Grandpa Richards Kids

It’s summer! I remember when I was young, we’d have a great July and early August, and then we’d start to get bored. As a parent, I would have loved to try some of these ideas. Maybe you can do them with your kids.

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As the long, lazy days of August arrive, keep it fresh with these fun ideas from Lever 2000 (www.homebasics.ca) . They’re guaranteed to help you relive the joys of your childhood, while savouring the moments that will fuel your kids’ nostalgia when they’re older. Read the rest…

I find that it is always interesting to observe my grandchildren, especially when they were pre-schoolers. Almost everything for them is a wonderful new experience and usually makes them smile ear to ear. My grandchildren are like a fresh start for me.

Grandparenting offers many of the joys and benefits of parenting, without many of the hassles, constraints, and day-to-day responsibilities. Don’t you find that your grandchildren are one of God’s greatest gifts? But there’s more to having grandchildren–that is, being a grandparent–than simply keeping track of them, which is hard enough.

TEACH

Take the opportunity to teach them healthy habits. The best time to start these lessons is when your grandchildren are young, before bad habits have a chance to form. One habit that I taught Jasmine is to always return things to their rightful place. If we don’t, I explained, then we might lose the item. Although she does not always practice this habit, she knows it in theory.

One day I was unable to find something I needed. Jasmine asked me what I was doing. When I explained, she stated, “Did you put it back Grandpa?”

Ouch!

TALK

Talk to your grandchildren about things, every day things. It is amazing the types of comments I get from Jasmine when I ask her questions. She can come up with some very interesting insight.

TELL

Tell your grandchildren stories. Not just from books. Jasmine even asked me one day to tell her stories about her mom. Now that was an interesting topic! As a grandparent you have a wealth of stories in you. Make them interesting and your grandchildren will ask for more.

BEFORE YOU GO

One last random comment. Keep a camera close at hand. You never know when your grandchild might do something interesting, and getting a photo helps that moment last a lifetime.

Children love the various traditions that we have surrounding holidays. One of the most recognizable symbols of Thanksgiving is a cornucopia, or horn of plenty. It represents a bountiful harvest. It can make a lovely centerpiece on any holiday table. There are many different ways you could make a cornucopia, using different materials, many of which you can find around your home.

By using a wicker basket shaped like a horn, it is quite easy to do a basic cornucopia. Most craft stores carry them, usually in early fall, if not year round. Once you’ve selected a lovely basket, you can either fill it with artificial or real fruit and vegetables. If you chose to use real produce, it’s probably best to wait to fill the basket the day of your dinner so it doesn’t spoil before dinner. Some fall leaves scattered around the cornucipia are a nice finishing touch.

By involving your children in the construction process, you will have an opportunity to discuss the meaning and reason for both the holiday of Thanksgiving, and the items that make up the cornucopia.

You could also get them to make paper versions. There are many patterns online for adorable paper cornucopias. One example Read the rest…

Halloween is the best time of the year to scare people and to show off your creativity at the same time. Everybody loves to don on their home-made vampire or witch costumes while they roam around the streets, trick-or-treating. But did you know that you don’t have to try too hard just to get that perfect Halloween look? You can use simple Halloween face paint designs and still look amazing!

You basically don’t have to be a professional painter to do this. As long as you are highly imaginative, then you can certainly paint your way to beautiful Halloween face paint designs. Nevertheless, there are a number of tools that would surely come in handy. You need around 3 to 4 types of brushes, face paints of your choice, and some sponges. The colors will depend on the idea you have in mind. You can go for plain colors, such as black with some lining of silver for that one-of-a-kind evening glow. Or you may settle for something more elaborate, using a wide variety of colors and stick on jewels for a more mystic effect. You can also add some body glitters if you want to sparkle. Even the UV-type face paints are gaining popularity among face painters. Read the rest…

Halloween is probably one of the most anticipated times of the year for children. They love roaming around the neighborhood or attending parties and other special events with elaborate costumes. The boys love superheros and the girls love to transform themselves into princesses, fairies, and pixies. But what they love to do most is to paint their faces. Here are some fabulous and easy-to-do Halloween face painting ideas for your children: Read the rest…

If you are going to celebrate Halloween, then you HAVE to have a pumpkin. If you are going to have a pumpkin, then you HAVE to carve it. However, it can be frustrating to carve one. If you haven’t done very many of them, it’s best to start out with a simple design. The traditional jig-jog smile and triangle eyes and nose are pretty easy for anyone to do.

