Something for the grand kids???

[suburbancowboy]

I have the grand kids here this week.  A boy 2 and a girl 4.  This weekend we are heading up to the cabin for an over night stay.  They are use to filling their time with watching movies.  I was wondering if any of you have some good suggestions of things that we can do with them to keep them busy? 

So far I have:
1. rid the 4 wheelers.
2. collect wild flowers
3. color pictures for the wall
4. play with clay
5. make cookies
6.

[kenhill]

Do you have helmets for them on the 4 wheeler, if not then no.
you could put the wildflowers between 2 pieces of wax paper and iron them so they can take them home.
Read to them.
Make playdough, you can find receipes on the internet.
Have them decorate cookies.
Tell jokes.
Play kick ball.
Give them lots of hugs and kisses and enjoy.  Grandparents have a special relationship with grandkids because they have time to devote to their attention.

[BassLakeBucki]

I agree, the quads with that age SCARE ME.

When mine were little, my dad would give them wheelbarrel rides.
My grandfather would build stuff with me from scrap wood ..... hand sawing wood and pounding nails would wear me out, just do it safely.

Bug Zoo
Scavenger hunt
Leaf collection
My son loved building forts in the woods, but he was a little older
putting screws in a board with the rechargable
building a fire -   which we later used while learning about fire safety.
fishing
catching frogs
Tonkas in the dirt
Hiking
Making your own map
My daughter spent hours "baking" her mud cakes and pies - of course I had to sit and act like I was enjoying her creations
Read them a book
my son still builds stuff with popsicle sticks and a glue gun ... he is 15.

Mine are still teenagers but I look forward to the day that I can enjoy time with grandkids.

[Pine Cone]

Give them some small hammers, nails, and scrap lumber.  Let them design and build or just hammer away.

[considerations]

aah yes...dont forget the naps 

[hpinson]

This is for rainy days.

I was at an antique mall the other day and saw a wooden multi game set which reminded me that I had one buried deep in the garage.  The boy is probably a little young, but the girl is old enough if someone participated with her, and the little one would probably be at least interested - Chinese Checkers, Snakes and Ladders, a card deck (Go Fish), Dominoes, Checkers and others for when they get older - Pachesi, Chess, Backgammon, Mancala. Mine was from a company called Melissa and Doug and called the "11 in 1 Game Set", but I don't think they make it anymore. Google Multi Game Set - these even used to be available at Walmart (but probably are not anymore).

I'm bringing mine up to camp next weekend.

[hpinson]

Oh, and a good collection of Matchbox cars!

[rick91351]

One of the things my kids when they were little and the grand kids seemed to always get a kick out of was wooden blocks saved off projects.  Few square ones a few rectangular ones and triangles and some just odd sizes.  They would spend hours playing with that stuff and getting dirty in the saw dust. Tracing pictures and erasing and redrawing.  Fun on the cheep  ... 

Strange what a little one can shove with a chunk of 2X4 and dirt.  Oh ya and sound effects.....

Miles of roads and dams and bridges and culverts and ??     

[MushCreek]

With young kids, I find pre-drilling holes makes the hammering a lot more successful, and less painful!

[suburbancowboy]

I love the ideas.

Couple of things I have got for the weekend to include from the dollar store.

Large puzzles
Bubbles
Still searching.

[ChuckinVa]

Make sure they have clothes that they can get dirty in. It's no fun if you have to stay clean !

[firefox]

That's funny, I am already retired and I feel the same way. What's the fun of it if you can't get dirty?   

Of course there is that little issue of getting the clothes washed......

Bruce

[suburbancowboy]

Thanks for all the suggestion.  We had a great weekend up there.  Here is a photo from one of the 4 wheeler rides.

Grandson fell asleep on the ride.