Summer Activities for Seniors and Grandkids
Outside parties are plentiful. Daylight lasts longer. Kids are home for their summer break. Its summertime and everyone is ready for warm weather and sun, especially kids on summer break. Since many parents have to work during the day, many look to grandma and grandpa to babysit while they work. In cases like these, we have put together a list of summer activities for seniors and their grandkids to keep everyone active and enjoying the summer sunshine.
Go to the Park
Children love going to the park and playing on the swings, the slide, or the monkey bars. The playground is a place with many possibilities for grandparents and grandchildren to have fun. Even just lying in the grass and using the imagination by watching the clouds can be an enjoyable summer activity. Also, it is a great way for both parties to get some physical exercise; walking around the park, pushing grandchildren on the swing, and keeping up with the little ones can all be fantastic ways to get exercise in during the day. Going to the park is one of many fun summer activities for seniors and grandkids to do together to enjoy being outside in the summer sun.
Go on a Nature Walk
Another exciting activity for grandparents and their grandchildren is going on a nature walk together. A nice summer walk through the park or on a path in the woods is a great way to spend some quality time with the grandchildren. In addition to the nature walk, try collecting some memorabilia along the way, like flowers and leaves. Plus, taking a nature walk with the grandchildren is a fun way for seniors and children to get some physical exercise. In addition, a nature walk can help the seniors with their mental health through the physical exercise. It will result in more blood flow to the brain and improve links between the brain cells, thus improving the seniors’ mental health. This activity is a perfect opportunity for some special bonding time between grandparents and grandchildren this summer.
Go on a Lunch Date
Something that children love almost as much as having fun is eating delicious food. By going on a lunch date with their grandparents, they can have both fun and delicious food. What better way to buy a child’s love than to buy them some dessert? Also, it is a fun little weekly or monthly activity that the senior can have with their grandchildren. Having a lunch date can help create a more solid bond between a grandparent and their grandchildren. A weekly lunch date is an extremely fun activity that grandparents can do with their grandkids this summer.
To see some examples of places for seniors to take their grandchildren, click here.
Play Some Puzzles and Games
Playing some puzzles and other games on some rainy summer days are really fun bonding experiences for grandparents and grandkids. It’s a good way to have some fun with the kids and (occasionally) letting them win will put the biggest smile on their face. There are many board games like Sorry, Candyland, Connect4, and much more that are easy and fun to play. In addition to having fun with the grandkids, playing games and puzzles will help maintain a healthy brain for the seniors by stimulating new connections between nerve cells and possibly generating new cells. Additionally, they will help seniors to develop neural plasticity and help to fight against future cell loss, thus improving their mental health. Playing some puzzles and games can be exciting summer activities for seniors and grandchildren to bond over.
To learn more about what board games are fun to play for seniors and grandchildren, click here.
Teach Them a Hobby
Another fun way to spend time with grandchildren is by teaching them a new hobby. There are many hobbies that grandparents can teach their grandkids, like fishing, knitting, building things, puzzles, etc. Hobbies teach them good skills to have and gives provides a specific activity between the seniors and the children. In addition to teaching skills, it helps form a special bond between the two of them. Also, it provides a very meaningful way to pass the time and form some amazing memories between the senior and their grandkids. Teaching a hobby is one of many amazing activities that grandparents can do with their grandchildren this summer.
Have Arts and Crafts Time
Children love using their imagination through arts and crafts. Grandparents can use this to their advantage and have some quality bonding time doing arts and crafts with their grandkids. This allows children to express themselves through their own creativity and have certain skills later in life. So, grandchildren and grandparents will benefit from arts and crafts, as well as, form a bond with each other that will help form a more solid relationship. Having arts and crafts are fantastic summer activities for seniors and grandkids to do together.
Go to the Pool
Children love going swimming during the extreme heat of the summer. This is also a fun activity to do with the grandparents. The grandkids can have fun in the sun with their grandparents splashing all around. In addition, the grandparents can have fun with their grandkids and get some physical exercise in too. This can be a special bonding moment because the grandchildren can see how much fun their grandparents can be. Going to the pool is one of the many activities that grandparents can do with their grandchildren this summer.
Visit At Home Senior Services
There are many summer activities for seniors and grandchildren to do together. However, these activities are much harder to do if the senior is not living in their own home. In-home care can be the solution to that problem. In-home care allows seniors to age in place. Agencies like At Home Senior Services can help. At Home Senior Services is an in-home care agency dedicated to helping seniors age in place throughout the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Visit www.athomeseniorservices.com or call 412-604-0410 to start the process of connecting with a caregiver.