Activities and Fun

"Every time a child is born a grandparent is born, too!!"

Whatever you do, don't miss out on that special bond only found between grandparents and grandchildren! Not only is it fun, but research has shown that the grandparent/grandchild relationship can have a significant positive impact on a child's emotional and psychological development, and that the benefits to the grandparent can be equally as significant!

To achieve this wonderful bond takes some effort though, especially on the part of long-distance grandparents, but the rewards are well worth it. Here are some ideas and some Craft Recipes to make - and if you don't live near your grandchildren be sure to read the Long-Distance Grandparents section as well.

 

Start a journal early-on recording everyday events and special moments you share together. When it's filled give this priceless gift to your grandchild so they can look back on their youth and the relationship you shared together. I got a wonderful book "The Grandparent's Treasure Chest," from Treasure Chest, Inc. Productions. I LOVE this book!

Read to them! And when they can read (or are just learning), read to each other.

Bake cookies together or plan a meal of their choice and make it together. (See my Recipes page for some ideas!)

Create a memory book for them. Put in photographs of them alone and you together, their art work, significant newsworthy events from the paper, movie ticket stubs from movies you attended together, etc.

Start a collection of interest to a grandchild, such as beanie babies, bells, music boxes, miniature figurines, sports cards, then add to it when you travel, at Christmas, or when you're out shopping together.

Take a walk and look at *everything* - the flowers, the houses, the animals, the birds, the clouds. Talk about what you see. Pick up pretty leaves or unusual rocks to take home. Paste the leaves on pieces of craft paper, date it and put them in your memory book - put the rocks in your garden. Or take a camera and take pictures of each other and what you discovered!

Watch a sunset together and listen to their thoughts.

Pick up some little china teacups at a thrift shop and have regular tea parties. Invite their favorite dolls or stuffed animals to attend.

Go to the park and feed the ducks, swing them on the swings, etc.

Pick a special event that you go to every year with only them. It could be something like the circus, a Christmas activity, a lunch or dinner. What it is doesn't really matter, it's the annual event with just them that will mean the most to them.

Enjoy your everyday activities together: washing and drying dishes, folding laundry, raking leaves. Turn them into a learning and sharing experience. What they might consider "chores" at home are oftentimes "fun" doing at Grandma's!

Surprise them with a "just because" gift for no special occasion to arrive through the mail, even if they live in the same town. They might enjoy a certificate for an ice cream cone or a movie or a meal at their favorite burger place.

Plant something together - flowers, herbs or a little tree outside, an avocado or sunflower seed or an herb garden inside. They'll love keeping track of how it's growing each time they're there.

Be sure to let them know how terrific they are as much as possible! It's great for their self-esteem and gives them an added feeling of security in their lives.

Always say "hello" and "good-by" with a hug and a kiss!

Of course we need to respect mom and dad's rules...BUT, you've gotta spoil them a little! It's a grandparent's right and responsibility - we earned it fair and square - and the grandkids expect it. <G>

Craft Recipes

Playdough

Silly Putty

Finger Paint

Bubbles

 

Playdough

2 cups flour 4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup salt 1 1/2 - 2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 Tbs. vegetable oil Food coloring

Add oil and food coloring to boiling water. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. As you knead it the dough will get smoother. Store in airtight container. Very pliable and easy to roll or sculpt.

Finger Paint

1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
food coloring

Mix ingredients in saucepan. Boil until mixture thickens. Allow to cool, then pour into jars or other storage containers and color with food coloring. Best used on a glossy paper such as butcher or shelf paper.

Silly Putty

 

1 part Sta Flo Liquid Starch
1 part Elmer's White Glue*
Food coloring (optional)

Mix glue and starch together until it feels like a putty. If desired, add food coloring and mix thoroughly. When not in use, Silly Putty may be stored in an airtight container.

*Important Note: Be sure to use Elmer's White Glue, NOT Elmer's "Washable" or "School Glue" - otherwise you'll just get Gak! (Full Gak recipe to be included at another time) :)

Bubbles

1 cup water
1/3 cup dish soap (Joy, Sunlight, etc.)
2 Tbs. light corn syrup

Combine ingredients and enjoy. If you don't have bubble blowers around the house, be creative and try using different objects from your utensil drawer (apple corer, potato masher, handle of a basting brush, etc. They work!)

 

Long-Distance Grandparents

Two of the emotional and spiritual ingredients of the "Vital Connection" between grandparents and grandchildren, time alone in a one-on-one situation and undivided attention to one another, are difficult to achieve when grandparents and grandchildren live a long distance from one another. To make the bond flourish grandparents and grandchildren need to be part of one another's daily life - especially in the child's early years. Living far apart, grandparent and grandchild do not come to know each other because there is little one-on-one contact, and little time for loving attention.

According to the Handbook of Grandparenthood the good news is that there are a couple of things that can help develop and maintain that tremendously rewarding bond. The first is that young children have the ability to expand time. This means that the time you spend alone with your grandchild is savored by the child, and can nourish them for a considerable period. Secondly is technology! Of course technology can't hug a sick child or help out a harried parent, but it CAN be a boon to foster ongoing communication - the most indispensable factor in keeping grandparent and grandchild as close as possible.

Young children grow and change so quickly, so the key to keeping an attachment going over distance is to be creative in becoming a part of your grandchild's everyday life as possible. This will reduce the gaps in time where neither of you knew what the other was doing. SO, take advantage of technology...

You can use E-Mail to keep abreast of what's going on in each other's daily lives.

Faxes can be helpful as well. The Handbook of Grandparenthood talked about one grandmother who gave all of her grandchildren fax machines so they could keep in touch on a regular basis. The children can fax drawings, report cards, jokes, etc., to their grandparents. Grandparents can fax little affectionate notes or items of interest to their grandchildren several times a week.

The telephone is a live voice, so it's important. But make sure that you place some calls just to them and hang up when your conversation is ended. Remember that your grandchild wants to feel special and individual, so if you want to talk to mom or dad, it's best to make a separate call to them.

Video and audiotapes also provide the child the opportunity to hear your voice. You can send a video or audio cassette back and forth, each adding to it. Try telling a story or singing a song on it, or telling a bit of family history.

Of course, exchanging pictures and notes through the mail is good, too. They'll love receiving their own mail! If your grandchild doesn't have a camera, that would make a great gift, and then encourage them to use it to send you pictures of themselves and their activities.

If at all possible, be there when your grandchild is born and be there for the important events - graduations, religious passages, recitals, holidays, or whatever events your family values highly.

In sum, be creative in using your own ingenuity to keep your grandchild emotionally close. It has been shown that when grandparents make the effort to love and care for their grandchildren who live far away that the kids know it, and it means the world to them. And when they get old enough to travel by themselves, they're eager to make the trip to visit..

Comments and Suggestions

Do you have any good ideas of activities and fun to do with the grandchildren? If so, send me mail telling me what they are and I will try to include them on my page when I update to share with everyone!

 

I would be pleased if you could take a moment and sign my guestbook.

 

"I Love To Make You Smile"

 

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Last Updated: February 25, 2002