The senior community may be a place the grandkids are not very familiar with, but they would love to explore. A scavenger hunt will turn the afternoon into an adventure! Make a list of a dozen fun things to find, and join the fun!
Nature elements – a red leaf, a smooth pebble, some moss, a pink flower, an acorn, a pine cone.
Fruit – choose something that can be peeled, like oranges, kiwis or bananas.
Tell the kids about your favorite dessert growing up, find a recipe online, and get your cooking! Have the grandkids measure and prepare all the ingredients, and read out the instructions to you. Make sure they practice good hygiene (tie up hair, wash their hands), and go through each step together until the final product comes out of the oven. After cleaning up, walk around the community to share the dessert with the neighbors. Ask the kids to research and bring their own recipe next time.
If they kids have beautiful handwriting, ask them to address your Christmas cards. Alternatively, if you have access to a printer, and the kids are old enough, have them print address labels for your cards. Form an assembly line where the envelopes, cards, stamps, and stickers are all lined up and ready to go. Take the scenic route to the mailbox to drop them off.
Get a large poster board, draw a family tree and include as many photographs of family members as you can find. Entertain your grandchildren with a fascinating story about each family member. Talk to them about the part of the world your family came from, and what it was like growing up in your hometown. Tell them about when you had your first television set, and what you liked to watch. Do those shows still run? Watch a couple of episodes together.
Keep it simple and have fun. Encourage questions! Ask the kids to make their own list of activities for the next visit.
Retirement-or is life just beginning?