Did you know that Grandparent’s Day is celebrated each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day?
I wrote an article* that was published recently on P&G’s site, Home Made Simple, that gave a few tips and ideas for making this Grandparent’s Day memorable and special – for the grandparents in your life as well as their descendants. *While I was compensated for the article on Home Made Simple, I am sharing this info with my readers today because I think it’s a timely and fun topic.
How often do YOU make Grandparent’s Day the holiday that it deserves to be? Mother’s Day and Father’s Day both get lots of attention, but what about setting aside time each year to honor, celebrate and remember our grandparents? This year, dedicate some time to celebrate your own grandparents, and encourage your kids to tap into the wisdom and heritage of the older generation.
Here are a few of the ideas I mentioned in the article along with a few new ideas to make this Grandparent’s Day amazing!
Make homemade gifts: Do you remember how much your mom loved the mug you made her in art, or the handmade card? Grandma and Grandpa are guaranteed to get even more excited about hand made items – they indicate time and thought…and love!
Create a project together: …and let kids have a memorable experience with the whole family. Not only will a gift made together carry with it the memory of the one who gifted it, but it will carry the memory of the time spent together.
Create a time capsule: Have the whole family gather a few of their favorite things to put into a time capsule along with notes written to each other. Plan a time in the future to open the capsule.
For fun: Ask Grandma and Grandpa what they would have put in a time capsule when they were younger. The kids will love learning about their childhoods.
Bake something: Bake a special treat, as a family, or as a surprise, and enjoy eating it together. Food always impresses, even when it doesn’t turn out exactly like the picture in the cook book or on Pinterest.
Tell stories: Have you noticed that grandparents LOVE to tell stories about the way life used to be? When you get them talking about the good old days, you may be shocked at the funny stories and old family secrets that you uncover. And everyone in the family will probably learn a thing or two about why they act the way they do. After Grandma and Grandpa have had a good walk down memory lane, turn the tables…let the youngest generation tell stories of their not-so-distant childhood and then take a turn yourself, maybe sharing some stories that you remember about Grandma and Grandpa when you were younger!
Remember: If Grandma and Grandpa are too far away to get together on Grandparent’s Day, don’t forget that a phone call, a card in the mail, or a Skype chat can make their day. Even if Grandparents are no longer with us, their memories and stories are worth sharing – don’t let them be forgotten!
My article on Home Made Simple mentions a few additional projects and things to do with Grandparents this weekend, including a guide for saying Grandma and Grandpa in 7 different languages.
How do YOU celebrate Grandparent’s Day?
PS – the happy Grandparents in the picture above are not related to me. This is simply a stock photo that I purchased a while back. So I don’t want to be hearing anything about the striking family resemblance.
© 2013, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.
I need to start doing something with my parents & kids together on Grand parents day, we have never done anything before. Thank you for the reminder!
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I love these ideas! Especially making some homemade gifts! My kids love making the gifts, and my In-laws absolutely love getting the homemade gifts from the kids. They still rave about how adorable they are and they cherish them a lot.
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