Five ideas for Grandmothers and Grandkids

By Shara Lawrence-Weiss

Have you ever wondered, “What can I do with my grandkids today? Where can I find some great ideas?”

Of course not. You’ve already raised your own kids and you know full well how to entertain kids. I hear you. Just in case you ever get stumped (laughable, I know), I will provide below a few ideas that I love. I have a background in early childhood and was a nanny for over 16 years for children ages birth – 13. I suppose you could say I know a thing or two about entertaining kids :)

Undoubtedly not NEARLY as much as you know, though. Granted.

Over the years, I’ve worked in a few different preschools and I tend to have a very hands-on approach. Here are just a few of the things I learned:

1.      Kids LOVE to paint. You can buy non toxic, washable paint at most craft stores now. Crayola® brand sells a variety and can be found at Joanne Fabrics, Michaels, Walmart, etc. If you offer kids the thick brushes (chunky style) and lay long pieces of paper on the floor, this works to build hand/eye coordination, fine motor skills, creativity and more. The left to right motion of painting also builds reading skills in small children. So…for young children, place the paintbrush and paints to the LEFT of the paper so the child must reach across and pull to the right (this builds reading skills with the left to right motion). 

2.      Girls (usually more than boys) typically love to color. Some girls will sit for hours to do this. Many of them love coloring books (guided coloring) while others want to free hand (this might be the sign of a future artist). You can find a huge assortment of coloring books now at the Dollar Store. They also sell plain paper there. I do not recommend buying generic crayons, though, because they do not last as long and break easily. If you shop at Walmart during the new school season, you can usually find Crayola crayons for 25 cents a box (I stock up). Broken crayons can also be melted down (in cupcake tins) in the oven at 110 degrees and made into ‘chunky crayons’ – kids get a kick out of those and this makes a terrific lesson in being green; reusing, recycling, etc.

3.      Go for walks. ALL kids love to be outdoors and in my experience, the ones who *want* to stay inside are doing so because they have become too accustomed to that (usually due to the parents keeping them indoors where they can watch TV). When given the chance to play outdoors in the fresh air, that is almost always the choice a child will make. Give each child a washed out container (coffee can, etc) that they can use to collect rocks, bugs, sticks, etc. Talk about the container, also – reusing things is a great way to help the environment!

4.      Limit TV and electronics to 2 hours per day (less if they are only with you for a short time). For babies, try using a music video over a movie. Most stores sell videos that feature various images of babies’ faces with music playing in the background. It sounds very simple but it’s highly effective for teaching social skills (especially for single children homes). When babies watch other babies on the screen, it gives them the sense that those children are there in the room. They will laugh, smile, giggle, etc – becoming engaged with the other children, thus building social skills. 

5.      Use photos any time you can to teach concepts and feelings, colors, shapes, animals, etc. We know through research now that real photos are far more effective than clip art. Children relate easily to real images and attach the feelings/emotions quickly and effortlessly. Use a digital camera (if you have one) to take photos of your grandchildren. Get them printed or print them on paper (color ink works best). If you can laminate the photos, even better. Most teacher stores will laminate with thin lamination for about $1 per item. Office Max/Staples will also laminate but they charge anywhere from $3-10 per sheet depending on the thickness. You can also buy contact paper at Walmart for about $8 a roll. You can cover photos in contact paper and turn the images into toys. Kids thrive on home-made toys and these photos can be used at home, in the car, on a plane, etc. Round the corners so they are not sharp. Write a word on the back if you want, in order to teach a concept (write on the photo prior to laminating or covering). For instance, if you want your grandchild to learn colors, take a photo of him/her wearing green. Write “Green” on the back and laminate. You now have a simple, fun and effective toy that he/she will want to look at time and time again. All the while, it will be building literacy and reading skills!

Above all else, remember that every child is different and each of them learns at different rates and paces. If you can tap into their strengths, likes and gifts, you’ll be on your way to helping them foster what (and who) they are meant to be!

To learn more about Shara, please visit her websites: www.mommyperks.com and www.personalchildstories.com. If she can ever be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to contact her! shara@personalchildstories.com