Have you planned any activities with your grandchildren for this year's Grandparents Day? No? Then read Buzzle's suggested activities that you and your grandchildren are sure to enjoy.
10 Grandparents Day Activities
1. Spend Time Outdoors
Whisk the kids away on a day of outdoor fun. There is so much choice when it comes to this one. There are museums that you can visit, or the aquarium or the zoo, there are fishing trips that can be planned, or picking fruits in the orchard; and then there is our personal favorite―going to the park and having a crazy time playing Frisbee and taking to the swings―just like this grandmother-granddaughter pair who are obviously having the time of their lives. What fun.
2. Solve a Jigsaw Puzzle
Have you ever spent time putting a jigsaw puzzle together with the grandkids? It is F.U.N. It really is. It is the perfect way to spend some quality time with them. The excitement on their faces, their squeals of delight on finishing the puzzle―soak it all in. Here's how you can make this activity more exciting―if you have more than one grandchild visiting, you can form teams and compete to finish the puzzle first. You can make this a great tea-time activity with tea and snacks streaming in. The choices are limitless.
3. Cook Something Together
Take the kids to the kitchen and cook something together―better still, bake a cake. It might seem like a mundane activity for someone who isn't too keen on venturing into this part of the house, but,
oh my God, it is a lot of fun! The excitement on the kids' faces while they help knead the dough, or measure out the cocoa powder, and of course, lick the bowl clean once the cake has been put to bake―priceless.
For kids who are slightly older, this is the perfect opportunity to pass on some family recipes too. And if not, make pizza. Kids love their pizza.
4. Use the Afternoon for Some Crafts
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This is the perfect activity for kids who fall in the younger age bracket―given all the colored paper and the sketching, and the glue around. A great idea that you can use for crafts is to trace a design that has the grandchild's hand in the grandparent's hand. This is not only a great way to spend time with the kids, it is also a very emotional and memorable experience, and it will continue to remain so years and years after it is done.
To do this, get a thick paper or a cardboard paper and trace your hand and then your grandchild's hand on it. Cut these out and then stick the grandchild's hand on yours―this represents that he/she is a part of you and that you'll be always around for them. Make it a fun grandparents day crafts activity by asking him/her to color or paint it and then frame it in somewhere. Every time the grandchild visits, it will be like a beautiful reminder of how you are always around to protect him/her and years later, the memory of that day will still be fresh.
5. Teach a Skill
Grandparents are a treasure trove of skills, and many times, the parents don't really have the time to teach their kids some special skills. What then?... Bring in the grandparents, please. While this activity or idea may seem unsuitable for toddlers, slightly older children can be taught skills like knitting, gardening, carpentry, building a bird feeder―the choices are limitless.
6. Enjoy a Movie at Home
What if you don't want to go out and spend the day doing activities and running around? Simple―watch a movie at home. It's more fun than it may seem. Try it once. Call your kids and inquire about your grandchildrens' favorite film, then surprise them with the same.
7. Spend Time Coloring
Interestingly, this activity never gets boring―not when you're 2, not when you're 4, and not when you're 10. That's the beauty of the coloring activity. You can use this activity as a filler between other activities of the day. Just gather all the crayons you can, and let the coloring fun begin.
Here are some printable grandparents day coloring pages that you can use for the coloring session.
* Click on the images to obtain a print.
8. Read to Them
Do you read to them often? Or you do not get a chance to do that as often as you'd like? This is the perfect day to have a reading session with them. You can make the activity even more appropriate for the occasion if you choose books that revolve around characters who have grandparents. This way, you can highlight the special bond that grandchildren and grandparents share, and you can emphasize the significance of this bond. Peruse through the books that you've chosen for the reading beforehand so that you are able to use different voices and imitations to make the session more interesting. Alternately, you can also narrate a story to the kids.
9. Have a Games Day
This is a great idea for grandparents who don't mind (and are able to indulge in) some physical activity or games to mark the day. You can make a list of the several games that can be played―both indoors and outdoors―and then have an afternoon or early eve full of fun. If there are a lot of grandkids coming over, form teams and compete for a prize. The day could include activities like obstacle courses or treasure hunts, or it could have indoor games like cards and board games. Always, always fun. Just like the grandfather-granddaughter duo in this image who seem to be having a great time playing with the hula hoops.
10. Visit an Animal Farm
You will rarely come across a kid who does not like animals―rarely. You want to make your grand kid's day? Take her to a farm and let her play with all the animals. What if you can't go to a farm? A pet store will do just fine as well. Spending a day feeding, cleaning, running around, and playing with the animals will be nothing short of an excitement overload, which will, of course, be evident from all the squealing and laughter that she will be doling out.
With so many activities to choose from, you can rest assured that you will have a mind-blowing busy day ahead with your grandchildren. Also, don't just limit yourselves to one activity―you can use a mix of several activities and bring in maximum fun for that day.
