Time with grandchildren is the most precious gift grandparents can receive. I just spent a week with my grandchildren at the shore. It was fun doing activities together while talking about whatever topic came up. My granddaughters asked many questions about my childhood…what my friends and I liked to do, what school was like, what toys I played with, and are amazed at what I didn’t have…video games, ipods, cell phones, DVDs, calculators, computers, Internet, etc. They were equally interested hearing that I had similar personal experiences in my childhood…bad dreams, feeling left out sometimes, crushes, not getting along with my older sister, and more. They, in turn, opened up and shared similar stories and interests. I call this sharing me time.
I enjoyed sharing with them stories about my grandparents, including humorous stories such as how my grandmother would drive me to ballet classes in her baby blue 1933 Nash Coupe at a very slow 25 miles an hour. Of course, there was always a line of cars held up behind her on the winding two lane route. Every week I was so embarrassingly late!
Bonding with Grandchildren
When grandparents are not able to visit as often as they’d like, attempts at becoming closer to their grandchildren are sometimes awkward. Combining an activity, such as cooking or a craft, with sharing me time helps to create a relaxed environment making it easier to build a closer relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.
ABC Family Photo Album Activity
Recently, I’ve been going through family photos looking for those to use in an ABC Family Photo Album. The album will have photos of past and present family members. Captions will include alliteration for the letter of the alphabet highlighted for that page. Include colors, shapes, prepositions, actions, emotions, too. Most importantly, make it fun to read. Two examples are shown here:
G
S
Great-Grandmother Irene is glamorous in her sun glasses at ninety-years-old
Nana at seven-years-old sitting on Santa’s lap (asking for a new girdle for her mother)
There are a couple of ways an ABC Family Photo Album project can be accomplished by grandparents with the help of grandchildren.
When grandchildren are visiting, go through some of your family photos with them. Ask them to tell you what they see as a starting point: beach, blue sky, hat, beads, sun glasses, sand, people, clouds…Together find words starting with the same letter and create an original caption (silliness welcome!) A caption for the photo on the left above could state for the letter B : Great-Grandmother Irene is at the beach under the blue sky wearing beads.
If grandchildren are not able to visit, use a web cam. Hold up photos one at a time and do the same as in number 1. Using a web cam helps in building a close relationship…and keeping it close until you are able to visit in person; you won’t have to work through that awkward stage again.
While you’re looking through the photos, take advantage of the time together to get to know each other better. This activity for grandparents and grandchildren together is a wonderful way to celebrate Grandparents Day for the day was originally created by its originator, Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade in 1970, to bring the older and younger generations closer together by sharing me time.
Grandparents Day has been celebrated the first Sunday after Labor Day since 1978. The purpose of Grandparents Day has been two fold: to bring attention to the lonely elderly in nursing homes and to encourage grandchildren to share in activities to learn more about their grandparents heritage. But for many grandparents and grandchildren, for various reasons, that Sunday isn’t always convenient for visiting and sharing. There are activities that can be shared together or at a distance. Grandparents Day can be any day that grandparents and grandchildren come together to celebrate their relationship whether it be in person or via a web cam or telephone.
Grandparents Day Craft Ideas
Whenever grandparents and grandchildren choose to celebrate Grandparents Day, it should be a day when memories and hopes are shared…a day when memories are also created to be shared for lifetimes to come. We grandparents love to receive handmade gifts from our grandchildren, especially those that include original artwork. Grandchildren equally love to show off their creative artwork, so sharing this type of craft activity is a win-win happening. Memories are gifts that are not only priceless, but keep on giving as long as the memory remains.
Family Peace Sign T-Shirts
Recently, while my grandkids and I were browsing through a discount store, we found Petra Boase’s Terrifyingly Terrific T-Shirts. Together Kaitlin and I discussed what we might be able to do together in designing a terrific t-shirt. She suggested we tie-dye the shirts and add a peace sign which is very popular, again. I suggested we add a few butterflies. She asked me why. My explanation was this…
Butterfly Effect Towards Peace
“Have you heard of the ‘Butterfly Effect’?” “No,” Kaitlin answered.
I asked her, “If a butterfly flaps its wings causing a very small breeze leading to changes in the atmosphere, would it be capable of changing a weather pattern?” “I don’t know,” she replied.
“Starting with just a little effort, it is possible that change could happen eventually even though we may never know. With just one act of kindness, perhaps each one of us could make a change so all children could live in peace. Our butterflies would represent acts of kindness moving towards world peace.”
Kaitlin asked what could she do to start her Butterfly Effect. “Being kind to everyone, especially those who make it more of a challenge may have an effect that you may never know. Hopefully, your act of kindness would one day make a difference in someone’s life.”
How to Make Your Family T-Shirt
To celebrate our Grandparents Day, our grandchildren will help us make t-shirts for family and friends. As we present the t-shirts, we will share the significance of our butterflies… maybe we will begin our own “Butterfly Effect.”
