Creative Activities with Grandchildren
Take pictures whenever you do activities together, then make a small album for the grandchildren involved which you can present later at a special time. Provide a nice container in which they can keep all the albums over the years. This is a great heritage builder in the family.
Make videos of your times with grandchildren, then from time-to-time, copy them onto a video cassette or a DVD and present them to your grandchildren.
Purchase separate clocks for each time zone where your grandchildren live and set them accordingly to help you be more aware of their day. Then do the same for your grandchildren and have them set the clock with your time.
Make or purchase a special calendar into which you write all birthdays and special events that relate to your grandchildren, and put their pictures on it. Make up a similar calendar for each grandchild and put on it your important calendar dates for the year as well as your picture. As you have new events, trips, and special occasions, send the grandchildren that information and ask them to add it to their calendar. This keeps you in each others minds when you cannot be together.
Host a Grandma Camp or Grandpa Camp or Grand Camp: Put up a tent in the back yard, or even in the house. Plan ''camping'' activities to do that evening and the next morning. Do it with all the cousins or just one family at a time. Take videos and pictures and use as mentioned above.
Develop a grand-family website ... post pictures, videos, calendars, use it for a family blog, etc.
Take vacations together from time to time with your children and grandchildren. Or just take your grandchildren with you on your vacation ... one at a time or all together, depending on finances, available time, etc.
Look for an Elder Hostel where they hold joint activities for grandparents and grandchildren.
Go Christmas caroling and give out baskets of food or cookies that you have made together for the occasion.
Develop a tradition of an annual event you do with your grandchildren ... a special event around a certain holiday which they look forward to each year, or perhaps a summertime outing.
Host a tea party for granddaughters where you get all dressed up ... maybe even invite some of their friends to join you.
Write and act out plays together. These can be crazy, creative, serious, funny - with a moral or just plain entertainment. With a little thought, you can use these plays to teach important values, as well as how to work together on a project.
Take a trip to the zoo. Use it to spend time together, have lots of fun, and maybe to teach respect for animals, nature, creation.
Host special days just for granddaughters or just for grandsons. Different days with both grandparents involved, or the same day with Grandpa taking the boys and Grandma taking the girls.
Do an art project, maybe making life-size drawings of each of you ... or a project using different media (paint, pencil, clay, sculpture, paper mache, ice, wire cleaners, cloth material, foam core, poster board, plants, flowers, rocks, wood, etc.) Have a plan for where to use it afterwards and take some time when you've finished to debrief about the project and what it means.
Make cookies (or any kind of food) and give it to someone special or in need.
If you travel for pleasure or for work, look for ways to take a grandchild with you. Be creative in how you include them in the purpose of the trip. As you expose them to your life and world, it will build esteem for you and your values, awareness of you beyond the family setting, and give them expanded ideas of life's opportunities and challenges.
Take a train trip with your grandchildren. You can have time together as you travel - you don't need to drive and you don't need to stay seat-belted as when flying. There's lots to see, lots of picture and video opportunities, lots of time to talk, read and rest together.
Take your grandchildren on a Heritage Trip. Visit your roots, your homes, your schools, your past, where their parents grew up, things they did. This goes a long way towards building strength into your family traditions and values.
Read books together. Pick them for their contribution to values, to expanded thinking, to seeing parts of life and this world they might not otherwise see.
For those up to it, Backpack Trips provide wonderful opportunities for dialogue, for overcoming obstacles together, for seeing creation, and for powerful bonding with grandchildren.
If backpacking is a bit of a stretch, try a backyard sleepover. Getting outdoors, even in your own yard, opens up new areas of conversation and brings back your memories that can be enjoyable and instructive to grandchildren.
Plant a garden together. Seeing things grow that they have planted provides a wonderful avenue of expression for a child. It opens doors for new types of conversations as well.
