When Peg Jones's seven grandchildren drop by her home near Wilkes-Barre, Pa., she makes sure she has plenty of things on hand for all ages to make their visits fun, and to make them want to come back for more. Jones, 67, says she favors activities that foster creativity, and that everyone can do together.
Sidewalk chalk. The pavement is a blank canvas, and a box of colored chalk encourages kids' creativity.
Washable markers and plain paper. Whether it's drawing, practicing letters and numbers, making cards for relatives, trying origami, or playing tic-tac-toe, paper and markers are endlessly useful.
Old photo albums. A springboard for telling family stories, especially ones about your childhood.
A library card. Take the kids to the public library to choose the books they want to read in your house. If they visit often, get them their own cards.
A deck of cards. Have timeless fun playing games from the simple (war, go fish) to the more complex (hearts, gin rummy).
| What's the best essential for fun with the kids? |
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Paper and markers 60.2%
Playing cards 5.7%
Board games 17.5%
Puzzles 7.4%
Other (share your ideas in the Comments section below) 9.1%
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Jigsaw puzzles. The perfect rainy-day pastime, and a reason to get down on the floor with the kids.
Board games. Even in the digital age, old favorites like Candy Land and Monopoly still appeal to kids.
A dollhouse. Old-fashioned? Sure. But a great dollhouse (or toy schoolhouse or firehouse) is also a time-tested vehicle for creative play and one of the things that will make your house a special place to visit.
A toy-car garage. Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars never go out of style. Neither does the thrill of hoisting them up a play-garage elevator and launching them down the ramp.
Rubik’s Cube. This 1980s fad has endured and taken its place in the pantheon of classic toys. Older kids will take on the challenge of solving the puzzle; younger kids will just have fun spinning the colored sides. (Also available in an electronic version.)
Also: Discover the 10 essentials for snack time, and the 10 essentials for safety.
Elsewhere on Grandparents.com, get 97 great ideas for playing outside, and find 25 great sleepover activities.
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