Grandparents and grandchildren, together, design and create a family tree with pictures of each member. This activity creates a great opportunity for your grandchildren to literally attach a face to the names of family members that have come before them. If you need some help searching for ancestors, try an Ancestry.com Free Trial where you can find many, many data bases.

While working on this project, grandparents have the opportunity to share stories about their children’s and their childhoods connecting them with bits of history along the way. Grandchildren have a chance to ask questions and relate their experiences, too. Such projects bring grandparents and grandchildren closer together. This craft activity with grandchildren can be included as part of the family story project. (Read

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Grandparents and Grandchildren Day is March 18. This day is not the same as the National Grandparents Day. Information on the source of Grandparents and Granchildren Day couldn’t be found, but I could find information about National Grandparents Day.

The idea for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, now 91, a housewife in Fayette County, West Verginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. For more information visit the National Grandparents Council website.

Every time you get together with your grandchildren, in my opinion, is Grandparents and Grandchildren Day! No matter when you celebrate your relationship, here is a project that will be everlasting and can continue as a tradition for generations to come.

Legacy Project: Grandchildren and grandparents participating in a life story project can come closer together while learning about the past. Children love to talk about themselves so why not create a similar life story form for your grandchildren, too! Take turns discussing each other’s life story so it isn’t all one sided and help to keep your grandchild engaged. You may learn things about your grandchildren that you didn’t know before, too. If you can without distraction, record your project in the making. What a great keepsake it would be. To find out more about the project and download the fill-in the blanks form (12 pages), visit the website.

Have Happy Grandparents and Grandchildren Days!

Check back on Wednesdays for new activities.  Have an activity or event grandparents and grandchildren would enjoy? Email it to me at nanascorner07@gmail.com  and I will be happy to post it for you.