10 Essentials Just for Fun
Are the kids on their way? Plan some of these classic activities to ensure a fun visit.
by Paul Rogers
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 59.0%
Playing cards 5.8%
Board games 18.7%
Puzzles 7.0%
Other (share your ideas in the Comments section below) 9.4%
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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.
18 comments so far...
| I can't believe you forgot PlayDough!
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| recycled plastic soda bottles, empty cardboard rolls from paper towels or toilet paper are all great for doing crafts with the kids old or young, add some cotton balls, colored paper and you have what ever your want .
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| Anything that involves water...watering cans,cups,sprinklers..anything!
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| My Grandson who is 3 lives about 7 hours away, he comes to our home every couple months. We set up my son's Hot Wheel collection we still have from the 80's. I have a collection of coloring books crayons, markers from the $ store. I have several different flash card sets and we make games out of matching shapes numbers etc. I ordered several kid themed CD's online and we sing and dance. He knows alot of the songs already, I pretend I don't know the right words and he will patiently try to teach me..."Lala. I show you, Baa Baa Blacksheep...so much fun. It really dosen't take alot of money or stuff, just spending time together is usually enough.
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| A willing grandparent and a bouncy ball are the best things to entertain my grandson, age 1 as a soccer ball was for my husband's grandchildren when they were teens.
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