Take your grandkids to a park to play -- get on the see saw and swings and other playground equipment with them!

 

Make a Garden Fairies Mailbox
I love to garden and so I put a mail box down in the garden and painted my grandchild's name on the side. Whenever he comes to visit we go down to see what the Garden Fairies have left him. He receives little items in a special box which he replaces in the mail box for next time. Several times a year I put a book about the Garden Fairies in the mailbox. The most wonderful sound is to hear him squeal with delight when he sees the flag in the up position on the mail box-this means a surprise.
Nendy L.

Click Here to shop at The BananaNana Shoppe -- a fun place to find gifts for a Groovy Grandma and Grandpa!

What could be more fun than a day at the beach making sand castles?

 

I'm still trying to get glitter glue off of my kitchen table from last Christmas! I finally got smart and bought an inexpensive white vinyl tablecloth (available almost everywhere) and now my grandkids can color, glue and paint to their hearts' content -- even on the tablecloth. Best part is that you can toss it in the wash with a little bleach and it comes out good as new. And, no more glitter and glue on the wood!
from Grandma Kathy

Do your grandkids play any sports?  Get out and pitch a ball to them or kick the soccer ball or make a basket with them! They will learn how to be a good sport from you!

It's so much fun to spend time with our grandkids any time of the year...but especially fun in the summer months.  So, we want to give you some ideas for a fun Grandma Camp!!

Make cookies with gooey icing -- don't spread the icing...it's much more fun to dip the cookie in the icing (and you get a lot more icing that way).

Create coupon books for them to use while they are with you.  Ask them what fun coupons they would like to have.
Keep a journal of your fun activities and print a book for each grandchild.  To see a sample of a book PawPaw Paul made with his granddaughter Click Here. (He asked her what she wanted in her book, so it is uniquely hers!)
Keep a journal of your fun activities on your Facebook page (yes, even grandparents have Facebook pages).  Add photos of the event and your whole family can enjoy reading about your adventures.
Make a "Worm Dirt Cake" (lots of recipes on the internet -- take your pick).

from Kelli A...every summer she holds CAMP GRANDMA! They go fishing, to the park, and the water park, for walks in the strolller and wagon. ...she always has fresh cookies in her cookie jar for them when they come over.

 
REMEMBER GRANDPARENT'S DAY IS SEPTEMBER 11TH
 

Help your grandkids make a lemonade stand and sell their delicious drink.

Let your grandchild choose a charity that has some meaning to them and encourage them to donate the money they raise to this charity. 

You will teach your grandkids the joy of giving...a quality that will last a lifetime!
from Grandma Kathy...Both of my grandkids, Sarah and Adam, began cooking at my house when they were about 3. “Cooking” consists of pulling the stepstool up to the spice cabinet and providing a small plastic bowl with a little water, some measuring spoons, and a relaxed attitude. You may want to hide your rare, expensive spices, but the rest is open game. And, help only when asked! Let your budding chef create mustard cayenne oregano soup for Daddy. As they progress, add flour and egg to create cakes and pies with pepper, bouillon and parsley for Mommy….have no mercy for the parents (THIS IS A PAYBACK!). Now my grandkids will try most anything. In fact, Sarah's favorite part of Christmas is smoked oysters in her stocking from Santa. Go figure?
Make homemade ice cream and buy their favorite toppings.  Let them put their own toppings on...the gooier the better!
Plant a seed(s) that they can watch while they are with you and each time they visit.
Have an old-fashioned scavenger hunt!  Give them clues appropriate to their ages and watch them look all over your house/yard for silly little gifts!

Create a dress-up trunk: let the grandkids help you decorate an old box or something more elaborate and add old clothes for dress-up.
Welcome the grandkids with a fun grandparent flag and/or mailbox cover!

Let your grandkids pick a movie to attend (a great activity when it's really hot!).  Take or buy their favorite snacks.
from Mama Gail...Have a “Backward Day” with your grandkids - dress backwards, say no for yes, everyone sit at a different place at the table, place silverware in opposite places, etc.
 

Click Here

to find LOTS of Fun Gifts for Groovy Grandparents!

Grandma Kathy

and

Nana Elizabeth

Meet Norma Allred

a.k.a. GRAMMY

by Nana Elizabeth

Grammy and her family

Norma and I knew each other many years ago when our children were young.  One of the funniest stories Norma recently recounted was when her son complained about my daughter biting him. Norma told him to "BITE HER BACK."  Later, her son came to her crying because my daughter had bitten him again.  Norma inquired why he didn't "bite her back" and he said he tried BUT SHE WOULDN'T TURN AROUND!  How literal our kids are!

Well, all four of our kids are grown and I caught up with Norma recently and asked her what her life as a grandma is like these days.  I found out that Norma was given her "Nana Name" of Grammy by her first grandchild because he couldn't say Grand Mommy.  All five of her grandchildren now live fairly close and she is happily involved in their lives.  In fact, she keeps the youngest grandchild quite a lot.

When asked if they had a "grandma camp," Norma told me they try to have a "spring camp" with the whole family during spring break.  Her whole family goes to Gaitlinburg and rents condos. While there, they like to hike, play miniature golf and ride scootters or bicycles.

I asked Norma if she had some fun stories about her grandkids and she immediately thought of these two:

When her first grandchild was about 16 months old, they went to McDonald's and she asked him if he wanted a Happy Meal.  He looked at her and said "Yes, I don't want a SAD meal!"

Not long before Easter, each of her daughter's kids got money from another grandparent.  Her 8 year old grandson wanted to go to the store and spend his money almost immediately.  She asked him if his money was burning a hole in his pocket and he asked her "is that an idiom?"  He then sheepishly looked at her and said "Grammy, are your surprised that I'm so smart?!"

Norma certainly sounds like a Groovy Grandma who has lots of fun with her grandkids!!

Tell us about your grandma and all the fun things she does with you...we may feature her in an upcoming newsletter! 

Click here to tell us about your Groovy Grandma
 
CONGRATULATIONS to Suzanne Therrien -- the lastest winner of our $25.00 gift certificate drawing!