Have you ever heard, "I'm bored!" from your grandchildren? What can you do with your grandchildren that will keep them entertained and learning at the same time? Watching television and playing video games are easy distractions, but not the best solutions for boredom. What children want more than anything else is time with you. There are plenty of things to do that are entertaining, teach important skills, and give you and your grandchildren a chance to spend some fun time together.
When you spend time having fun with your grandchildren, you do more than just take care of boredom. If you are actively involved in their learning at home, your grandchildren are more likely to become successful learner both in and out of school. The earlier you begin working with your grandchildren, the more resonsive they will be to learning.
Be sure to include plenty of time for free play in your grandchildren's lives. Young children learn best through play. Adults tend to think of play as unimportant, but it's actually one of the best ways for children to explore and experience new things. Just a few of the skills that children can learn through play are:
-Figuring out how things work and solving problems
-Comparing and contrasting different objects
-Learning to understand and use language
-Building muscle strength and coordination
-Practicing control of their bodies
-Developing imagination and expressing creativity
-Learning about themselves, others, and the world
-Expressing their feelings in healthy ways
-Increasing their ability to concentrate
Children us a combination of skills and abilities during play. Children building with blocks can learn to plan, develop coordination and balance, use language to describe what they are building, and cooperate with their siblings and friends.
For some great low cost toys and activities check out this site:
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/pubs/chfd/CHFD-E-59-12.pdf
From The Cooperative Extension, The University of Georgia
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