Category — Activities

Let your grandchildren create a pet rock by decorating a rock using markers, yarn, sequins, felt, and anything else you think might be interesting. It can be spooky, silly, glamorous, or alien. They can also make a house for their pet rock using a shoe box. Print out the “All About My Pet Rock” booklet so they can fill in all the information about their pet rock. Have them read the booklet to you to practice their reading skills. This is a great way to let them use their imagination. Hint: When you print the “All About My Pet Rock” booklet, print one page then put it back into the printer the correct direction to print the second page on the back. Then it will be in booklet form.
DOWNLOAD BOOKLET

Decorations: Use balloons with swirling, bubble like colors.
Food: Bake a cake in a round mold or a metal mixing bowl. Frost it smoothly with white frosting. Save 3 or 4 tablespoons of frosting to color then swirl the different colors of frosting through the white frosting on the cake, the way colors swirl through a bubble.
Serve punch with round ice cubes floating in it.
Make sandwiches of bread cut in circles.
Activities: Give each guest a large plate covered with bubble mix and a straw. Let them practice blowing bubbles then have a bubble contest.
Give prizes for:
The biggest bubble
The highest pile of bubbles
The pretties bubble
The longest lasting bubble
Blowing a bubble inside a bubble
Favors: Bubble gum, jars of bubbles, candy that looks like bubbles, or balloons.

I found this idea in the book Science Wizardry for Kids by Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams

Materials: Sandwich bag, a piece of paper the size of the sandwich bag, a variety of items you might normally throw away or recycle (magazines, colored paper scraps, wrapping paper, ribbon, yarn, sequins, etc.).
Directions:
1. Create a picture with recyclable items and glue on one side of the paper.
2. Write a short story or poem on the opposite side of the picture. If your grandchild isn’t writing yet have them tell you what to write and they can sign their name.
3. Slide the paper in the sandwich bag. The items from the picture won’t get lost and your grandchild with have the picture and the story they created together.

Variation: You can use a photograph of a special event or a post card from a vacation and write about it. The sandwich bag will keep it protected.

Materials
Round wooden beads in different sizes (the holes need to be large enough for double pipe cleaners to fit through)
Pipe cleaners
Acrylic paint
Mini pom-pom
Fine-point pen

Instructions
1. Paint two beads (one larger and one smaller) with acrylic paint.
2. Bend a pipe cleaner into an M shape.
3. When the beads have dried, bend the ends of the pipe cleaner under the larger bead to form two big feet, and adjust the loops above the smaller bead for ears.
4. Glue on a mini pom-pom tail.
5. Use a fine-point pen to draw on eyes, nose, and whiskers.

More pipe cleaner crafts at Family Fun.

Use a plastic container that you get from the grocery store that holds strawberries and weave yarn through the openings. The opening aren’t even but that’s what makes it interesting. My grandson started to weave this basket but got tired so I finished it for him. Maybe using thicker yarn would have made it go faster. I just used a pipe cleaner for the handle.

The basket is holding a cute sock bunny that my daughter made.
Get Directions For Sock Bunnies

This is a fun way for your grandchild to practice addition. All you need are a pair of dice to play this math game. The object is to get to 100 or closest without going over. Each player shakes the dice and makes a number. If you shake a 5 & 3 you can make the number 53 or 35. Write the number on a piece of paper and when it’s your turn again, shake the dice and make another number. Add the 2 numbers together. Keep adding the numbers until someone wins.
You can also play Race to 0. It’s played the same way but subtracting from 100.

My grandkids like to play catch when they come to visit but I don’t want to be throwing balls around my family room so this is a great substitute.
You’ll need:
2 small sponges
1 twist tie or string
Directions:
Cut the sponge into strips as shown in the photo. Bunch them altogether and in the center secure with a twist tie or piece of string.

This is a fun treat to serve for St. Patrick’s Day or anytime you have your grandchildren over. They will especially enjoy helping. Just follow the directions on the Jello package and drop some Swedish Fish candies in the bottom. After the Jello has set up slightly add other fish to the sides and top.

Download Wanted Poster
When you know your grandchildren are coming to visit, create a wanted poster for each one and send to them in the mail. You can design your own or download the one I created. Reward ideas:
5 hugs and kisses
1 ice cream cone
reading a favorite story together
playing a game
going for a walk or a bike ride
Use your imagination and wait to see what happens when your grandchildren arrive to collect the reward.

This is a fun and inexpensive way to show photos of your grandchildren on your fridge or any magnetic board.
You will need lids from cans (any size will work – soup, vegetables, fruit, etc.), glue and magnets.
Directions:
1. Remove the lid from the can, I would recommend using a can opener that leaves the edges smooth.
2. Trace the lid onto the photo and cut out slightly smaller.
3. Glue photo on the lid and add a magnet to the back.

You can make then as ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree by adding a looped ribbon to the back.