Oma, Opa, Granny, Grandad, Nana, Papa, Grandma and Grandpa…whatever your little ones call you, we see you here at the Villager. Many of our Villager Ventures have been focused on family outings with parents. But what about the grandparents? Grandparents make the world go round. I would be lost without the support of loving and doting grandparents who support in the good times and in times of crisis. I have the lived experience of having fantastic and involved grandparents in my life, who positively impacted my life. My children are equally as blessed to have many grandparents, bonus-Nanas and great-aunts and uncles who love them so dearly.
March is a busy month this year. We have both March Break AND Easter happening. March Break will be March 11-March 15. While Easter this year is March 29-April 1, providing 4 days off school. With all these days off school, many may be calling out to the grandparent figures to support, especially on March Break. It is hard for parents to take time off work, so we are calling in for back-up, Grandpa! But what to do with the little ones!?
As such, this Villager is here to offer some free or cheap, easy ideas for when Grandma is in charge.
- Sleepovers- Some of my core memories are having sleepovers with my cousins at my Grandma and Grandpa’s farm house. We would all cram into one bed and watch Annie, The Music Man, and an assortment of Disney classics on VHS. I recently saw the Music Man at St. Paul’s Centre and became verklempt as the songs played because they made me think of my late Grandma. Sleepovers are FREE to do. I recognize it can be a lot of work when children are 4-6 years old, but as children age, this is the prime time to unlock those core memories. You don’t even need to plan much. Your home is a new, novel setting. If you have a bin of older toys, a couch, and a handful of snacks, you’re golden. This is also a HUGE blessing to parents, just to have a little bit of time to themselves, knowing their kids are in great hands!
- A visit to the library- The local libraries often have fun activities planned, so they did all the work for you! You just have to show up and bring the kids’ library cards with you! This is free, accessible, and the library is open for long stretches of time, so you can pop in quickly or stay awhile. You just need to check the websites or call to see if there are specific crafts or programs scheduled, otherwise you can have free reign…whenever!
- Visit the OPP Museum in Orillia- This is FREE, accessible and open Monday to Friday. We will address this further in a later issue, but for now, you can know this is an option for an easy outing in town.
- Visit the Rec Centre- the Orillia Recreation Centre has a battery of drop-in programs available. Some, like swimming, require an adult to be present in the pool. But others, grandparents can watch from the sidelines. There is a small fee for these programs, but it is worth the price of admission for kids to burn some energy.
- Bake-Off- Kids love to bake. They also love to eat. You can offer BOTH activities at your place. If mess makes you crazy, purchase the pre-made Pillsbury cookie packages to reduce the amount of flour flying around. This is also another opportunity to create a core memory as you are tapping into the senses of smell, taste and sight.
- Hit the Trails- We have a plethora of walking trails in our region. Some are more advanced, others are flat and paved. Depending on your needs, there is likely an accessible trail option for you. Spending a few minutes outdoors is great for everyone’s physical and mental health. With a little planning, you could do a nature scavenger hunt together and then head indoors for some hot chocolate and cookies that you just baked!
- Crafts- Specifically for Easter, the internet knows no bounds with the amount of crafting you can do with supplies around your house. If you are just a little bit tech savvy, you can find a craft that uses just about any random supply you have at home, such as toilet paper rolls. You would just need a handful of crafting staples such as paper, scissors and glue, but the rest you can find around your house to create bunny-inspired creations. You could also dye Easter eggs together. You could plan a scavenger hunt to go along with the efforts of the Easter Bunny. Crafting and creating is great because the kids can take the lead, you just offer the opportunity. If all else fails, there are often thematic kits available at the various dollar stores that you can purchase to guide the process.
- Play a Game- There are so many board games out there. There are countless card games. It doesn’t take much money or effort to set-up a game or a competition to do with your grandkids. They likely will cheat or not follow the rules, but it’s the intentionality that is important to them!
- Shopping- There is something about giving a kid $2.00 and the autonomy to buy whatever they want, that makes them so happy! Go to the dollar store and let the kids go wild, but within a set budget. They will love that they were able to go shopping with you and that you were the one who let them get the things their parents normally say no to! Parents won’t mind, I promise!
Let us know what you get up to this March with the grandkids! As a parent, we appreciate the effort, the time and the intentionality put forth by our grandparents! We would love to hear about your adventures!
