside Atlanta! https://www.facebook.com/NoahsArkAnimalSanctuary GO HERE! They do tours: http://www.noahs-ark.org/Come-Visit/Tours

They are an amazing organization and it would be a fun day for her! Plus, it's good to teach kids about rescuing wild life.

This would be fun for her too, but it's a safari park, not a rescue, and I really do try to avoid safari's personally (though they are fun for the humans) because they aren't good for the animals: http://www.animalsafari.com/Wild_Animal_Safari.html I have no idea if it is near Atlanta or not.

Dang it. Dang it. Dang it. No kids!!!! I would totally have done this!!

 

[April20]

I'm thinking of possibly taking her to the aquarium. My sister and I took her to the zoo and aquarium here bit she was really little at the time- I think she was 16 months or so.

I'll have to ask my sister if she's into dolls. I kinda of don't think she is. I think she's more about animals.

* I really like the Aquarium down there in Atlanta, but it may have the highest admission prices of any in the USA. The biggest discount usually possible (without becoming a member) is to buy an Atlanta CityPass; but although the CityPass worked very well for my SO and me, it wouldn't make sense to consider buying it until she is older & would get something out of the CNN studio tour:
http://www.citypass.com/atlanta

BUT here's good news, there is a TravelZoo offer for Aquarium visits up through June 13 (excluding May 24-25); very nice discount & it includes admission to, e.g., the Dolphin Tales Show:
http://www.travelzoo.com/local-deals/Atlanta/Other/112976/Georgia-Aquarium
If you go, arrive as early as possible on a weekday morning to minimize colliding with groups of day campers, tour buses, etc.

* I've not been there myself, but the Chattahoochee Nature Center, outside of Roswell, looks like it would be great, reasonable admission prices, & it gets very positive reviews on TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ttahoochee_Nature_Center-Roswell_Georgia.html

The Nature Center's web site design isn't the best, so look for the additional links in the right=hand sidebar of this page
http://chattnaturecenter.org/visitor-information-directions/plan-your-visit/
and check out the Events pages as well.

I'll take a peek at the travel zoo for the aquarium. We only live about ten minutes away, so it's a good option.

I did the CNN tour with my youngest brother a couple years ago. He was 16 at the time and it was fun and great for his age. I agree that 6 is a little too young for that tour. I wonder if TNT does a Cartoon Network tour! She'd probably love that!

I need to ask my sister if she has a bike. I was thinking I could take her out to Stone Mountain to ride thru the park some. We've actually never been and my husband grew up here. I can ride my bike all the way there from my house on the Path trail, but that's a bit far for a young one.

 

[April20]

Oh. And part of why I'm trying to plan out activities is because this is the first time she's staying with us without her parents. She has stayed with the grandparents and great-grandparents when her parents have left before, but it wasn't this long. Plus we live five hours south of the rest of the family so it's not like we can go to her house if she wants something or hang out with the rest of the family.

 

[Gypsy]

Atlanta! Oh I have the perfect thing. Just outside Atlanta! https://www.facebook.com/NoahsArkAnimalSanctuary GO HERE! They do tours: http://www.noahs-ark.org/Come-Visit/Tours

They are an amazing organization and it would be a fun day for her! Plus, it's good to teach kids about rescuing wild life.

This would be fun for her too, but it's a safari park, not a rescue, and I really do try to avoid safari's personally (though they are fun for the humans) because they aren't good for the animals: http://www.animalsafari.com/Wild_Animal_Safari.html I have no idea if it is near Atlanta or not.

Dang it. Dang it. Dang it. No kids!!!! I would totally have done this!!

No kids! OH SHOOT. They have a kids event. It's in June though. Sorry.

Well the Safari has a drive thru and they allow kids. So if it's near you, you can do that.

 

[MollyMalone]

I need to ask my sister if she has a bike. I was thinking I could take her out to Stone Mountain to ride thru the park some. We've actually never been and my husband grew up here. I can ride my bike all the way there from my house on the Path trail, but that's a bit far for a young one.

