Colourful business ideas for the grandkids

Are you looking for ways to bond with your grandkids? Maybe you want to bring a little excitement to your weekly babysitting duties, or would like to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon teaching your little ones about money management?

Whatever your intentions, you’re bound to love these colourful, kid-approved business ideas that can last for one weekend or grow into a thriving small business.

Lemonade stand

What could be more classic than a good old-fashioned lemonade stand to teach your little ones about the art of money management? Keep an eye out for lemons on sale at the supermarket or ask around if any of your friends of neighbours have an overloaded tree. Making the sign is all part of the fun and is a great excuse to enjoy an afternoon of arts and crafts. Be sure to buy paper cups to give your lemonade stand an eco-friendly spin. Not keen on lemonade? Why not try a bake sale?

Dog walking

If your grandkids are animal lovers a dog walking business could be a great way to help them learn about business models, banking and time management. This is a better option for tweens as they’re able to handle larger dogs and are also responsible enough to secure gates and lock front doors after exercising pups. Get the business off to a good start by printing off a few A4 posters and pinning them up at the supermarket, spreading the word to your friends and doing a door-to-door flyer drop.

Jumble sale

Quick and easy, a jumble sale can be set up right outside the house and keeps supervision to a minimum. Ask your budding entrepreneurs to comb their bedrooms for anything they’d like to sell (with approval from the parents of course) and put together a miniature store. From a grandparent’s perspective, a jumble sale is a also great excuse to indulge in a little Marie Kondo-inspired spring cleaning.

Errand running

Who doesn’t need an errand run every now and then? Whether it’s picking up a pint of milk from the supermarket, doing a bit or weeding in the garden or dusting the house, setting up an errand business is a cute and clever way to help your grandkids earn a little extra pocket money. Keep things simple by helping your child to create a ‘menu’ listing what errands are available and corresponding prices.

Fun tips:

• Instead of pocketing the cash why not encourage your grandkids to choose a charity they love and donate funds to a good cause?
• Get tech savvy and advertise your services on websites like Gumtree. Of course, be sure to read up on online safety and make sure you supervise any initial meetings
• While it’s great to get creative, often it’s the classic ideas that work the best. Think car washes, face painting, street busking, bake sales and other tried and tested business ideas