One of the best things about getting older is seeing your children grow up and start their own families. Most people report that being a grandparent is even better than becoming a parent because you get to do fun things with them and shower them with love and gifts without all of the sleepless nights and overwhelming responsibility.

If you’re babysitting for the day or are just spending some quality time with your grandkids, then here are some activities you could do together.

Baking

Lots of people have stories about how they learned to bake from their grandmas, so give this experience to your grandkids. Baking is a fun activity that promises tasty, sweet treats at the end of it. They’ll love helping you measure and stir the ingredients, as well as licking the spoon afterward, of course.

Drawing or coloring

If you have restricted mobility, there are plenty of things you can sit down with your grandchildren to do together. You could fill in a coloring book together or draw your own creations. Try giving each other a challenge of what to draw and then each come up with the best drawing you can. This kind of creative activity can be good for you as well as them.

Reading

If your grandchildren are staying the night, then reading them a bedtime story is a fun and relaxing way to bond. But this isn’t just reserved for bedtime. You can sit together during the day and take it in turns to read, if they’re old enough, or just read the story out loud to them and encourage them to engage with the pictures and turning the pages.

Gardening

If you have a garden that you tend to, then this is something young grandchildren will love to get involved with. Give them their own plastic watering can to carry around and water the plants or grass with. If they’re old enough, then you can even give them gardening tools and let them help with some of the simple tasks.

Take a day trip

Give the parents a break by taking your grandkids on a trip for the day. You could take a walk or drive to a nearby beach, park, forest, or whatever else is nearby. Or you could take them to an attraction that’s suitable for kids, like a museum or play area. If there’s nothing nearby, then why not take a train somewhere? This is a good option if you don’t drive. But the train can be a good alternative even if you do drive, since they will probably find the train journey just as exciting as anything else they do that day.

If you have grandchildren, how do you like to spend time having fun with them? If you’re moving into a senior living facility, then your grandchildren can still visit and enjoy fun activities with you. Contact Brookstone of Clemmons if you’re interested in moving to independent or assisted living.