Being a grandparent means you get to be a babysitter. Nothing wrong with that because it means you get to spend time with the kiddos and give their parents a much-needed break. Everyone wins! Once you’ve officially taken over for the session, you’ll probably hear the words, “I’m bored” utter by the grandkid. This will most likely be said as they are surrounded by hundreds of toys and thousands of hours of movies and TV programming to watch. The best approach to the boredom blues is to have a few tricks up your sleeve.
Indoor Camp Site
This one is sure to take up most of the day. Gather up sofa cushions, chairs, blankets and assorted pillows. Pull out the coffee table and set up a campsite in the living room. Once the camp has been established, you’ll need snacks, reading material and flashlights to keep things going. Added bonus if you can set up an actual tent in the actual living room.
Treasure Hunt
Surely, there is something your grandkid covets. Whatever that is, grab it up and hide it. You’re not being cruel but instead you’re having a fun treasure hunt. Don’t fall down the “you’re getting hot/cold” rabbit hole. Instead, be a bit more creative. Draw up a map for them to follow inside the house. When it is all over, reverse the roles and have them hide something and draw a map.
DIY Puzzle
Thanks to our Smartphones, we’ve all become prolific paparazzi with our children. Why not turn some of those photos into puzzles? You can print out the pictures on heavy stock and cut them into geometric shapes that will be easy for your grandkid to put together. They’ll have a lot of laughs when they realize the puzzle is of them. If you want to go the traditional jigsaw puzzle route, there are some great sites online that can turn your photo into a classic portrait puzzle.
Fresh Baked Cookies
Why not bring the grandkid into the kitchen and get baking up some cookies? Obviously, this is a supervised activity but they’ll have plenty of fun shaping cookies or molding marshmallow treats. You’ll also be able to work in some math and measuring lessons and teach them about patience. It’s amazing how quiet a kid can become when they are waiting for cookies to come out of the oven!
Pulling out these activities for your grandkid could just make you the coolest grandparent the block.
