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Intergenerational Activities: 10 Ideas for Family Fun

Spending time with your family is a great way to reconnect and create lasting memories. However, sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what to do with your family when a lot of different age groups are involved. While adults often enjoy simply chatting or sharing a meal together, kids are typically drawn to more exciting and fun-filled activities, like playing with games, toys, and crafts. If you’re in need of some inspiration, check out our list of 10 intergenerational activities below.

Intergenerational Activities: 10 Ideas for Family Fun

#1 – Play a game.

Who doesn’t love a good game? There are a wide variety of options available, but of course you’ll need to pick a game that your youngest player can understand. A standard deck of cards offers many possibilities, or you might consider pulling out one of these classics:

  • Checkers
  • Charades
  • Monopoly
  • Life
  • Sorry!
  • Candy Land
  • Dominoes
  • Yahtzee

Your grandkids might have some fun ideas as well! They could probably teach you a thing or two about modern games.

#2 – Cook a meal or bake a special treat.

Kids love getting messy in the kitchen, especially if they know they’ll be rewarded with a tasty treat. Pizza is a great option, as it allows kids to play with the dough and make their own creative creation. If you want to bake, you can’t go wrong with chocolate chip cookies. Or, you might wish to cook a family recipe with your grandkids, sharing your own memories with the recipe in the process.

#3 – Garden or visit an orchard.

If you have a garden, why not see if your grandkids have green thumbs? Whether they enjoy the planting process or not, they’ll definitely have fun playing in the dirt, finding worms, and running around outside. You could also visit an orchard to pick apples, berries, peaches, or pumpkins (depending on the season).

#4 – Visit a museum.

Many museums appeal to people of all ages, but make sure you pick one that will excite the children joining you. Beware of history museums and art museums, and instead veer toward children’s museums, science museums, zoos, and aquariums. You might consider visiting the Greenville Zoo or the Children’s Museum of the Upstate.

#5 – Do arts and crafts.

Not a very crafty person? Don’t worry. You can find tutorials for dozens of kid-friendly crafts on websites like Parents or Good Housekeeping. Or, so long as you have some paper and crayons, markers, pens, or paint, you could draw or paint together.

#6 – Go on a nature walk.

Not only will this provide some exercise for you (and help your grandkids get their energy out), but a nature walk can be very informative. Look for funny bugs, like caterpillars or worms. Point out pretty birds, and listen to their chirps and songs. Collect rocks, pinecones, or fallen leaves. Most importantly, explore your surroundings and breathe in the fresh air!

#7 – Do a science project.

If your grandkids are elementary-school age, they’ll love a good science experiment. Again, don’t worry if you’re not a very science-minded person. Check out the tutorials for science projects on PBS, Parenting, and Bill Nye the Science Guy.

#8 – Play with a phone or tablet.

Instead of nagging your grandkids to put down their screens, consider joining them. Play around with facial filters on apps like Instagram or Snapchat, play a game using an app (like Heads Up!), or share videos that make you laugh.

#9 – Create a mini book club.

Do your grandkids love to read? Or perhaps their parents are trying to encourage more reading? Consider creating a little book club together. You can all read the same book and then discuss it over snacks. If your grandkids are a little older, you could choose classic chapter books with widespread appeal, like the Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or Pippi Longstocking. If your grandkids are younger, you could simply read a picture book together.

#10 – Go on an ice cream date.

Everyone loves ice cream. For a foolproof outing with your family, stop by your favorite ice cream or fro-yo shop or create a sundae bar at home. Here are some excellent options in Greenville: Molly and Myles Ice Cream, Creme Shack, Kilwins, Marble Slab Creamery, blueberryfrog, and Menchie’s. Since this doesn’t take much time, consider combining it with one of our other intergenerational activities.

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Now that school’s out for the summer, give your grandkids a call! We hope this list of intergenerational activities has helped you plan some fun-filled days with the younger members of your family.

Are you looking for a premier assisted living and memory care community in the heart of downtown Greenville, South Carolina? Come visit us at Waterstone on Augusta. Our community is both relaxing and elegant, and we strive to enhance the quality of life of the seniors we serve through teamwork and unity. To learn more about our amenities and to view our lovely community, please schedule a tour online or call us today at 864-605-7236.