Make a fort
Give your grandchildren some old blankets or duvets, extra pillows and all the clothespins around and let them figure it out. Designate what chairs or tables they can use. Dining room tables are usually the best.
Be sure to move any important pieces of décor away from the area. Your grandchildren won’t hit something on purpose, but accidents do happen. They can get caught up in the fun of making a fort and not pay attention to what is around them.
If you want to join them but getting down on the floor is challenging, tell them upfront so they can build in a “grand seat” just for you. When they are done, be sure to bring snacks or a board game or both as a “housewarming gift”.
Play a card game with a deck of cards
Online games are the norm for our grandchildren’s generation. So, make it a tablets-and-phones-off-time and enjoy a face-to-face card game.
I thought back to card games I played at my grandchildren’s age and then let them be creative. I taught my grandson, who was six at the time, how to play Crazy Eights. He liked the game and started changing it up. Instead of crazy eights, we used a different number for each game. It was crazy sevens, crazy twos, crazy fives.
Teaching your older grandchildren more challenging games will get their minds going. Tap into your own experience. What card games did you play as a teenager or at university/ college.
I learned about Rummoli in my 20s and recently introduced it to my grandchildren now they can both count and read cards. It has been a hit and makes for rainy day fun.
Play hopscotch
Remember the fun of a game of hopscotch? What about bringing it inside your condo? Create your indoor hopscotch and keep your grandchildren energized. Make the squares out of cardboard. You can paint them with numbers or just write numbers on them. Be creative in what you use as markers. Bean bags work perfectly. See what you have around – something weighty enough that can land on the square but is also easy to throw. One option could be a bar of soap (dry obviously) wrapped in plastic wrap.
Start an indoor garden or add some new plants
Grandchildren like to learn from grandparents and gardening has a calming quality to it. Mark Cullen offered ideas in his Make the Most of Your Small Gardening Space in Greenhouse Canada.
After your grandchildren leave, be sure to keep them updated on the plant’s progress sending them photos as the plant grows. It will create another touchpoint for both of you.
Play Eye Spy
This is a classic game that can help give grandchildren a breather while keeping them busy. A different twist is to vary what they look for, i.e., instead of a colour. We all grew up with “I spy with my little eye, something that is [colour]. Change it up with something that starts with a letter or a texture like “something that is wood”.
Play The Memory Game
This is like the card game Concentration, where all 52 cards are turned face down and players flip two cards over. If they are a match, the player takes them. If there is no match, the cards are turned over and the next player tries. The key is to remember what cards were turned over and where they were.
In The Memory Game, you start with making the pairs. I used cheap paper plates and did a combination of numbers, pictures and graphics. My granddaughter liked Berenstain Bears and was three at the time. So one pair was of Sister Bear and another were a pair of 3s. My grandson liked Transformers and was seven so one pair was of a Transformer and another pair was of 7s. I added some with squares, hearts and stars etc.
We randomly line them up on the floor down the hall. You can arrange them in a circle or square – whatever shape fits your space.
To play, one person starts by flipping over two. If they are not a match, they turn them over and another player tries. The person with the most matches wins.
This is also a game where grandchildren can participate in the setup. Let them make the design on the paper plate or paper. Give them markers and let them be creative. They must make two of whatever design they choose.
Read a book together
If your grandchild is an avid reader and just wants to read, not out then honour that. Maye Musk mentioned in her conversation with Canadian Grandparents that sometimes she just sits beside her grandchild and let them do what they like to do and she does the same thing. So if your grandchild want to read to themselves, you do the same. When you take a break, share what stories you were reading.
Let time be a challenge with puzzles
One day my grandchildren were restless and the only puzzle handy was one from a few years ago. Both had outgrown it. So, I challenged them to see who could put it together fastest. After a while they were sharing strategies to be faster. They loved it. I was surprised how much fun came out of such a simple idea.
Plan your next visit
This may seem like a strange activity but keep it until the end of the visit. You will be surprised how creative grandchildren can be. Toward the end of the visit, they know what types of activities work in your living space and will understand any conversations about space restrictions. If there are other restrictions like noise or no playing in the hallway, tell them that up front. It will also help them see what they need to bring when they come to visit next time. If the visit includes mealtime, make up a menu with them.
You will be looking forward to their next visit even before they leave!