Coincidentally enough, Marriott's Evergreen Resort at Stone Mountain is where we stayed for the first 1/2 of our Atlanta visit at the end of October several years ago. Think the park would be a nice place for you all to spend some time.

But do build in "down time" 'cause, trust me, you don't want an overstimulated 6-year-old on your hands -- plus, being really revved up isn't any fun for them either. And if she's inclined to, e.g., talk a mile-a-minute, even her wholly natural state may wear you out
So I'd be setting aside some quiet time (leaving her with just books or listening to music, TV/computer off) every afternoon; it's not outside the realm of possibility that she'll even take a little nap... this visit outside of her usual surroundings is going to be a bit of a stretch for her.

 

[momhappy]

^I agree - two weeks is a long time away from mom & dad and she may have a hard time with that (I've never left my kids for more than just a couple of days, so two weeks would be absolutely out of the question for me). She may benefit from a little down time too. Does she have a daily routine/schedule? If so, I would try to maintain her routine as much as possible (it might help to minimize any distress). Your craft supplies sound awesome and could probably keep her busy for hours! Paper bag puppets, paper plate animals, collages - there's all kinds of things that you could do. You could google kindergarten/preschool curriculum art projects for specific themes (like animals if she's into animals, etc.).

 

[VRBeauty]

When I did the aunt thing and travelled with my niece and nephew when they were young, we made sure to allow for periodic calls home (including one with a sky phone) to ensure that homesickness didn't interfere with the fun. That was before the days of cell phones though, when calls home were a bit more of a challenge - I trust her parents already have this one covered! For one of the trips to D.C. we stayed with a family friend who had thoughtfully gone to the library before our arrival to check out some children's books for bedtime stories. Your niece might like a trip to the library, or two, to stock up on picture books.

Being old school... ask your sister to send along a list of addresses so your niece can send a postcard or two to friends or family at home.

Kenny, your SO's niece is just adorable!

 

[Logan Sapphire]

I have a 6 year old daughter so I can add some generic ideas of things to do. Keep in mind my daughter is very girly.

Magnatiles- do you know anyone you can borrow some from? They're very expensive (over $100 for a set of 100 tiles; we have 2 sets which don't seem enough at times), so probably cost-prohibitive to purchase just for 2 weeks. My daughter loves building all sorts of things (mostly castles) with them.

Legos- in a similar vein to Magnatiles. All sorts of Legos! She's really getting into the sets now (particularly the girly ones, like the Friends' line, but she also likes the more "boyish" ones too), and can follow the wordless instructions pretty well by herself.

Play dough/kinectic sand- play dough is self-explanatory. You can buy the kinectic sand at Michaels and other craft places and it's pretty mess-free. Get play do cutters and go to town!

Dress-up clothes- princess clothes are big, but so is a doctor's outfit with accompanying instruments in our house.

Puzzles- she loves doing puzzles and can do 200 pieces with help. I have a 300 piece one waiting for her, but it's probably a little too much at the moment. You could always buy a larger set and do it with her over the days, and perhaps use that modge podge or whatever it's called to shellac it for her to take it home as a memory of her time with you.

Baking/cooking- there are some pretty easy and kid-friendly recipes out there. My kids love to help me make banana bread, cookies, pancakes, and make your own pizzas.

Arts and crafts, drawing stuff- sounds like you're very crafty yourself- I am decidedly not, so I have to steal ideas from others! Anything crafty is good for my daughter. She particularly likes Perler beads, which we get at Michael's. Another fun thing we like to do is make our own crayons. I buy a set of 200 or so crayons (make sure they're Crayola- the cheaper crayons really affect the quality of the finished crafted crayons, I've found) from Amazon and put them in hot water. The wrappers peel right off- it's like magic. Get fun silicone molds and break up the crayons and bake at a low temp. Obviously lots of plain and construction paper to create masterpieces on.

