Activities to Enjoy with Your Grandchildren

Time spent with one’s grandchildren is some of the most magical times for many older adults. They remind you to look at things with an imaginative eye and find a little adventure in everything. Even an afternoon spent together is positively precious.

When you know extended time together is coming, keep this in mind: your grandchildren will remember the fun times together more than any gift you give them. So, make a point to make memories together by trying these fun activities to enjoy with your grandchildren. These activities will not only be a joy for your grandchildren, but for you. Some are perfect for cold or rainy days, while others would be fun to do when the weather is nice.

 Make tie-dye t-shirts

Children enjoy flexing their creative muscles and maybe getting a little messy. Making tie-dye t-shirts is a great way to enjoy a craft together that will do more than sit in a drawer. All you need is a pack of white t-shirts, something to tie up the shirt like twine or rubber bands, and fabric paint.

You may want to instruct younger children how to do the craft so they don’t make a horrible mess. Slightly older children, however, can do any mix of rubber bands and colors that they’d like. Once the dying and drying process is complete, they can add any additional colors or words they like.

Go bowling

Changing up a child’s scenery for an afternoon is always a fun experience. Instead of taking your grandchildren to your local park, take them on a trip to your local bowling alley to try your hand at the sport.

Bowling can be enjoyed by just about anyone, no matter their skill level or their age. If you’re a successful bowler, you can use the opportunity to teach them a new skill. If not, that’s just as well—you can laugh together as you throw the ball down the lane. There is plenty to do, as most alleys offer arcade games and food too.

Build a birdhouse

There’s a sense of pride that comes from crafting something with your own hands. Teach your children that pride by making a birdhouse together. For the simplest birdhouse, all you need are a few pieces of wood to get started.

Making a birdhouse doesn’t have to involve any nails or hammers either. If you’re nervous about someone getting hurt, use wood glue instead. Even if you’re still nervous about your building abilities, that’s okay. Many hardware and craft stores have blank birdhouses that can be drawn or painted on to your grandchild’s content.

Prepare a scavenger hunt for them

This is a perfect activity for a spring or summer day with the grandchildren. Keep it limited to your house and yard, and give them a small list of items to find. Encourage your grandchildren to work together to find all the missing pieces, or turn it into a race.

Have a prize at the end ready once they finish the scavenger hunt so they feel proud of all their hard work. This could be something like a small toy or box of their favorite homemade cookies.

Draw each other’s portraits

This may seem slightly odd at first, but the results are precious. Provide your grandchildren with some nice paper, colored pencils, or paint, and ask them to draw a portrait of you. Do the same for them. Once the both of you have finished, you’ll be left with sweet portraits of one another that you can frame.

You could make this a yearly craft and keep every one. This way, you’ll be able to look back at this illustration as your grandchildren age and remember how they once were.

Plant something together

Gardening is a great activity for seniors and children alike. Children benefit from learning how to care for something, seniors benefit from the gentle exercise that comes with it, and both benefit from the fresh air.

Pick out a plant that you and your grandchildren can feasibly take care of together. Spend time learning about the best ways to care for it, and involve them in every step. Your grandchildren will enjoy feeling responsible for maintaining a growing thing. It’s even better if this plant produces fruits or vegetables, so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor (no pun intended).

Get help from an at-home caregiver

When you’re spending time with your grandchildren, you don’t want to have to worry about whether or not you’ll have the energy to do your laundry or cook a meal. Take the worries out of the activities of daily living and hire an at home-caregiver.

To learn about how an at-home caregiver can benefit you, call us at (773) 274-9262.