Note:
If you can’t be together on Grandparents Day, you can still design family t-shirts together. Separately, grandchildren can create their interpretation of the family t-shirt for their grandparents and the grandparents can do the same for their grandchildren. Send them to each other in time for Grandparents Day – take photos and post them on Facebook, a family blog, or a photo sharing website.
If you’d rather not use our suggestion, include in your design symbols that are special to your family that represent peace, kindness, love…events, memories or a special story of your own.
While you are interacting, exchange childhood memories…even young ones have them, too.
Revisit your Grandparents Day memories and others you have of moments together to keep them alive.
Other suggestions for this Grandparents Day craft project are door knob hangers, sun visors, tote bags…make it a surprise!
For the t-shirts, you can use iron decals…or you can also paint designs instead of tie dying. T-shirts and supplies can be found at craft stores.
Suggestions for materials you might choose from for your t-shirt design are:
For tie-dying…
Rubber bands for tie-dying t-shirts
protective gloves
colored fabric paints
plastic covering for workspace
Allow at least 3 days for drying
How to Tie Dye a Peace Sign T-Shirt Video
Supplies For Other T-Shirt Project Designs…
Stiff Cardboard – place inside t-shirt to protect other side or to make stencils
Tracing paper – sold at stationery stores
Fabric Chalk – used for drawing outlines
Fabric Glue – for applying fabric pieces together, use special brush
Fabric Marker – designed for use on fabric
Fabric Paint – will not wash out, follow directions
Fluorescent Fabric Paint – glows
Glitter Paint or Glitter – attach with Fabric Glue
Puffy Fabric Paint – hair dryer to dry
Pearl Fabric Paint – dries with a sheen
Newspaper – protect work surface
Paintbrushes – varying sizes
Sequins – attach with fabric glue
Sponge – used to paint or stencil
Share Your Projects
If you do this craft project, please share photos. I’d love to post them. Happy Grandparents Day!
About.com’s Guide to Grandparents Blog Carnival
This post is part of a blog carnival hosted by Susan Adcox, About.com’s Guide to Grandparents.
Happy Grandparents Day! Our family actually celebrated National Grandparents Day the Sunday of Labor Day weekend instead of the designated first Sunday after Labor Day (US) or the first Sunday in October (Canada). Our family celebrated Grandparents Day with good old fashioned food and fun that Poppy and I enjoyed as young kids, too!
Poppy and I enjoy being with our kids and grandkids, and that’s enough for us. No gift can replace the kisses, hugs, and laughter. These memories are the gifts that we can take with us everywhere and always.
We made our Grandparents Day a good old fashioned BBQ with grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, Jersey corn-on-the-cob, pickles, and our family’s traditional cole slaw (which I finally made to taste like my late mother-in-law’s). We later enjoyed brownies and ice cream…then roasted marshmallows later in the evening. Nothing fancy, but a day we’ll always remember.
I asked everyone to bring an outdoor game so Grandparents Day became our family’s Game Day which we will continue through the years. During the afternoon, we played bocce ball, horseshoes, wiffle ball, catch, and frisbee (dogs too). And in between, the kids swung high on their swings, slid down the slide, rode bikes, and swam in our kid safe pool.
For other ideas to celebrate Grandparents Day, besides the ones found on NanasCorner.com, visit the sites listed below. I think you’ll like what you find. (more…)
Grandparents Day has been celebrated by grandparents and grandchildren together on the first Sunday after Labor Day in September since 1978. Are you looking for grandparent poems and fun things for grandparents and grandchildren to do on Grandparents Day? Do you need some last minute ideas for Grandparents Day such as handprint poems and handmade gifts? Since Grandparents Day is almost here, that doesn’t leave much time so I’ve searched through my website to put together a Grandparents Day Directory to help you find grandparent poems for grandma and granddad, grandparent and grandchildren activities whether near or far, and some easy homemade gift ideas for the grandkids to make. Happy Grandparents Day!
Quick and Easy Grandparents Day Gift from Grandchildren
Here is a quick and easy Grandparents Day gift for the grandparents:
choose one of the grandparent poems with your child
copy and paste into Word – change font, size, color as desired
glue photos of the grandchildren around the poem
place the poem page in an attractive frame
gift wrap it in a bright and cheery gift bag with a homemade heart card (see below)
Grandparents never have enough photos of their grandchildren. This gift is something they can enjoy every day they aren’t visiting with their granchildren.
Suggest to the grandparents that they do the same so the grandchildren will feel connected to them, especially if they aren’t able to visit often.
Every year, since 1978, the first Sunday after Labor Day has been known as National Grandparents Day. September was chosen for the holiday, to signify the “autumn years” of life.
If I knew it was going to be this much fun, I would have become a grandparent first. ~ Willard Scott
National Grandparents Day originated first in West Virginia in 1970. With much time and effort on the part of Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, her dream was realized when President Jimmy Carter honored her request by designating a special day of celebrating our grandparents to be included in the yearly September holidays.
Purpose
The purpose for National Grandparents Day is twofold: (more…)
