Whether you're babysitting your little 9-year-old brother or trying to brainstorm bonding activities, there's so many things you can do to keep little boys entertained. The easiest thing to do would be to sit him down in front of the TV and let him watch whatever he wants, but that's the least stimulating activity you can do together. If you must watch TV, consider educational programs about travel, animals or science.
What most 9-year-old boys really love to do is get out of the house, go outside to play and get messy. You can play sports together, such as playing catch with a baseball and a catcher's mitt, chase around a soccer ball, practice throwing basketball hoops or cycle down a trail together. Other physical activities could be swimming or building a treehouse together.
Young boys are often fascinated by science and technology. You can encourage him to explore his curiosity by watching educational programs about the universe, solar system, animal habitats and environment either on TV or through DVD rentals. Another way to check out cool science stuff is to use the Internet, where you can see all kinds of educational animations for young kids. Purchase a beginner's science kit and try experiments together.
Reading is a very important activity for growing minds. Even if your little brother doesn't think reading is fun or cool, as an elder sibling, it's a great idea to be a good role model and teach him that it is. Take him to the library and get a card made for him. He'll be proud to have his own library card and will enjoy picking out books himself before taking them to the counter to get them checked out. Encourage him to browse through all kinds of great books -- fiction, fantasy, science and history.
All kids love theme parks, including 9-year-old boys. He may not be tall enough to ride on the scariest roller coasters, but you can still ride most of them together. This idea may require a minor road trip, and you can listen to music and talk along the way. When you get there, you can have fun walking around, trying out the various attractions, playing theme park games and enjoying theme park food such as funnel cakes, cotton candy and blooming onions.
