Posted on November 29, 2017By AgeBrilliantlyTeamEditor Pick 2, Relationships

As the weather gets colder and the holidays grow near, the kids can feel cooped up in their homes and a bit antsy. It’s times like these when Grandma and Grandpa come in handy.

But sometimes it can be a challenge to keep the little ones satisfied and entertained. Well, we’ve got some special holiday activities to keep them chipper and merry – and wishing they could return to Grandma and Grandpa’s house everyday!

Here are our tips and tricks to give big smiles to your grandkids (with little effort and low cost!):

1.  Build Gingerbread Houses

Gather the grandchildren for some gingerbread house creations. Nothing gets kids (of any age) more excited than building a masterpiece and tearing it apart after. They’ll love tasting their edible homes and even getting the frosting all over their fingers along the way.

And don’t worry about leaving the house to get a gingerbread kit… just order one straight to your door from Amazon! This is great if you’re in a bind and don’t have much time. Check them out here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=gingerbread+house

2.  Go Sledding

If you’re having a white winter, take the grandkids to the local park for some fun sledding adventures! Don’t be shy – jump on the sleds with them and enjoy the ride! Plus, outings like these always warrant an exciting snowball fight.

If it’s not quite snowing where you are, you can still go “sledding”. Just go to the local grocery store and grab some ice blocks. You and the grandkids can sit on the ice blocks and slide down a grassy hill in the park – this is called “iceblocking”. It’s popular with the kids and they’ll have a blast! Not to mention, you’ll certainly be labeled the “cool” grandparents by the kids and their friends.

If iceblocking isn’t your cup of tea, you can still grab the sleds and slide down the grassy hills in the park!

You can always find some cheap sleds during the wintertime, starting as low as $9.99 from Sports Chalet

 3.  Host A Tea Party

Young granddaughters? During the winter season, a tea party is always a fun indoors event. The girls can help Grandma or Grandpa prepare finger foods and brew the teas. Make the event as sophisticated or as casual as you would like – a dress-up party or just a silly get-together (teddy bears included!).

The good thing about tea party foods is they are super quick and easy to make. Here are some simple tea sandwich recipes:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/tea-sandwich-recipes_n_1739268.html

4.  Visit Santa (even online!)

For the younger children, seeing Santa never gets old. Take your grandchildren to the local mall to see Santa and whisper to him what they want for Christmas.They might even want to write a letter to deliver to Santa in person!

You’ll find joy in watching them grin from ear to ear all day long and surely get some great photos of the kids with Santa.

If you don’t have time to wait in the long lines at the mall, you can chat Santa online! Don’t believe us? Click here!

5.  Make Hot Chocolate

Sometimes all the winter really needs is some warm hot chocolate. Grab a cup with the kids, cozy up by the fire, and maybe even read the kids their favorite holiday book. What could be better?

Even ask the grandkids to help out in the kitchen and prepare the delicious hot cocoa! You can get creative and try out some different kinds – peppermint, s’mores, you name it. Check out these creative hot chocolate recipes for some inspiration:

http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/25-decadent-ways-to-enjoy-hot-chocolate/

And don’t forget the marshmallows and whipped cream!

6.  Take Them Iceskating

If you’re feeling extra adventurous, bundle up and venture out to the local iceskating rink with the grandkids. They will surely have a ball skating around in circles holding hands with their Grandma and Grandpa. Besides, this always makes for a wonderful photo-op!

There’s always an iceskating rink close by and no need to buy any skates – the rink should have some handy.

7.  Make Paper Snowflakes

Believe it or not, kids love to help decorate the home with holiday fun. Get them involved in creating some festive paper snowflakes!

The kids will love getting in the holiday spirit, perfecting their unique snowflake creations, and then finding the perfect spot to place them around the home.

Here’s how to make some easy paper snowflakes:

http://hoosierhomemade.com/easy-winter-crafts/

Now go ahead and make some grand(kid) memories!

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