There are kits that come with patterns, but some of them are a bit labor intensive. There are special pumpkin carving tools, including small saws, that make it much easier and safer, especially for children. It is best to use a sharp knife, as a dull knife is harder to control. Only let older children use knives with supervision. Be sure to always cut away from you so if the knife does slip you are less likely to have an accident. Read the rest…

Another scavenger hunt article from Grandpa Richard. (can you tell that I always liked this activity when I was young? - I still do!)

This next paragraph is a review for my regular readers and you could also read the past articles at (www.grandparichardskids.com/gr-blog/activities/scavenger-hunts/ and www.grandparichardskids.com/gr-blog/activities/more-on-scavenger-hunts/ and www.grandparichardskids.com/gr-blog/activities/hi-tech-scavenger-hunts/.

A scavenger hunt is a fun activity that not only provides a chance for kids to get outside before the weather gets colder, but it can help them think creatively too. There are a few different ways to do a scavenger hunt. Depending on where you live, you can have different kinds of scavenger hunts. If the children are too young to go on their own, you can team them up with older children or adults or even have small teams. Read the rest…

Halloween. What visions come to your head when you see that word. My grand daughter insisted on trying on her costume over a week ago, and the big day was still 5 weeks away! At work I am sure the ladies are starting to plan the parties and contests that we have each year.

What we now know as Halloween has a long and complicated history. It doesn’t come from just one source. It’s a blending of religious rites, superstitions, customs and traditions and has become what we know today as a night of costumes, parties, candy and spooky stories. By combining elements from the Celtic druids from 2000 years ago and the Roman Catholic Church, we have what it is recognized as Halloween. Read the rest…

Fall is a great time to enjoy family activities that you may not have had the opportunity to enjoy during the summer because of the oppressive heat. Now would be a great time to plan a trip to enjoy the great outdoors. Camping, hiking, backpacking, and geocaching are just a few of the activities that would be more enjoyable during the crispness of autumn.

While it’s true that you can go camping during the summer, unless you are able to travel to the mountains where it’s always cooler, it may have been too hot to enjoy the trip. One of the benefits to camping in the fall over the summer is that bugs are less likely to be a problem. You’re also less likely to come across snakes as they will be searching for dens in which to hibernate this winter. Read the rest…

As I write this post there are only 30 days until Halloween. Now, all it takes is a “Boo” and a giggle, and Halloween sky rockets to the top in a list of favourite holidays. The costumes, the spooky fun, the crafts, games, and of course the treats make this holiday perfect for throwing a party. Best of all, with a little imagination your party can be as spooky or tame as you want it to be and everyone will be guaranteed a good time.

There are several keys to a great party including:

• Invitations
• Decorations
• Music
• Food
• Games and activities
• Crafts
• Goodie Bags

In order to pull it all together, careful planning and organization are required. To make your party as easy as possible, we’ve broken down each facet of your party into suggestion, tips, and tools. Let’s not waste any more time talking about the perfect Halloween party, let’s get down to business.

To read the entire story, just download my “Seven Simple Steps to a Super Halloween Party” booklet. It is a 17 page PDF file, easily read and printed from any computer with the free Adobe Reader software. (due to the graphics in the document, all Halloween themed, it is about 6 MB in size) PDF file for Halloween Party Planning

[for a version without all the graphics - only about 70 KB in size! - use this one PDF file for Halloween Party Planning but the graphic filled one is a lot more dramatic to look at and print!!! ]