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Keeping the grandkids happy and occupied can sometimes tax even the most creative mind. Here are a number of activities you might like to think about. They're easy to do and cheap to fund and should keep them happy for hours. If you have any ideas we can pass on to other grandparents use our CONTACT US form to share it with us and we'll share it with our readers. |
Play Pretend Store
Setting up a room to resemble a supermarket and having your grandchildren “shop” for items is easy and a great way to teach them a variety of lessons – from shapes and colors and sizes, to various food groups and healthy food choices, to addition and subtraction and the value of money.
TIP: To make it even more fun, create “coupons” that allow the children two-for-one deals, or other discounts.
TIP: To make it even more fun, create “coupons” that allow the children two-for-one deals, or other discounts.
KINDER PLANTERS
Kids love to get their hands dirty and love to see things grow. Help them make their own take-home gardens. All you need is some potting mix with compost, an icecream container (1 litre or larger), some gravel and some cheap seedlings.
Start by punching holes in the bottom of the icecream container. Place a layer of gravel at the bottom and then a layer of potting mix to within 2 cms of the top of the container. Take 4 seedlings and plant them in the potting mix. Water the seedlings and let the excess drain from the bottom of the icecream container.
Tell the children to take the container home, put it into a sunny spot that’s not too hot and give it a little water every two days or so. They’ll be delighted to watch their plants grow, especially if they are flower seedlings and they can enjoy the plants blooming.
Start by punching holes in the bottom of the icecream container. Place a layer of gravel at the bottom and then a layer of potting mix to within 2 cms of the top of the container. Take 4 seedlings and plant them in the potting mix. Water the seedlings and let the excess drain from the bottom of the icecream container.
Tell the children to take the container home, put it into a sunny spot that’s not too hot and give it a little water every two days or so. They’ll be delighted to watch their plants grow, especially if they are flower seedlings and they can enjoy the plants blooming.
MAKE NOISE MAKERS OUT OF PAPER PLATES
Take two paper plates and decorate them with streamers or anything else that’s fairly light in weight. Put one paper plate on the table, right side up. Place the other plate on top, right side down. Begin taping or stapling the edges together, leaving a small opening on the top to fill with dried beans, uncooked rice, or popcorn kernels. Finish stapling or taping and make some noise! Why not put some bright music on and teach your grandchildren how to beat time to the music. They can even improve their co-ordination by dancing and keeping the beat at the same time.
CREATE YOUR OWN QUIZ SHOW
It’s a great way to keep your grandchild sharp, especially during summer months, and not a bad way for you to refresh those multiplication tables. For competitive types, give points for each right answer (but don’t forget to gear down for the little ones).
CREATE A STORY THAT KEEPS GOING
Have one person start out. “One day, I was walking down the street.” Then the next person must add to the story. “And I saw a beautiful orange car.” And then the next person says, “And a lovely lady was driving it.” And the next adds, “She had a most remarkable lion, waving from the back seat.” And so on, and so on, and so on. If you’re a long-distance grandparent, you can do this by e-mail.
