12 Ways to Have Fun and Make Memories with the Grandkids!

Not long ago I dated a guy who had two grandkids. I enjoyed spending time with them. It made me realize that I am ready to have grandkids of my own!

The guy I was dating had a few things for the kids to do at his place, but not much. The grandkids didn’t come over often, but it would have been nice if they’d had more to do when they were there. Things we could do with them. Unfortunately, he wasn't too interested in interacting with them. I played with them and enjoyed it.

It is a good idea to have things on hand that you can do with them. Things that will work off some of their energy and get their creativity flowing. Things that you can do at home, especially if they visit often or for several days or longer. These activities are also a time to have good conversations with them.

The experience with my boyfriend's grandkids reminded me that kids don’t need fancy and expensive things to have fun. What is important is the time we spend with them. Being in the moment and meeting them where they're at.

Kids will remember the time we spend with them more than the things we buy them. The memories will last a lifetime!

I compiled a list of some activities that can be enjoyed by you and the grandkids. These are things I used to do with my daughter when she was young and we always had fun and made great memories. You will be engaged and the kids will be away from the iPads and TV (except for movie night). Best of all, you will be making memories!

12 Ways to Have Fun and Make Memories with the Grandkids

1. Movie Day/Night. Snuggle up on the sofa with some popcorn. Or, make a bed on the floor for the kids. The kids can take turns picking the movie.

2. Indoor Camping. Move the coffee table and make a bed on the floor. Get the flashlights out and turn the electronics off. Spend time playing games and telling camp stories. You can have someone start a story, then everyone takes turns adding to it. You can serve hot dogs and other “camping food.”

3. Visit the Library. Check to see if your library has age appropriate planned activities. Let them check out a book or two. They can read individually or you can read the books together over the course of their visit.

4. Crafts. You can get great ideas for age-appropriate crafts on Pinterest, or let them get creative and make what they want. You can have supplies on hand. This can include color books, crayons, construction paper, scissors, stickers, paint/finger paint, etc. Include some glitter, if you dare. You can buy aprons and fabric paint at the craft store. They can decorate their aprons and use them for future craft time or cooking.

5. Outdoor Games. Croquet and cornhole are always fun! There are also timeless games like kickball, hide-and-seek, jump rope, hula hoop, hopscotch, etc. Don’t forget sidewalk chalk and bubbles! The kids will burn off some energy and you’ll all enjoy being outside together.

6. Take a Walk. This is another outdoor activity everyone can enjoy. It will be fun to see what the kids notice! If they brought their skates, scooters or skateboards, you can walk along with them.

7. Visit the Neighborhood Park. Be sure to take plenty of water. You can also have a picnic!

8. Games and Puzzles. Board games, card games and puzzles never go out of style.

9. Cook a Meal. Find some kid friendly recipes and let them pick something to help cook. You can even take them to the grocery store and let them help shop for the ingredients. This can also teach the kids some money saving skills!

10. Cupcake or Cookie Decorating Party. Bake cupcakes or cookies. You can let the kids help with the baking, if you want to. Have different colored frosting, sprinkles, and whatever else you think they will like. This can be fun for holiday themed treats!

11. Make Your Own Sundae Party. Let the kids have fun making their own sundaes! You can scoop the ice cream if you want. Have two or more flavors of ice cream and toppings for them to choose from. Things such as caramel, hot fudge, strawberry sauce, nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, and cherries for the topping. Add anything else you can think of.

12. Trip to the Dollar Store. I think it is now the $1.25 store, but this is still fun for the kids. Give them however much money you want ($5 or $10 goes a long way there!) and let them buy whatever they want. They’ll have fun shopping and it won’t cost you much.

Spending time with the grandkids should be fun for everyone! Having things to do with them keeps them off the electronics and allows for real quality time. The grandkids will be talking about how much fun they had for a long time!

Share some fun activities you enjoy with your grandkids!

Until next time,

Melanie