Creating meaningful moments with grandchildren can be a wonderful, enriching experience. At a grandchild friendly senior living community, there are many opportunities to build these important relationships. There are plenty of ways to bond, share memories and make the most of time spent together.
A grandchild friendly senior living community like Country Meadows offers opportunities to enjoy time between grandparents and grandchildren. Some ideas to consider include:
Board games and puzzles
Engage in friendly competition by playing board games or working on puzzles together. Senior living communities may have common areas stocked with a variety of games and puzzles for families to spend time together and challenge each other.
Outdoor activities
Many retirement communities offer outdoor activities such as bocce ball and badminton courts. Some senior living communities also have walking and biking trails for families to spend time together in nature, which is great for bonding and creating lasting memories.
Arts and crafts
Painting, drawing, making jewelry or creating other crafts encourage creativity and provide opportunities to share stories and laughter. Working on do-it-yourself projects like building birdhouses, making photo frames or assembling a model kit allows for collaboration and creativity. You can purchase kits at a crafting store, or a senior living community might have activity rooms filled with supplies.
Cooking and baking
In addition to private kitchens in some apartments, Country Meadows has many common kitchens for residents to use with each other and to create culinary delights with family. As a grandchild friendly senior living community, kitchens are stocked with pots, pans and bakeware for residents to share recipes, teach cooking skills and enjoy eating delicious meals with family members and friends.
Gardening
Involving grandchildren in gardening activities such as planting flowers, herbs or vegetables provides opportunities to share knowledge and teach children about nature and responsibility. Many retirement communities have community gardens for residents to plan, tend and share produce with neighbors, friends and family members.
Technology time
These days children have an amazing amount of knowledge about today’s technology. Ask them to provide lessons on how to use electronics such as smart phones, tablets and computers, which may be available for public use at the senior living community. Better yet, have them teach you how to use technology to make video calls, and then use it to connect virtually with grandchildren when they are unable to visit in person.
Share memories at a grandchild friendly senior living community
Pull out photo albums and scrapbooks to share memories and stories from your own childhood as well as stories from your parents and grandparents. This can help bridge generational gaps and create a sense of community. A grandchild friendly senior living community may have tools you can use to get these fun conversations started.
Volunteer together
Participate in volunteering within the senior living community or nearby. This teaches grandchildren the importance of giving back and helps you bond over shared experiences.
Maintaining relationships with grandchildren is essential for fostering emotional bonds, providing guidance and support, bridging generational gaps and contributing to the overall well-being of both generations. There are many more ways to connect with grandchildren to make the most of your relationship. Click here for additional ideas.
Keep in mind that relationships between children and grandparents can be affected by changes brought on by aging. If a loved one develops dementia, it can be challenging for a child to understand how to communicate. Country Meadows created an activity book for kids written to help them understand changes they may see in their older loved ones.
Country Meadows Retirement Communities offers Independent Living, Personal Care, Assisted Living and Restorative Care on its nine campuses in Pennsylvania and one in Frederick, Maryland. Seniors and their family members are welcome to contact our teams with questions and learn more about life at Country Meadows. Please contact us today for more information. We’re here to help.
I feel it is wonderful to let the grandchildren and their grandparents spend time with each other. For the people in their own apartments, could the grandchildren have a sleepover?
Thank you for asking. Time with grandchildren is so important. Grandchildren are welcome to stay over but do need to abide by the rules of guests visiting. They must be supervised and cannot eat in the dining room with other residents at this time.