Activities IV

Here are the last of the list of activities one can do with grand kids. Should I come across more, I will post them.

76. Surprise your grandchild by meeting him at the bus stop after school and going out for hot chocolate.

77. Simpatico with the changing leaves, work on a family tree together. This will give your grandchildren a new perspective on ancestral history. If your grandchild is adopted, make sure to do a special version that honors his or her biological roots.

78. On a rainy fall day, break out the smocks and the easels and do some fingerpainting.

79. Take in the sights from a different point of view by going for a hot air balloon ride.

80. Pitch a tent in the backyard and have a campout.

81. At Halloween, write your own ghost stories together, then act them out for the family.

82. Make Thanksgiving placemats. Cut out colorful Thanksgiving-related pictures and images from magazines, glue them onto card stock; take them to an office supply store and have them laminated.

83. Conduct your own "in-house" news report using a video camera. Talk about what went on in the house that day. For example, "3:30pm and we have breaking news: Grandpa is actually loading the dishwasher as we speak…"

84. Play Geography. Start with the name of a country. The next person adds the name of a country that begins with the last letter of the previous country. So if the first country is Greece, you could say Ecuador, and then Russia, and so on.

85. To get the chill out of your bones, join your grandchildren on the trampoline.

86. Teach them how to jump rope: fancy, double dutch, and boxer style.

87. Learn about the history of Halloween. To further the discussion, talk about how superstitions, such as black cats crossing your path and walking under a ladder, emerged.

88. Go to Washington, D.C. for a long weekend. Some of the best attractions, such as the National Zoo, are free, and it's a great way to enhance any child's education.

89. Technically, fall doesn't end until Dec. 21. So, come November, get together with your grandchild and start planning your holiday decorating.

90. Here's a traveler's secret: Many popular tourist destinations are relatively empty during the fall. Why not visit a traditional summer vacation spot, such as Myrtle Beach, S.C., Walt Disney World, or LEGOLAND. Hotels are less expensive and the wait-time for the attractions and restaurants is practically nil.

91. Go to a fashion show and see what's going to be hot next spring. If you can't get to one, thumb through a fashion mag with your grandchildren and talk about what looks they like and dislike.

92. Ask the grandchildren to help you clean and properly store all the items you won't use again until spring, like golf clubs, swimming gear, and tents.

93. Hold onto summer produce by making preserves.

94. Play a wicked game of paper football on a table or desk (see here for how to make a good one). The art of sliding that triangular piece of paper across the table so that a piece hangs off the edge, while still staying on the table, is truly a skill.

95. Head to the park but forgo the swings for a game of chess. Some parks already have permanent chessboards set up; if not, bring a portable version. You may just start a trend in your neighborhood.

96. Celebrate Zhong Qiu Jie. This is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, which is always celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. That usually puts it from mid- to late-September on the traditional calendar.

97. Play the rhyming game. Use fall colors, such as brown and red, and have your grandchildren pick out words that rhyme with them — and then stump them by asking them to find words that rhyme with orange and silver (two of several words that have no known perfect rhymes in the English language).

98. Make Origami paper leaves. (Origami is the ancient art of folding paper into elaborate items, such as flowers.)

99. Look for animal tracks and try to identify the marks left on the ground. In the sky, identify the different types and species of birds migrating for the winter.

100. Finally, send us your own thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for 100 Things To Do With Your Grandchild This Winter (ideas@grandparents.com). We may post the best of them!
~Grandparents.com.

I can only hope, this may have been of some help to you. In case you have some great activities you do with your grand children, please share. I suspect, there are many grandparents, and parents as well, who would love to know and would welcome any new idea!