If you have grandchildren between the ages of 6 and 9, these suggestions for summer visits are for you.
Six- to 9-year-olds like kites, butterfly nets, jump ropes, recorders and board games or maybe a pair of skates, a yo-yo, a walkie-talkie, a computer, a camera, marbles, basketball hoops and ball.
On hot afternoons, art supplies are great to have on hand. Stock up on balloons, magic markers, construction paper, ribbons, yarn, aluminum foil, glue or paste and objects to paste, such as cotton, ribbons, yarns, toothpicks, scraps of paper, seeds, feathers, leaves or cereal.
Have beads to string, stickers, washable crayons or markers, paper punches and finger paints.
Kids enjoy playing make-believe. This calls for things like a tool bench, cars, trucks, doctor kits and toy phones.
Playing dress-up requires a drawer or a suitcase full of hats, shoes, jewelry, gloves, scarves, handbags, a veil, old plastic sunglasses, keys, combs, Grandpa's bow tie, and a cowboy or fireman's hat.
If they like music, let them make instruments. Dried beans or popcorn kernels in a plastic container will let them “shake, rattle and roll.”
A fun game is “Abracadabra, what's missing?” Fill a large tray or cookie sheet with a collection of objects — kitchen utensils, a pencil, ruler, small plastic toys, etc. The number of objects on the tray depends on child's age.
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