The holidays are coming, and if you’re lucky enough to safely gather for the holiday festivities, you’re likely already thinking about getting prepared! You might be frantically adding to your holiday to-do list: cook, clean, shop, plan, decorate, and more! But you know what? The best part of the holiday season is visiting with family. And if you’re a grandparent, that usually means visiting with your grandbabies! YAY!
So, if your grandbabies are visiting for the holidays, you’ll definitely want to show them the time of their young lives. They’ll enjoy spending quality time with you and getting spoiled by grandma and grandpa. But if you want some more helpful ideas, read below to make sure you’re uber prepared.
Here are some easy pointers to make sure your grandbabies – and your grown children – have a wonderful time with you this holiday:
Family Fun with Grandbabies
Holiday visits with family and grandbabies offer a moment to slow down, enjoy quality time, and get racing minds away from the stresses of everyday life. Here are a few things you can do at home with your visiting grandchildren:
- Break out the board games! Twister and Candyland are great for all ages. Monopoly, Pictionary, and more complex card games are perfect for older kids.
- Ugly Christmas sweater and pajama contests are super fun and super hilarious. Your grandbabies will love matching Christmas pajamas!
- Save some of the holiday decorating to do with your grandchildren! Decorate the Christmas tree and hang stockings, or set up one of those cute Christmas villages together.
- Bake cookies, bake pies, bake cakes. Decorate with icing and sprinkles. What’s cuter than a grandbaby eating sweet treats? This is also a great photo op!
- Make Christmas crafts or just crafts in general. It’s all about spending time together!
- Break out the craft paper and crayons and help your grandbabies write letters to Santa!
- Have a holiday family movie night. Pajamas, popcorn, and a movie on a cold winter evening is perfect for both the little and big kids in the family. Classic animated programs like Frosty the Snowman are great for very young grandchildren but enjoyed by all. For grandchildren over age five, try Home Alone or Elf.
Excellent Entertainment
Of course, many of the holiday’s most exciting events are just outside the front door! Here are some great ideas to show your grandkids and grandbabies a special night on the town:
- Holiday movies in the theater. Want to make it extra special? Consider renting an entire theater for the whole family!
- Tree lighting ceremonies and holiday community gatherings. Look for some virtual events or even events that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own car!
- Christmas caroling – DIY it and do your own caroling in your neighborhood!
- Bundle up and visit the local zoo or museums. Most usually offer some special holiday experiences.
- Host a “Polar Express” ride. Read the book, create “tickets” to ride, eat popcorn, drink hot chocolate and enjoy some treats on your “train”.
- Cruise around neighborhoods with amazing Christmas decorations to show your grandchildren an epic light tour!
- Find a local sleigh ride or reindeer farm.
- Visit Santa!
Happy Bellies
The key to any heart is through the belly, so feed your grandkids some of the dishes they eat at home, but also introduce them to family holiday food traditions, straight from the source!
- Ask ahead of time for their favorite meals or allergies so you can go shopping and get everything your little visitors love.
- Make cookies and pies and treats. It’s the holidays, after all!
- Stock up on kid-friendly staples like macaroni and cheese, cereal, bananas, pizza, chicken nuggets, and healthy smoothie ingredients.
- Make, decorate, and eat gingerbread houses made out of graham crackers.
- Involve them in the cooking! Teach them one of your special family recipes.
- Stay hydrated! With all the fun you’re having and all the treats you’re eating, you’ll want to make sure both the grandkids and the host (hint…that’s you!) are well hydrated.
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- Rent Baby Gear and Save Your Vacation
Outdoor Enjoyment
Here are some ideas for taking the kiddos outdoors for some fun and making sure they are tired when bedtime comes around (you’re welcome!). You all will enjoy some quality outdoor winter fun:
- Go for a hike (weather permitting) and rent a hiking backpack for your littlest grandbabies.
- Purchase or borrow sleds, toboggans, and sleighs for snowy hills in your area. Or book a sleigh ride in your area!
- Be prepared for lots of snowball fights and snow angel-making!
- Paint the snow! Grab some inexpensive spray bottles and fill them with water and food coloring.
- Create a Snowman or Snow Woman together! If you’re in a warm climate, build a sand snowman instead! Snap some pictures for great memories.
- Visit a local ski mountain.
- Look into any local ice skating rinks! After ice skating, treat your grandkids to hot chocolate at a local coffee shop.
Sound Sleep
Making sure sleep comes easy for your grandbabies is important for their happiness and even more important for your own kids’ sanity (aka your grandbabies’ parents!). These tips and ideas will make sure not a creature is stirring, not even a baby!
- If the littlest grandchild is still sleeping in a crib, make sure to borrow or rent a full-size crib and mattress. This will ensure they are sleeping in a familiar environment!
- You may want to have a baby monitor (or two, or three – depending on how many kiddos and rooms you have) on hand.
- Sound machines and humidifiers are another helpful way to ensure your little guests sleep well.
- Find a quiet sleeping area away from the hustle and bustle of the home. Dark curtains will also keep the room ready for naps during the day.
- Make sure your grandkids bring a “lovey” or some other comfort item from home.
- You can rent everything above (and everything else you might need) from BabyQuip – the leading baby gear rental platform serving over 500 destinations. BabyQuip Quality Providers will deliver baby gear you rent directly to your home! It’s easy, convenient, and will definitely give you peace of mind knowing you have everything you’ll need to host your grandbabies.
- PRO TIP: let your kids have a night off while they are visiting. Watch the grandbabies for the evening and let them have a free date night! When they get home and the kids are fast asleep, they’ll be thrilled and so grateful.
Grandmothers and grandfathers, rejoice! Your grandbabies are on the way for the holidays, and now you are fully prepared for a fun-filled visit. But remember, the most important thing is to soak up each and every moment with your grandbabies – they’ll love just spending time with you and creating memories.
Do you have a holiday tradition for when your grandbabies visit? Share in the comments below!
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