Spring is a wonderful time to make a meaningful connection with your grandchildren. Below you'll find ideas, links and resources for activities that will create memories and give you plenty to talk about.
Ten Ways to Use Spring to Connect
1. Plant Vegetable Garden Together- What better way to spend time with your grandchild than planting something and watching it grow.
KC EDventures- Offers a resource page with huge list of ideas, links, books. Nourish Interactive- Offers free color sheets for journaling, gardening color sheets, etc.
Parenting With A Purpose- Planting a sensory garden full of tasting a smelling opportunities.
2. Read Gardening Books Together-There are many wonderful picture books about gardening, planting, seeds and how things grow.
The Best Children's Books- provides a great list of picture books.
Polliwog On Safari- Another great list of books.
3. Plant A Container Garden- There are many ways you can grow something even if you don't have any outdoor space.
ways you can plant in ziplock bag, jars, etc.
What We Do All Day?- Has an interesting way to grow a rood vegetable in a container and actually see it grow.
4. Plant A Flower Garden- Flowers are a great way to watch the different stages of growth together.
The Golden Gleam- Great way to grow sunflowers with kids.
Putti's World- Great idea about planting seeds in the shape of the first letter of their name.
5. Micro-Gardens Perfect For Limited Space- Using containers you already have around the house or apartment.
Sun Hats & Wellie Boots- Some creative containers using things you have around the house.
Reading Confetti- Cute handprint garden markers.
3 Boys=Blessed- Using those plastic strawberry containers.
The Full Circle Gardner- Check out this gardening in a glove idea!
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| Rockin' With Gramps! |
6. Make Elf and Fairy Houses and Gardens- This is a fun activity anytime of year and can use existing materials or you can plant some.
Growing Green Fingered Kids -Idea for a fairy home.
Flicker Miniature Backyard Fairy Gardens- A whole group that is dedicated to pictures of Fairy gardens.
The Magic Onions - I love this fairy garden in barrel! This blog also has several links to great ideas.
7. Plant A Garden For Imaginative Play- This is a cool idea for creating a world for Lego figurines, dinosaur, bug, animal and other small action toys. Frugal Fun For Boys- Check out the great ideas and then make your own.
Child Central Station- Dirt not your thing, here are some fun art projects for outdoors.
8. Butterflies, Bugs and Beetles- This is great for those that love watching nature and a great way to teach respect for living animals.
The Kids Garden- Watching a catapillar change into a butterfly is a fascinating activity.
The Flight Of The Butterflies- A 3-D IMAX movie. A must for anyone that likes butterflies. Check your community for where it's showing.
9. Do Some Outdoor Science- Learning together about the world is a great way to convey how important our world is.
Housing A Forest- An article about regrowing celery.
Nature Science- Amazon has a great selection of projects about nature.
10. Long-Distance Gardening Ideas- When miles separate you from your grandchildren, it's often difficult to think any of these activities could work. With photo cell phones and Skype many of the activities above could shared. Each week a picture or Skype visit could show each other how the gardens are doing. If they know your doing it too, there's a connection!
You can always send a small package full of activities, pictures, seeds, that you can then talk about over the phone, Skype or email. The Kids Garden- Free printable puzzles about gardening.
The Best Children's Books- Choose the perfect Spring book to send.
Live Butterfly Garden- Order your grandchild live caterpillars that will cocoon and become butterflies. You can keep track of the progress long distance.
Cozy Seaside Homestead- How to grow a garden in baseball card sleeves, light weight and easy to send! They just have to add the dirt.
When thinking about what to do with your grandchildren, keep in mind their age and attention span. Short and fun is far better than long and laborious. It's about making happy and fun memories. Parents teach, grandparents play!
What ideas are you going to try? If you've already done something fun, share it with us?
What lovely ideas! I always enjoyed bonding with my grandparents and these ideas sound perfect!
ReplyDelete~Jess