Books- go to the library regularly and check out books on a revolving basis.

Pool- if you live in Atlanta, will it be warm enough to do the pool yet? It's cool where I am and am not sure how opening weekend will go! Brr!

Playgrounds- self-explanatory

I saw this link and want to try some of the stuff out too: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/activities-that-will-keep-your-kids-busy-all-sum?bffbdiy&s=mobile

I agree that some down time should be built into the day. I send my daughter to her room for awhile when her brother is napping. She is free to color, look at books, play with her dollhouse, do a puzzle, etc. but she often ends up falling asleep for a little nap.

Also, you may just want to double check with your niece's parents about the sleepover. I know mine is very reserved around kids she doesn't know and would not do the sleepover. Also, some at that age may still be wearing pull-ups or have bed wetting issues, so keep that in mind.

Enjoy and you sound like a great aunt! She's a lucky kiddo to have an aunt who's so excited!

 

[TC1987]

Lock up your jewelry, sterling flatware, etc., password the computers. Even the best kids will go exploring when you are not watching. Or maybe late at night, if they are the adventuresome type. My sis and I were well-behaved kids, but we snooped in dresser drawers, jewelery boxes, closets. I never took anything, but I did things like slide the display case open and examine all the cut crystal knife rests. And I looked at the china and flatware, too. Office machines and desks and calculators and staplers were pretty interesting, too. Whenever I was at my grandparents or aunt & uncle's place, I snooped and I picked up things and inspected them. Just warning ya, LOL.

My aunt had a bedroom suit with 2 dressers with big mirrors on them. She parked them opposite each other. Then we kids could stand in front of one and look at reflections that continued into infinity. Kind of like looking into an Asscher diamond with infinite steps. LOL But I remember that.

 

[April20]

Thanks for all the input - I appreciate it!

There will be plenty of downtime, trust me. I work my Etsy shops full time and the work doesn't stop when she's here. She's actually really good at entertaining herself, so I'm not overly concerned. We have a big library near us, so we will be going to get her books. My sister takes her to the library regularly, so it's something she's used to doing. I mainly want to have enough cool/fun things planned that she has things to look forward to and is less focused on her parents not being right here.

My sister knows about the sleepover. She's fine with it and my niece is excited. She actually loves to meet new people. The girls coming are between 8-10, so a little older than her. They're kids of some of our friends and I have had several over them over before to make/decorate cookies, so they're familiar with me already. Several of them ask me weekly when they can come over again. I've made myself quite a reputation with the younger crowd. Ha ha.

It is warm here now. There's a city pool within walking distance of our house. We also own a condo not too far away with a pool that we could use. I may see if I can make a play date for her with friends to do a pool thing. She does like a pool- my grandparents have one and she told me last week that it's already open and she's been swimming. I just know that I won't be nearly as much fun in a fun as other girls her age would be!

 

[April20]

Lock up your jewelry, sterling flatware, etc., password the computers. Even the best kids will go exploring when you are not watching. Or maybe late at night, if they are the adventuresome type. My sis and I were well-behaved kids, but we snooped in dresser drawers, jewelery boxes, closets. I never took anything, but I did things like slide the display case open and examine all the cut crystal knife rests. And I looked at the china and flatware, too. Office machines and desks and calculators and staplers were pretty interesting, too. Whenever I was at my grandparents or aunt & uncle's place, I snooped and I picked up things and inspected them. Just warning ya, LOL.

My aunt had a bedroom suit with 2 dressers with big mirrors on them. She parked them opposite each other. Then we kids could stand in front of one and look at reflections that continued into infinity. Kind of like looking into an Asscher diamond with infinite steps. LOL But I remember that.

I didn't even think about securing items. I don't have flatware or china, so that's not an issue. I will. Are sure computers are secured. Our bedroom is in a completely separate wing of the house, so I'm not planning for them to even get near it. DH will be back there sleeping and I did ask a good friend to come over as additional reinforcements to help me manage seven girls!