If you believe in and practice prayer, make a Prayer Journal. After keeping it for a period of time, present it to one of your grandchildren at an appropriate occasion. Then start another one for the next grandchild.
Learn to use Teachable Moments in everyday life to train grandchildren in good behavior and values. You can use objects at home like a light switch, a Band-Aid, a ruler, a map, a cooking utensil, a tool, and almost anything, to make a spiritual application or illustrate a life value you want them to have. Take some time to brainstorm on this idea so you have some teaching ideas in mind ahead of time.
Memorize scripture together with grandkids on road trips, on a train trip, when you camp out, or just have some extended time together.
Develop the skill of asking significant questions of your grandchildren. These are good conversation starters which can lead to valuable teaching: What did God mean when? How do you think that was formed? Why do you suppose that happened? What did you mean by what you just said? How did that make you feel? What do you think they were thinking when they said that? Who do you look up to? Who makes you feel good and why? Who makes you feel bad and why? What do you not want to be when you grow up?
If you journal, keep a record of how God has worked in your life and make a time line of spiritual events and significant events in your life, then give copies to your grandchildren at an appropriate occasion.
Pray a prayer of thanksgiving before meals. This gives God thanks for his provision and demonstrates a lifestyle of thankfulness for your grandchildren.
Tell stories of your life. Learn to tell them well. Practice a little if necessary. If we tell stories well, our grandkids will say ''tell me again about the time ... '', and through the telling you will build a strong family heritage as well as pass along important values or lessons you have learned. Some hints on story telling:
''I remember when ... ''
Think about a story you want your grandkids to know - funny, spiritual, award won ...
What details should I include in my story?
Put details in your story so grandchild can experience what you lived.
What senses should I describe in my story?
What can you add to your story that shows these senses: taste, see, smell, touch, and hear?
What emotions can I share in my story?
Practice making your story come alive. Become a great story teller - we all have stories to tell
Plan a ''movie night'' with your grandchildren. Watch the movie together, make sure it's not too late in the evening, then dialogue afterwards for the hidden messages you discovered. (You might want to watch the movie ahead of time so you are somewhat prepared to discuss what is being said.)
Play video games with your grandchildren. Even though you are terrible at them, it gives you a shared experience in their world. You can all laugh at how terrible you did, and they will love it.
Write a book together. Make your grandchildren the characters. Brainstorm with them about the plot, the overall message, possible scenes, then start writing. This can take place over a period of time, not just in one visit. Have them design and create a cover and artwork, according to each one's strengths. Hold a ''reading'' of the new creation with the extended family, and facilitate a discussion about what people learned.
Make puppets together, then write and perform a puppet sketch. Puppets can be any character you dream up, or they can be various members of the family, with appropriate mannerisms and sayings.
Build a bird house together, put it up, and enjoy the birds it attracts. Name them. Make up stories about them.
Paint your toe nails together!
Establish the tradition of sharing verbal gifts on birthdays, not just material gifts. Each person shares something they value in the birthday person ... a quality, something they did, new steps of development or maturation, etc.
Develop the tradition that at a certain age each grandchild gets to do something special with you. The younger grandchildren will know their time is coming.
Have a water fight, a scavenger hunt, build sand castles, do outdoor relay games ... things that fit their age and world, and where you can enter in and not care how well you do or how good you look. Take pictures and videos so you can laugh at each other for years to come.
Take some time to figure out how your grandchild is wired. Is he/she analytical, creative, musical, organized, etc, and treat them accordingly. Plan activities accordingly. Ask questions accordingly.
Pay attention to your grandchild's birth order and observe and communicate in ways which are appropriate for that child.
Discover your grandchild's love language. How do they express love to you? What do they ask for? Give them a choice between two different things representing two different love languages. This can help you discover their preferred language. Observing what they complain about can also give you clues. (The way they try to express love to you is probably their love language.)
Laugh at yourself! Grandchildren love it and intuitively know it is a sign of good emotional health.
