Grandchildren are great, right? And the best thing about them? You can give them back! But – and here’s the tricky bit – what do you do with them in the meantime?
Here are some ideas:
1: Get messy with science
Keep baking soda and white vinegar on hand, plus tape, cardboard, straws, balloons and other stuff. Google some ideas like these to make amazing things. Preen yourself while you’re cleaning up – you’ve been educational and entertaining!
2: Get muddy in the garden
What kid doesn’t like dirt? Have seeds, trowel and watering can handy, and make a place in your garden for the kids to plant. Pick seeds that germinate fast, like radishes, so they can see them sprouting on the next visit. Be prepared to pretend-eat the toddler’s mud pies.
3: Get creepy with crawlies
Go bug hunting. Grab a white ice cream container (insects are more visible against white) and put it outside under a bush. Give the bush a good rattle and see what falls out. Make sure the kids don’t bring bugs inside – once they’ve been thoroughly inspected (and maybe Googled to identify them) they can be released into the wild where they belong.
4: Art for art’s sake
Wet outside? Art makes a great indoor activity. You’ll need coloured pencils or felt tips and scrap paper. If you don’t mind the mess, try watercolours or even watercolour pencils. With large sheets of paper, the kids can all work on the same project, with you as referee, of course.
5: Chalk it up to experience
If you have concrete around your home, get a set of chunky, washable, coloured chalks. Expect the art to stray onto fences and walls too, and when they’ve run out of chalking room, hand the kids a bucket of water and some paintbrushes so they can have fun painting the place clean.
6: Get crafty
Scrapbooks, pasta creations, felt finger puppets – there are lots of crafty things to do with your grandkids. The best thing is, they can make things to take home. You might get a gift made for you, too.
7: Read, read, read
There’s nothing better for kids than to listen to a story, or even help read it. Keep a few favourites on hand for when the kids run out of things to do when it’s raining or just whenever. Reading is educational, entertaining and relaxing. Audiobooks are also a great way of keeping them entertained, while you finish off some chores.
8: Get electronic
A little bit of digital time in moderation won’t do kids any harm – especially if you’re right there with them! Check out the games they’re into, let them show you funny videos they’ve found on YouTube or watch an episode of their favourite show together.
Entertainment makes the best bonding
When you make the effort to entertain your grandchildren, they remember and love you for it. Go bug hunting, get out the art and craft supplies, read a book, plant the garden, do some science experiments or get out the devices – they’ll have fun, you’ll have fun and you’ll probably all learn something!