Lifestyle 7 Memory-Making Activities with Grandkids 12/12/2023 | By Donna Brody Having grandchildren over to visit can be exhilarating and a little intimidating! Ensuring fun times and great new memories for all, especially when grandkids range in age, can be Experienced grandma Donna Brody shares seven activities with grandkids from her repertoire. When I was a child, I had 30 first cousins on my mother’s side of the family. We lived close to each other, and when we were together for holidays or family parties, we would usually pair off with those closest to us in age and ignore the older and younger kids. There are only seven grandchildren in my immediate family, living in three different states. On the rare instances when we can spend holiday or vacation time in our home, I try to think of activities to engage all of them at the same time. With an age span of almost seven years, this can be a bit challenging. Thanksgiving a year ago was a perfect example. We had almost four whole days to spend together, so I wanted the kids’ input on things to do with their cousins and aunts and uncles. They surprised me with a great list a few weeks before they arrived, which gave me time to shop for supplies and make preparations. The list included a piñata, a talent show, a gingerbread house competition, and a Lego-building contest for starters. We added on a family basketball game Thanksgiving morning and an afternoon at the local bowling alley the next day. In between was lots of time to play soccer and freeze tag in the backyard, enjoy board games, watch favorite movies, and even decorate our Christmas tree before they all left for home. This year, only four of the seven came with their parents to celebrate Thanksgiving, but I was surprised and happy to find they wanted to continue the “traditions” from the prior year and enjoy some of the same activities. We changed it up and substituted a short Thanksgiving play for the talent show, and we skipped the piñata. Instead of bowling, Grandpa and I took a break while the rest visited a trampoline park. Lego-building, basketball, tag, board games, movies, and Christmas decorating were repeated this year. In the end, spending quality time together as a family is more important than the actual experiences. If you are planning to host all or some of your grandchildren for a holiday, winter or spring break, or summer vacation, here are some ideas you might consider. Memory-building activities with grandkids 1. Plays and performances Kids are not usually shy around their own families, so they enjoy a chance to show off a little through song, dance, and dramatic performances. Our family talent show last year included several dances, a keyboard performance, magic tricks, and a comedy routine. This year, I downloaded a short Thanksgiving play from the internet (there are lots of teachers out there posting these things), and we made Pilgrim hats and other costumes, including a hat for the turkey. The photos and videos from both years’ performances are priceless. 2. Arts and crafts Although my turkey piñata last year ended up looking more like an owl, the kids were still thrilled with the result. In the future, I plan to let them create their own piñatas. Pre-cut gingerbread houses are available that can be glued together with icing. The kits include lots of edible decorations, but you can always add your own. Similar kits are available for other holidays. For this activity, I paired an older cousin with a younger one for better results. Our family is competitive, so three adults were chosen to be anonymous judges, and none of the kids complained about the results. 3. Games After an active day, board games are a nice way to wind down before bedtime. With a little help, all ages can play favorite games like Yahtzee or Left, Right, Center. Charades and a game called Beat the Parents are also popular in our house. 6 Funny Games for Family Game Night 4. Sports Kids and grownups can all participate in sports like soccer, basketball, and tag, even fit older adults. Mix up the teams with different ages. Bowling is another great family activity since three-and four-year olds can take part as well as healthy senior grandparents. Mini golf is also popular with my family since we live in a resort area where the courses are open year round. 5. Legos Who doesn’t love Legos? All the kids and adults in our family enjoy the familiar colorful building sets. We have tons of Legos on hand at Grandma and Grandpa’s, but Legos are easy to pick up at thrift stores, too. We set up competitions, sometimes using a theme (build a spaceship) or create something in only one color. Possibilities are endless. 6. Movies If we are too tired for games or more active pursuits, it’s time to choose a movie the whole family can enjoy. Try to mix in old classics that grandparents enjoyed as children. 7. Kids in the kitchen On a final note, if your grandkids like to cook, by all means let them help with the meal prep. You might be surprised at how competent they are in the kitchen. Engage with Grandkids in the Kitchen More kid-friendly ideas from Seniors Guide As an Amazon Associate, Seniors Guide earns from qualifying purchases of linked products. Read More Donna Brody Donna Brody is a former community college English instructor who retired to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She enjoys freelance writing and has self published three romance novels. Besides writing and traveling with her husband, she keeps busy visiting her seven grandchildren.