10 Fun Things For Grandparents to Do With Their Grandchildren
By Mary Bodel
We will be grandparents for the first time in May. It is a special time for us, and it has me remembering the fun times we had with my grandmother. She was a unique woman in many ways, and I would have been the poorer without her. I would also be minus a career, as she is the first teacher I had on my path to becoming a Master Herbalist.
Some of the things on this list are from this era of my life, and others are more aligned with the things we like to do and think children would enjoy. It's fun for all ages.
Bike Rides: Feeling the wind in your face as you pedal down the road is fun at any age. Once the grandkids get the knack of it, it is fun to take them to bike paths and let them try their wings. It's easier to use a bike path because you will have less concern about them being hit by a car. They are also usually flatter, so you won't have to work quite as hard.
Christmas: While the day is obviously going to be fun, I'm referring here to the entire season, starting with Advent. I remember smelling the candy my grandmother was making along with the fresh scent of the tree. I loved to sit and watch the village under it, complete with train and train tracks. Caroling is fun, and there are many other activities you can participate in. It's great to see the wonder on the faces of the kids, too.
Cooking: The two places we would most likely find Grandma in was either her nursery/garden or the kitchen. I remember how proud I felt when she finally felt I was old enough to help. Many summer days were spent in her kitchen, canning and freezing vegetables for winter. On special occasions, Grandma made her special fried apple pies, and if we were helping, we'd get one of the first ones finished...to make sure the batch would turn out right.
Fourth of July: Grandma always had a huge party on our nation's birthday. We'd make ice cream and eat hot dogs and hamburgers. In the evening, we'd sit in her back yard and watch the fireworks display. Before they became illegal, we'd do a little lighting of our own. I especially remember playing with the sparklers.
Gardening: Every woman in our family had a garden back in those days. Many of them still do, though some of us don't have the space for it. It's a joy to see the awe kids feel when the seeds they plant begin to come up. Even if you only have a window sill, it is a fun thing to do with the kids.
Hiking: If your grandkids live in the city, this is a good way to get them out into nature. Many areas have hiking trails of varying difficulty levels. In the Mid-Atlantic, they are taking up some of the tracks and have a program called Rails to Trails. In our area, the local park department has several trails set up, some of them interlinking with county, state or federal trails.
Music: Whether you're watching them perform at church or school or you're teaching them to play your favorite instrument, this is a good bonding experience for you. Grandma never missed a performance any of us were in, and she often sang lullabies to the babies of the family. Taking them to see concerts and plays are always fun, too.
Playground: Grandma taught us to use wax paper on the slide before we went down it. We always flew down after it had been used. Grandpa would help me down from the "monkey bars," and it was always enjoyable. Find out what the amenities are at the local parks and you can have free fun for years.
Read Aloud: This was one area that Grandma couldn't do. She only had two years of schooling, and reading was something she had a hard time with. My mother read to our children and they loved it. You can share so many wonders when reading, and instill a love of it into your grandchild.
Tea Party: I always loved playing this as a child, but never more than when the tea party was real and not imaginary. When we were young, it was a pot of herbal tea to avoid giving us to much caffeine, but it was a blast. Who knew a couple of cookies and a cup of tea would bring such a lasting memory?
We're looking forward to doing these and other fun things with our new grandchild. It will be a delightful experience.
See my website: http://www.alternative-herbal-remedies.com
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