Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments What type of enrichment or afterschooling activity

do you do with your kids? What materials do you use? Do you use specific websites, workbooks, projects? I've been reading & looking at some of the sites mentioned on threads here. I'm a total loss but need to help DS.
DS7 is in 3rd grade, (skipped 1st) does not get homework & cried recently because he always gets the 2nd spelling list because the 1st one is too easy. He loves science but complained they don't do much of it at school. We have books he enjoys reading but I'm not sure how else to engage him.
I've given separate spelling lists at home but he really doesn't like to write and wants to play video games at home. He doesn't sound very gifted compared to kids here so then I think maybe his tests were given too young. Ugh. I feel so inadequate to help him!
Thanks in advance for any help or points in the right direction.

If you have books covered, how about experiments? There are lots of good books of science experiments to do with everyday materials, or maybe he needs a chemistry set? DS has my old one, supplemented with various chemicals, indicator paper etc. mostly obtained from ebay(!), and loves to negotiate experiments with DH and carry them out. He does need hands-on help which is limiting in our house, but maybe a 7yo might be able to do more with supervision rather than actual help?

We also use videos a fair bit - documentaries and Great Courses courses - ALEKS, Descartes Cove, etc. Mostly he reads though!

oragami, paper airplanes, popups, balloon animals,weaving, jewelry making, yo yo tricks, drawing - Ed eEmberly books or website, book making - Joanne Liedy books, unplugged fun (a book of ideas), SCRATCH- programming, science kits, make something from recyclables, You can buy boxed sets of simple experiements.

Look for a science program afterschool for him. My son goes to one at our school but they also do them at libraries, community centers etc. You may have one and not know it. Also check with your local science museum, zoo or anything like that and ask them!

If he likes to play video games, look for Spelling Challenges for DS or any other computer games. My DS just did a mid-year skip into 2nd and he loves Oregon Trail, Nancy Drew Mysteries (good for logic) a DK CD called I Love Science, Zoombinis and a bunch of other good educational games.

My son, 6 1/2 first grader, is in a science club and chess club (he's just learning to play chess). They offer these at school, so it makes it easy. At home we do EPGY math, TimezAttack, and ds LOVES the Fastastic Contraption website. We also have the Rightstart Math program and manipulatives at home, and ds will go pull that out and play around with the abacus, geometric shapes, geo board, fraction tables, etc. Is your son into Leggos? They have the Leggo science kits. DS is also really into Greek and Roman mythology, so we read a lot of books about that. He also plays basketball. My son is not very independent, and if we are unable to work with him, he always wants to resort to video game (Wii or DSi), computer games, or television. We try to limit the amount of "electronics time" he has each day, but sometimes it's the only way to get a break. On those days, I try to make sure he's watching something educational, preferably a science program (some of his favorites are Nova, National Geographic, How It's Made, Survivorman, Magic Schoolbus, Junkyard Wars) or playing a game that requres some logic, problem solving, reading, spelling, or math. I love Big Brain Academy on the Wii and ds loves Leggo Starwars on the Wii. I don't mind it becuase he really has to do a lot of problem solving, which is better than passively watching mindless TV.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm checking into some of these. He is in chess club at school but it only meets once a month. He & DD played the other night though & he has a book of strategies but doesn't seem interested in learning more just yet. He also does Spanish club once a month. I do try to limit the screen time. I'm trying to find some new ways to challenge him but not make him feel like he's doing more "work".

He loves the wii Star Wars & Indy Jones and has some problem solving dsi games too. He loves legos so I'll look for some science kits. He says he doesn't like math but I may try some of those sites since he picks it up so quickly, maybe he hasn't hit an interesting point yet.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good science kit? He has one but it's not very interesting to him. He enjoys snap circuits & would like to learn more biology or chemistry. I think if I can find him the right materials, that'll spark some new enthusiasm.

Have you tried Biology4Kids or any of their other related websites (Chem4Kids, etc.)?

http://www.biology4kids.com/
That one has links to all of their other sites.

In terms of science kits, Ward's Natural Science has some neat forensics kits (my kids have liked DNA kits), and dissecting owl pellets is also a fun activity. There are a lot of places online that sell those. You get to pull out the bones and reconstruct the animal that the owl ate to find out what it was.