Grandma, What’s There To Do?

Vacation stays at Grandma’s can often wear down quickly if you’re not prepared. I have a friend whose grands come for a week’s stay every summer and she is always prepared. This year, the visit was early and I saw the fruits of her labors, or rather her plans, modeled by her grandchildren. She bought plain T-shirts that were yellow and had the grandkids paint them with fabric paints. Across the front was lettered (I’m guessing Grandma lettered it, kids colored it in) “Grandma and Pawpaw’s Summer 2010.” The kids drew in some of the things they did or ate while staying there. Check out your local craft store for the fabric paints. They come like magic markers now.

Have you ever eaten in a restaurant where they cover the pretty white linen with white paper? It’s usually an Italian place. The waiter then proceeds to introduce himself by writing his name on the paper with crayon. If he’s really good he’ll do it upside down so that you can read it as he writes. Just for fun, cover your table with white paper or brown wrapping paper. It should be sturdy enough for little hands to push crayons on. Let them write their names and decorate their place at the table. It will keep them busy while you are preparing that mac and cheese.

Scavenger hunts are always a delight. If your grands are readers, you can make up easy sentences that are clues to things in your backyard (or in the house if it’s raining). You can sit down and watch the fun as they try to check everything on their list. If they are too young to read, you can take some digital pictures, print them on a sheet of paper, and let the little ones have a go at finding them. Prizes are always a delight. Hit your dollar store before they arrive and stock up.

Bingo has gotten a bad rap with its association with gambling but it is a lot of fun to play and helps kids identify numbers and at least five letters. You can get a Bingo game very inexpensively to play or make an original if you are really ambitious. One way is to draw a grid of five by five squares. Put the answers to simple questions in each square but be sure to mix them up on each card so that each card is different. In a basket, put the questions and draw one out at a time until someone gets Bingo. You can also alter the pattern of a Bingo by requiring an X, or four corners, or a cover-all (in which case all would win).

Those dollar store prizes can also be a good reward system. Wrap them in some tissue or paper and put them in a box or basket. Find a place up high where it can’t be reached when you’re not looking and use it for a reward when the grands have done something good. Let them choose a prize and unwrap it.

Our eighth grandbaby arrived in June. This grandma is as busy as ever and loving it. I hope you are too.