There is perhaps nothing better than experiencing the holiday season than through the eyes of a child, full of wonderment and joy. The holiday is the optimal time of year to spend time with grandchildren. When together, it’s fun to engage in activities to maximize fun and keep those little hands busy. Plus, having fun things to do together provides grandparents with the valuable opportunity to bond with grandchildren and vice versa. Here are ten awe-inspiring ideas for fun grandparent/grandchildren activities:
- Make no-bake treats together. Let’s face it, it can be a little nerve-wracking to have small fidgety children in the kitchen near blenders, knives, and hot ovens. Instead, take the stress away by searching for fun no-bake treats that are easy to make. www.delish.com shares recipes you’ll love, including some no-bake holiday desserts that include peppermint bark, icebox cake, mint chocolate chip pie, and more. Older grands will enjoy baking holiday brownies, making stained glass cookies, and Santa hat cheesecake bites. Yum!
- Create a holiday obstacle course outside. Kids love to play outside. If weather permits, create an outdoor obstacle course where kids can safely play and get their energy out. Have them run around traffic cones wrapped in wrapping paper, step through red and green hula hoops, crawl under picnic benches with flashing battery-operated lights secured on top, hop over small gift-wrapped little boxes, throw holiday-themed beanbags into baskets, roll down a hill, run to ring a holiday bell, and more. Be sure to end the game with plenty of cheer and perhaps a warm cup of cocoa. Visit www.marthastewart.com for birthday obstacle course ideas and more.
- Create homemade holiday ornaments. To make vellum decoupaged holiday ornaments, you’ll require a few special materials such as Mod Podge (special glue, sealer, finisher), a glass ball ornament, vellum paper strips (translucent paper with a slightly waxy finish and marble-like construction), scissors, and a sponge paintbrush. Follow directions for applying the Mod Podge to the ornament and cover with vellum paper strips. A topcoat of Mod Podge may be required to get a desired finish. Once it dries, kids will be delighted to gift or hang their homemade ornaments on the tree. Because this product involves working with formulas and glass, young children do require supervision. For more creative holiday crafting ideas, visit www.goodhousekeeping.com.
- Deliver gift donations to a local animal shelter. Gather new (or gently used) items from family and friends to donate to dogs and cats in need who are awaiting adoption. Check with your local shelter but appreciated gifts tend to be unopened pet food or treats, raised cot beds, cleaning supplies, sturdy new toys, gentle leads, leashes, collars, harnesses, sheets, blankets, towels, metal crates and carriers, and more. To make a one-time and tax-deductible holiday donation to a shelter, or to learn more ways to give for the benefit of homeless animals, visit www.aspca.org.
- Crank up the holiday tunes and string some popcorn to create homemade strands for the tree. Get the grandchildren involved in this time-honored tradition. Popcorn strands have been used as winter decorations in America as early as 1842, beginning with a Christmas tree in Williamsburg, Virginia. To make your own garland, string day-old popped popcorn through dental floss or a fishing line using a tapestry needle. Leave enough string on the end to make a knot to hang the strand on the tree. For extra wow – consider alternating some popcorn with fresh cranberries. However, when using fresh berries be sure to spray the garland with shellac to preserve it. Since it is a biodegradable food product, unless specially protected, the garland should be discarded after seasonal use. For more great holiday decorating, cooking, and baking ideas, www.pioneerwoman.com
The choices are endless for fun things to do around the holiday season. Other ideas include reading holiday-themed stories together, watching favorite holiday movies, creating a star of David with popsicle sticks, making dreidel spin art, going to see Christmas lights in and around town, visiting Santa, taking in a holiday show, making fudge, creating a dance video to seasonal music, building gingerbread houses, making a snowman, Christmas caroling, and more. The most important thing is to have fun making joyful memories to last a lifetime.
Sources:
Control the Mess
Wikipedia (description of Vellum)
Suggested links above for similar craft ideas
