Grandparents often have an opportunity to spend special time with their grandchildren that parents may not get in the hustle and bustle of their work week. When your grandchildren come to visit you, it can help to have some fun activities pre-planned to keep them entertained.

Try a few of these fun activities the next time you have little visitors:

Show Home Movies and Photos: Show your grandchildren home movies or pictures from when their parents were small. They’ll enjoy hearing funny stories about what your children were like when they were small. It’s fun to imagine what their parents were like as children. Take time to share these stories with your grandchildren.

Record Bedtime Stories: If your grandchildren are staying overnight, have them bring their favorite bedtime stories along with them. Read them to the children out loud, and set up a tape recorder in the room. You’ll be able to send them home with a memory – their own personalized book on tape! Years from now they’ll be able to treasure their own tape of grandma or grandpa reading their favorite story to them

Teach Them a Skill: Do you know how to cook, sew, or work with wood? Take the time to teach your grandchildren how to make a simple recipe or project. Parents are often busy and may not have the time to teach their children simple life skills. These skills, if not taught by the schools, may end up neglected. Take time to teach your grandchildren these money-saving hobbies – when they’re adults, they’ll be very glad you did!

Play Games: Spend time playing card games, board games, or string games with your grandchildren. In this modern age of video and computer games, simple games are often neglected and forgotten. These games are enjoyable and fun – be sure to teach your grandchildren how to have fun simply.

When your grandchildren come to visit, be sure to have a few activities planned to entertain them. Show them pictures or home movies, enjoy a bedtime story, or cook a favorite recipe. You could even take time to teach them a game that you enjoyed when you were a child. Children need attention and affection to thrive, and as a grandparent, you’ve got time to provide plenty of both. Take time to enjoy your grandchildren – that’s what they’re for!