Have you heard of National Grandparents Day? This year, 2013, it falls on Sunday 5th October and it’s a wonderful way to celebrate the special relationship that is shared between grandparents and grandchildren. Throughout the year grandparents are a fantastic part of family life, so why not say thank you for all they’ve done with Care.com’s 9 ways to celebrate National Grandparents Day.
- Make a Collage: Grandparents love getting photos of what their favourite little ones have been up to. Laminate a photo collage that you and your children have put together or put together a photo album full of special memories. Write a little note together and include it on the collage or as the front page of the photo album.
- Have Some One-on-One Time: Have your children sit down with their grandparents and ask some questions about what it was like when they grew up. Your little ones will be fascinated to find out how much things have changed. It’ll give them a great chance to get to know their grandparents and it’s a great way to learn a little more about their family history – which may come in handy for a school project!
- Stage a Performance: Create a dance routine or have all the cousins and children sing a song together, and dedicate it to their grandparents. This will be a lovely memory for everyone so be sure to record it. If grandparents live a long way away, think about setting up a video call or record the performance and send it in the post.
- Bake a Treat: Help children bake some of their grandparents favourite cakes or muffins. Alternatively organise a baking day so the family can spend some time together. Buy in the ingredients and let grandparents and grandchildren make something yummy together.
- Offer Thoughtful Services: This is a great way to get your children helping out their grandparents, whilst also encouraging thoughtful and helpful behaviour. Create a few vouchers, such as ‘Help Grandma with the gardening for a day’, ‘Wash the car with Grandad’ or ‘Make some cupcakes for Nanny and Grampa’. Make sure the activities are something grandchildren and grandparents can do together, so they get the opportunity to have some personal time.
- Record Your Family’s History: Family trees, scrapbooks and personal anecdotes gathered from various relatives can all be special keepsakes. Create something together that has your child’s input, perhaps some cute drawings or have the children practice their writing skills with some nametags for each family member.
- Organise a Sleepover: Put aside a weekend that Grandma and Grandpa can have the little ones stay over. Organise for a pizza to be delivered and drop the kids off and pick them up. Remember this is a chance for grandparents to spend time with the children, instead of babysitting them.
- Send a Homemade Card: A card is a loving gift for grandparents both near and far, especially if it’s handcrafted. Provide your children with art supplies, such as paint, colourful paper scraps and stencils, and see what they come up with.
- Cook a Meal: The kids can plan, prepare and serve a meal to Granny and Grandad. Include some of the grandparents’ favourite foods. Deliver it to their house or invite the whole family over to enjoy the meal together.
No matter what you decide to do in honour of National Grandparents Day, if it’s done with love, it will be special. This year, set aside Sunday 6th October to honour the grandparents in your life with these meaningful ideas.