Spending time with your grandchildren can strengthen the special bond you have with them. But sometimes it may be difficult to come up with engaging activities to do together that appeal to both younger and older children.
If you are visiting your grandchildren soon, think outside the box with these generation-bridging outings and activities to enjoy next time you’re together.
Here are 5 fun activities that are perfect for making memories with your grandchildren:
1. Plant a garden together
What better way to enjoy the great outdoors than by planting a garden together? Depending on the time of year, you can plant an indoor garden or an outdoor garden.
There are plenty of exciting ways your grandchildren can contribute to your garden – going to the store to choose seeds, the satisfaction of watching your garden grow, adding different plants, and overall caring for the garden can create budding gardeners out of your grandchildren.
If you plant a vegetable garden, your junior gardeners may even be inspired to try the fruits of their labor by eating vegetables you’ve grown. Radishes, beans, and carrots are some vegetables to include in your garden that grow fast.
Backyard biodiversity can be exciting and educational. Encourage your grandchildren to use a pair of binoculars to scope out bird species and create a joint journal about the different types of birds that you spot together. If you don’t have backyard greenspace available, check out your local community garden and encourage similar activities.
As a bonus project, build a birdfeeder with your grandchildren to attract even more birds to your backyard.
2. Share old family albums and home movies
Blowing the dust off some old family albums and home movies can be a fun way to teach your family history to your grandchildren. Flip through these albums, watch the movies together, and share funny stories from your past that can bring you and your grandchildren closer.
What lessons did you learn in your life? How did you learn them? A grandparent’s wisdom is invaluable, share it with your grandchildren.
As a bonus project, enlist your grandchildren to help you build a family tree. Ask them to help you collect information about relatives. Use tools like Ancestry or My Heritage to discover relatives you didn’t know you had a connection with and continue to build on your knowledge of your family history.
3. Teach a hobby
You probably have a hobby, interest, or talent that you could teach your grandchildren. Why not spend time sharing your skill – they’ll love learning something from grandma or grandpa.
For instance, if you’re a guitar player, show your grandchildren how to play a few chords. If you like to knit, teach them how to knit a scarf or blanket.
Experimenting in the kitchen can be exciting; teach your grandchildren your signature dish. Give them a step-by-step tutorial on how to make it – and maybe even reveal your secret ingredient!
4. Visit a local farm
Local farms are full of family fun! Browse online to find farms in your area that you can visit with your grandchildren. These visits can be a great change of scenery from the big city and provide plenty of fresh air.
Visiting a farm can provide many learning opportunities. Your grandchildren can learn how the food on their plate is grown and harvested. Farmers can teach them how a farm is operated and how livestock are cared for.
A day at the farm can extend to even more fun at home. After picking farm-fresh produce like strawberries, apples, or berries, enlist your grandchildren to help turn your bounty into a pie, or other baked treats.
Local farms are also expanding many of their activities, creating enticing opportunities to visit year-round. Some have snowshoeing, pony rides, wagon rides, mini golf, outdoor petting zoos, and more! Going to a farm can be a whole day outing that your grandchildren will love.
5. Have a picnic
As the warm weather approaches, consider having a picnic with your grandchildren. This doesn’t have to be a regular picnic; there are plenty of ways to make it unique and special. Here are some fun picnics ideas to organize with your grandchildren:
Themed picnics: Explore fun themes for a picnic, whether it’s a Hawaiian luau theme, Mexican fiesta theme, sports theme – use your imagination to come up with more ideas.
Provincial park picnic: Choose a provincial park to enjoy a picnic while taking in the beautiful sights of nature.
Favourite food picnic: Have your grandchildren choose all of their favourite foods, letting them curate the picnic menu!
Celebrate an occasion picnic: If you have a birthday, graduation or other special occasion coming up, then consider having a picnic to celebrate. Bring balloons and games to add to the festivities.
Tourist picnic: Be a tourist in your city by choosing a different neighbourhood or park to have a picnic in every week. Perhaps you’ll discover a new favourite destination for family outings!
Picnic at a farm: bring a blanket to a local farm and lay it on the grass to have a picnic. Grab some food from a food truck or purchase fresh treats at the farm.
If you want to spend more quality time with your grandchildren, consider these outings and activities. Your family will be able to look back on these memories for years to come.
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