Fun Activities for Grandparents and Grandchildren

All grandparents absolutely love spending quality time with their grand babies. Although quality time with the grand kids is undoubtedly a great bonding experience, many grandparents aren't sure about what sorts of activities they can do with their grand children. In a day and age where electronics dominate most of our daily lives, it can often prove to be difficult to find new and exciting activities that will get the kids away from electronics. Although it may seem difficult at first, there are, in fact, actually many different grandchildren activities that both you and the kids will enjoy. Indoor Activities: Finger Knitting One way to spend some quality time with your grand kids is to do crafts with them. One example of an awesome, easy-to-do craft would be to do some finger knitting. This particular craft is great for kids of all ages. After you've finished your simple and fun finger knitting activity, you can use the strand for a few different things such as key ring ropes, belts, hair accessories, bracelets, and even bag handles. To begin, first slip the end of a ball of yarn between your thumb and your index finger on your non-dominant hand (this way you'll be doing the actual knitting with your dominant hand). You can pinch the yarn to anchor it while you're knitting. Then loop the yarn around your pinkie and weave it through your fingers. Now the fun part begins! To start this process, all you have to do is loop the yarn around your index finger completely. Then weave it towards your pinkie. Now continue to make a full loop around all four of your fingers. After you've done this, then slip the bottom woven row over the top unwoven role of yarn, from your pinkie to your index finger. Then continue to loop the yarn around your index finger and weave toward your pinkie; make the full loop around all four fingers; and, slip the bottom woven row over the top unwoven row of yarn until you have the desired length of knitting. To finish your knitting activity, cut the yarn, leaving about a ten inch tail. Pull the yarn through all four of the loops that your fingers are in and then remove your fingers from the loops. Tie the tail to the closest loop and trim the tail as needed. This is a simple yet addicting craft that kids of all ages will undoubtedly enjoy. Outdoor Activities: Make Ice Cream in a Bag! For grandparents searching for outdoor activities to do with your grand kids, you could always make ice cream in a bag. This is a great activity for hot days that will not only keep grandparents and grand children entertained, but it will also help keep you cool as well. Before beginning this activity, gather all of your necessary supplies and ingredients. You will need the following:

• Ice cubes (enough to fill gallon sized Ziplock bags for each grandparent and grand child)
• 1 cup of half and half
• 1/2 cup of Kosher or rock salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 pint-sized Ziplock bag
• Enough gallon-sized Ziplock bags for everyone
• Mix-ins (optional)

To begin, combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-sized Ziplock bag and make sure it is properly sealed. Next, put the salt and the ice into the gallon-sized Ziplock bag and place the smaller Ziplock bag inside of it. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bag vigorously for about five minutes until the smaller bag hardens. Feel the bag to determine whether or not your ice cream is ready to eat. Then remove the smaller bag and add in any mix-ins, if desired. Repeat this process with other bags of the ice cream mixture until there is enough made for everyone. Enjoy this cool and tasty treat on hot summer afternoons. Exciting Outings for Grandkids Another option to keep the kids occupied is to, of course, taken them on some type of outing. This is an activity that both grandparents and grand kids can enjoy. Although there are all sorts of places that kids will enjoy visiting, one of the best places you can take your grand kids is to the local zoo. One great reason to do this is because it can be an education experience for both you and the grand babies. This can also be an opportunity to teach younger ones about exotic animals. This trip is one that will undoubtedly be unforgettable for kids of all ages.