Things To Do With Your Grandchildren

One of the best things to do with your grandchildren is to just be you. Nothing could be better for them than to just be with someone who loves them and gives them undivided attention. You do not have to do anything special. Just talk.....or just listen. Too often, parents don't have the time to spend with their kids that the kids need. That's where you come in ... just spending time hanging out with the grandchildren. Be their mentor; be their friend. They will love you for it and so will their parents.

But, you say, they always want to DO something. Okay, try some of these ideas on for size.

For starters, you can always play games with them. Kids of all ages love card games, board games, outdoor games, games...games...games. They also love to play games online. Try some of our games. They are excellent games for kids and adults, too. Some of the games you will find are Asteroids, TicTacToe, and TailGunner

They all love to help in the kitchen (even the boys). We fix meals together, but the most fun is baking. We make cookies and cakes, pigs in a blanket, muffins, and we make candy. This does not have to be elaborate. In fact, for the little ones or with a group, the simpler, the better. I generally buy packaged mixes so they get to do a little measuring and mixing. Then we just have a ball!! The little girls always want to make goodies for Granddaddy!!

Crafts are always good. Making something together creates great memories. I get a lot of ideas from parenting and crafting magazines and the internet. My favorites are those which recycle.

One summer, Granddaddy and the oldest grandson built a treehouse. It's only a platform in a tree, but that boy thinks it is the greatest! In fact, so do the girls. They love to eat their lunch in the tree.

That same summer, all the girls came for a weekend. Granddaddy went to our local "get-it-cheap" store and bought a simple swingset. It took all day, but he and those girls (including the 2 year-old) put that set together. Talk about claiming ownership! Believe me, if they build it, it is theirs!

This year, we all made a teepee together. Read all about it here.

We generally have our grandchildren for a week in the summer. We call it Cousin Camp. It is a terrific opportunity to spend time with all of them without interfering mommies and daddies! My husband and I plan this together and he looks forward to it as much as I do. He is especially good at helping to keep things picked up and at being the disciplinarian, if the need arises.

The list of things to do is endless. Go to the library. Take a walk together. Teach them something you love to do ... play piano, crochet, type, garden, play solitaire, sew, anything. Feed the birds and other wildlife or play catch with the dog. Get the idea?

We have spent a day at the park and an afternoon at the local library or watching movies. We have gone on a nature walk, swimming, made stepping stones, papier mache bowls and decorated t-shirts. We have had tea parties (even with the 12 year old boy), made cookies and brownies and cooked hamburgers and hotdogs. We have taught the kids how to catch fireflies and names of constellations. We always take lots of pictures. Then, we can make albums together. The sky is the limit, literally!

Start planning ... you will find grandparenting is a lot of fun.