Looking for ways to spend more time with your grandchildren this winter? Here are some great ideas for turning cold, snowy days (and nights) into an indoor winter fun-land!
Share a collection
Do you have a treasured collection of coins, figurines, dolls, or any other object? Rather than keeping them just for display, why not share your collection? Children love exploring objects, and this is the perfect time to tell them the stories behind your treasures. You can also ask them to bring their own special mementos or collections to share with you.
Hold a talent show
Ask everyone at your next family gathering—from youngest to oldest—to share a special talent with the group. This could be reading a poem, singing a song, telling a story, showing a drawing, presenting a puppet show or showing off a favourite pet. Get someone to film it for a fun, lasting memory.
Be the cool techie grandparent
Rather than trying to get your grandchildren off their phones, why not have a discussion about all of the different free educational apps* there are out there? Try some of them out together.
Teach them an old-timey game
Many children aren’t familiar with traditional games such as Scrabble, checkers, Rummoli, cribbage, or other pastimes familiar to our generation. A deck of cards is also an opportunity to teach kids everything from Go Fish to Hearts.
Interview each other
Pretend that you don’t know each other and ask your grandchild to come up with a few questions to ask* you such as, “When you were the same age as me, what kind of things did you like to do at school?” You can reciprocate with questions like, “Tell me about your best friend, and why you are such good friends?” Pretend that you’re on a TV or radio talk show and record your interview for a priceless memory.
Build a masking tape toy car track
If you have younger grandchildren, this activity is really fun. All you need are a couple of rolls of masking or painter’s tape and some toy cars. Make roads with the tape* on the floor and carpet, even going over the couch or chairs. Then race your cars around the track.
Bonus outdoor activity—paint snow pictures
Take the children outside with spray bottles filled with liquid food colouring and water and create your own snow pictures. Learn more here.
*The following sources provide references for this blog, in order of appearance:
- Parents. "Best educational apps for kids"(2022), Online: https://www.parents.com/fun/entertainment/gadgets/best-educational-apps-for-kids/" target="_blank
- Parent Map. "A Genius Way for Grandparents and Kids to Connect"(2020), Online: https://www.parentmap.com/article/genius-way-grandparents-and-kids-connect
- kids activities.com. "ids Can Build a Toy Car Track with Masking Tape"(2022), Online: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/17823/build-a-track/