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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.
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PAINT AN OUTDOOR (OR INDOOR) MURAL
Bring out your child's inner artiste on a huge outdoor canvas that gives them creative freedom to roam. It's a fun project that keeps the kids busy and gives you time to sit back and watch. These creative outdoor painting ideas will have your kids soaking up the fun while creating a masterpiece.
This outdoor painting project easily adapts to your needs. For one child, you can make the canvas shorter. For more than one child, make the canvas longer. It's ideal for play dates because moms can sit and chat close by while the kids paint together to create a work of art.
Before you get started: This project is perfect for kids two and up. Setup requires cutting with scissors, taping or pinning the banner in place and pouring the paints. Once an adult gets everything ready, children can proceed on their own.
The best part about the supplies list is that once you buy these products, you'll have plenty of supplies left for future projects. The kids will want to create new paintings over and over again, and you won't have to continue spending more money on the supplies.
Required Supplies:
This outdoor painting project easily adapts to your needs. For one child, you can make the canvas shorter. For more than one child, make the canvas longer. It's ideal for play dates because moms can sit and chat close by while the kids paint together to create a work of art.
Before you get started: This project is perfect for kids two and up. Setup requires cutting with scissors, taping or pinning the banner in place and pouring the paints. Once an adult gets everything ready, children can proceed on their own.
The best part about the supplies list is that once you buy these products, you'll have plenty of supplies left for future projects. The kids will want to create new paintings over and over again, and you won't have to continue spending more money on the supplies.
Required Supplies:
- 24" wide banner paper (25 yards long)
- Tempera paint in a range of colors
- Paintbrushes and foam brushes in assorted sizes
- Scissors
- Bowls for paint
- Packing tape or pins
- Cup of water
- Washable tempera paint comes off of clothes and skin easily.
- Old clothes are recommended to be safe.
- Substitute the bowls for old baby bottles.
indoor hopscotch
Can't play outside today? Try a game of indoor hopscotch. In just a few minutes, the kids can be hopping on the floor instead of bouncing off the walls. All you need to create your hopscotch board is some creativity. Some ideas for your own hopscotch board include:
Use the tape to lay out your hopscotch design on the floor. Another advantage of using painter's tape or masking tape is that you can tear the tape instead of having to use scissors.
Think outside the box for your hopscotch design.
- Cardboard box pieces on a rug to prevent skidding. Decorate with markers or crayons.
- Interlocking play mat pieces with pre-printed numbers.
- Painter's tape or masking tape to mark off your board.
Use the tape to lay out your hopscotch design on the floor. Another advantage of using painter's tape or masking tape is that you can tear the tape instead of having to use scissors.
Think outside the box for your hopscotch design.
CREATE A PICTURE STORY
Grab whatever magazines you're finished with and get your grandchildren to cut out pictures they like. When they're all assembled get them to pick a number of pictures that might suggest a story. They can draw on the pictures if they like to make them more specific to whatever storyline they devise.
When the story is complete get them to stick the pictures on pages and write the story underneath. If they're not yet at writing stage, you can do this for them.
They can change the pictures if the story takes a sudden turn and add or create more. It's all dependent on their imagination.
Get them to design a cover and then collect all the pages together in a bulldog clip. This enables them to change or add to the story if they have more ideas, or if they suddenly think of something when you're reading the story together. You'll find they might come back to this project a number of times as they think of new endings or new additions to the story. They might even start to think in terms of chapters. The sky's the limit.
When the story is complete get them to stick the pictures on pages and write the story underneath. If they're not yet at writing stage, you can do this for them.
They can change the pictures if the story takes a sudden turn and add or create more. It's all dependent on their imagination.
Get them to design a cover and then collect all the pages together in a bulldog clip. This enables them to change or add to the story if they have more ideas, or if they suddenly think of something when you're reading the story together. You'll find they might come back to this project a number of times as they think of new endings or new additions to the story. They might even start to think in terms of chapters. The sky's the limit.
