How to Entertain the Grandkids
 

The grandkids ages 11 (artistic girl but not interested in quilting) and 12 (athletic boy) are starting to make regular visits. I'm running out of ideas of ways to entertain them. What do you do with your grands?

This summer break i told them each they were making a quilt. 2 boys, 1 girl. They picked out own fabrics, drew up their pattern on graph paper, cut out squares, laid it out. Started sewing squares together. We also went to Aquarium, Zoo, and Discovery Center. They come over one day a we\ek. Plus they took family vacations. Summer went fast!!! They each have some rows sewn together and we will have to use after school time and holiday days to get it finished. But they are doing it!!! 9, 10, and 13 year old
They also play with our dog, ride bikes and scooters, take walks and of course games on iPads!

Tweens are hard to entertain that is a given. Fizzle, you sound like you have a handle on it. I only wish I saw my grandkids more. The come out to go to the lake and swim or fish. The last time was for fireworks the end of July. They are so full of energy when their ipads are taken away.

We play board/card games. Some of our favorites are Yahtzee, Phase 10, and Spinner. I’m in the beginning process of teaching them bridge.

Electronics seem to be the only thing that interests the younger these days. So good luck on that.

I would simply talk to them -- you like having them there but you also like having things to do. So, are there things that you already do that maybe they'd like to do too? A lot of kids this age enjoy cooking/baking particularly.

Are there things that maybe none of us do or would like to know more about? Getting field guides of birds or rocks or just learning the names of the trees in your neighborhood both give opportunities for going out and about at low cost... There may be other crafts that are appealing to everyone. Some of which may not be low cost!

Then there is, are there things that you do that maybe I'd like to know more about? I play on line video games and I often meet up with youth who just want someone to talk to. You don't need to let them be plugged in all the time, but sometimes it helps to know things like -- something really rare is happening and I really need to be doing what I do on this day/time. Is really easy to dismiss computer time as not being "real" but I spend significant time with some of my on-line friends and have for years, even though we've never actually met in person.

That can be a great way of spending time, just spending time. Jigsaw puzzles can be something to do to disguise the fact that you are really just talking. Get a big expensive one that pertains to someone's interests and one of the roll up mats.

Exactly .... ask the kids!
They're old enough to know what they want to do.

Sure, you may have some suggestions, but holding back on that front is often better at truly finding out what they want, rather than being suggestive and them accepting by default to keep Grandmamama happy!

While your DGD is not interested in quilting, you may find she is interested in the same skillset, to learn to sew, etc.

Then there is always ... hey kids, would you teach Grandmamama this? or that? Perhaps something computer, like zoom (if you are not already set up for that), or let them teach you a program or WHY. Or the artwork DGD likes? Or DGS teach you something via his athletic abilities.

Most importantly ......... Have Fun!!!!!!!!!

I have my pre teen grands after school three times a week and they like to stay the night on Fridays. They just hang out, watch movies, talk me into baking brownies. I guess being here so much it's not like a long special visit. My nieces use to come in the summer for a week or two. They liked to sew something simple like a pillow or make up bag. The nephews and nieces were out exploring the creek and woods around the house. They built bridges, hung rope swings, made zip lines, played in the creek. . After about age 15 they all had summer group activities to keep them busy so not so much visiting time. So enjoy them now!

kites? depending on location and of course, wind.

My youngest grandson and I have always been extremely close. He's moderately deaf, and has several challenges, but it does not stop him! We do a lot of things together. We've done science museums, raptor centers, arcades, visited specialty shops for candy, pop, wooden toys, lego shops, you name it. We've cooked tons of things, and he loves to go shopping. He also is very familiar with quilt shops. We choose a restaurant, or drive through and only order a specialty item. Pizza is a favorite. Winter time I take him sledding. Summer time we go to a water park or a go cart track. Fall brings apple picking, We've done county fairs, and the state fair. We spend time going through old family pictures, and he knows the names of and can recognize many of my relatives. Sometimes we just sit and talk, take naps, or watch TV. Over the years we've done many things, some several times. Tonight he came over for dinner, and next week we're headed out shopping. He's great at coming up with ideas! He'll be 15 in September.

If there are "pick your own" operations near you for seasonal foods - think apples, pumpkins, peaches, strawberries, etc. Take them picking with you. My granddaughter is 11, lives across the country, only gets to visit a couple of times a year, and will be visiting in October. She is excited about going to pick apples. Me too!! We went to a farm and picked strawberries back in the spring. Great fun and then home to cook up something with the "pickings".
My granddaughter is a crafter like me and is into most anything I do. She is also a pretty good cook and is always looking for something for us to cook. We have a lot of fun just preparing meals. In fact some days, I am grateful for the tablet or tv.... It gives me a chance to slow down and rest for a minute. She keeps me hopping!!!

There are things like the Boy Scout handbook that have activities that would earn the scout a badge. Some involve going somewhere to learn something new. You can collect insects, study plant structure, learn first aid, tour a fire station. They might go kicking and screaming, but the experience is invaluable.

Anniedeb; I like the idea of looking at photo of family. If we want our heritage passed on then we need to do the passing.

I also do jigsaw puzzles with my grands and lots of games too. Checkers, Chines checkers, Sequence and Monopoly are favorites. Not so very long ago, I pulled out a massive bag of dominoes and let them build with them. After a time of lining up dominoes in paths all around my dining room table. One grandson grabbed his i-Pad and began to shoot a video and the other pushed the first domino and the fun began. Kept them busy for quite a while.

Another thing I do is to create traditions. For me, the three local grands come and help me decorate the tree and we make pizza together for dinner. After three years, they are already talking about here we will put the tree this year! Have fun with them.

Although my grands don’t live close I do see them regularly and have spent a lot of time with them - either here or at their house. I have always taken my lead from them from when they were small and wanted to cuddle and then read or play with toys or a game to now the two older ones are mostly grown and the youngest who is taller than me still likes to just be with me. We talk or watch a YouTube video - he likes to bake simple things so I have supplies. There have been outings etc but not the main goal. That has worked for us.

I had a very nice afternoon with my 12 year old grand-twins yesterday. I took them to the cemetery where my grandmother and family were buried. We found the headstone for the namesake of their mother, then began to search for traditional cemetery art, and searched for the oldest headstone, 1798. We had fun connecting dates with historical events, like the civil war, the 1918 pandemic, War of 1812, WWI and WWII and calculating the age of the individuals being commemorated. Good time for all and did not cost anything but our time.

My Grands are 34 - 19 so they entertain themselves. Two Great Grands that live in this area are 1-1/2 and almost two and very good at entertaining themselves, most of the time.