Summertime Visits

If you are a regular reader of the daily newspaper, share some articles and cartoons with the children. They may want to clip a few to save in a journal they could keep of their visit. To encourage this, buy some books with blank pages and some pens that write in different colored inks.

Chances are your grandchildren or step-grandchildren have never been on a scavenger hunt. Make up a different list for each child, including objects that can be found easily in your home or yard. If you’d rather they not actually collect the items in one place, have them write down in detail the location where they found the item. The first person to complete their list wins a prize. You may want to make the lists easier for younger children, or have a grown-up help them a little.

So that the children will have something to show Mommy and Daddy, take a nature walk with the children and collect interesting objects. When you return to the house, glue the items in a cardboard gift box that has a lid. The children can decorate the outside of the box with crayons, markers, and stickers.

If Granddad has a workshop or Grandma has a crafts corner, select a simple project that the children can help to create. Make two – one to leave at their grandparents' house, and one to take home as a souvenir. To get ideas for projects, check the library and bookstores for crafts and science projects books. Ideas might include: a simple birdfeeder, a custom-painted tee shirt, or a do-it-yourself garden stepping-stone.

A little thought and planning can go a long way to make a visit with a grandchild or step-grandchild an enjoyable and memorable one for everyone.

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