Wet half term!

I feel exhausted just reading this. Love my grandkids dearly but one day is enough.

Thank you everyone, I've had so much enjoyment reading these brilliant ideas. My two granddaughters aged three and eight are coming to stay and now I'm full of inspiration...if not energy!
Jinglebels I love the thought of you throwing the ball up the stairs on your own! You did make me laugh. Still, it sounds to be great fun.

Lots of great ideas here. Thank you. Have my two granddaughters, 10 and 8 for the week. Have planned already for Monday, two hours at the library with a story and activity. On Thursday the zoo. We have a fantastic zoo local to us but a bus ride away. Will take a picnic so hoping for a good dry day on Thursday. Will try some of these other ideas thank you so much.

What a great range of activities, gransnet at its best!

My two girls are 9 and 6 They usually stay with us, their grandparents for a few days every holiday. They love colouring, sticking, playing school( we have bought a real register) I have taught the elder one to knit. If the weather is reasonable I intend to teach them ' two balls' up against the garage wall, and if Grandpa can be persuaded some skipping rope games. Not an IPad in sight, though we do have the occasional DVD. Their favourite is ' The Secret Garden' Ah peace and quiet.

Ladies, I'm impressed - you are all so creative, I must be a really boring Nanny! I work full time so can never offer this support but do have them at weekends sometimes so will swot up on your suggestions to ensure they have more fun in future, if I have any energy left!
Thank you all

Our grandkids 9 and almost 6 are hooked at the moment on card packs called Top Trumps, different types, which is simple for both ages. Just looked on internet and they come in many different types, from Baby animals to Football. At the moment they like the Harry Potter cards.

What about getting the bus somewhere (which is usually an experience for children whose family have cars) then walking back home. You could play the game.... Spot different kinds of things ie a certain bird or a yellow car Etc in the walk home. That will always burn off some energy and it's a cheap day out....Enjoy

Trips out to the cinema and the local swimming pool ar good my grandson loves to play board games and you can't go wrong with rocky road nana3.

My lot are 6,5 and just 2. Sometimes a tricky combination. Jingbellsfrocks, you made me laugh!. I would try chucking a ball upstairs (on my own) too but a bungalow makes that a bit of a non starter!.

We have a brilliant newsagent/ craft shop in a neighbouring town and I think I will take them to one of their crafting sessions. Also a good theatre for a children's show one afternoon. It's the 2 year old that is a bit of a fly in the ointment for some things. Lovely boy though.

Good luck Gransnetters!.

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. What brilliant holidays ahead and most of all how lovely that you can be there to support and enjoy - even if it is exhausting - or in Anya's case have a very well earned rest from the usual melee.

We are at a much earlier stage, with DD and SIL coming to stay with 5 week old DGS for the first time ever. Busy cleaning the house from top to bottom - and procrastinating here every time I finish a big job like floors ...

As DD and SIL work in education, like me, we all tend to catch up in the term holidays. Mind you, we have already sown the idea that they might sometimes like to come and stay here while we go away ... we live in a little cottage on a farm and it is perfect for a getaway.

We will have a housefull as lots of extended family are invited to meet the baby on Saturday and to add to it all DS1 has just phoned to say can he come and stay too?! Only two bedrooms, but we do have a sofa bed so we will squeeze him in.

My butchers sells huge packs of bacon - feel like I need to buy one and a couple of dozen rolls to feed all the troops! I know catering for GCs must need a whole lot of organisation too as they get older and perhaps fussy with it.

Good luck everyone xx

(We have a wooden staircase so it bounces well)

Chucking a ball up the stairs and trying to catch it is still fun. I do it on my own sometimes.

I am so glad they are older now. God! I can remember playing post office. And shops.

I am going to book a pub-lunch-a-day. We all like eating.

I've no doubt teacher Aunty will do some 'making' with them. [yawn] And then there's their skateboards.

Rubylady that sounds like a dire situation but you sound very positive which is great !!

We have half term planned out, movies on Monday with DGD, DGS1 and DGS3 ( 2 for 1 movie tickets).

Then it's back to ours to rescue Grampy form DGS4 .

Then it's hide and seek ( I never move from my chair but they have huge fun) .

Then they'll cook me dinner ( I have them well trained , but Grampy helps) .

Tuesday , is our day off. Wednesday is swimming . Thursday is painting, sticking and glueing day - and we will be glittering Grampy!

Finally , Friday is carpet picnic, camping in the lounge and hunting for bears .

I will then need a week to recover

Many thanks to Humbertbear for mention of '365 Science Activities'. I looked it up on Amazon, bought it on eBay, it's arrived today and I'm going through it to check I have all ingredients etc, and that will be the Easter holidays sorted. A super book, and I also ordered companion volume of 365 Things to Make and Do.

Oh no, half term, another glorious week of having the bear with the sore head in his man cave upstairs! Throw lots of food his way and get my shoes on! Come on doggie, we're off out!

Don't get me wrong, I have done all the running about, parks, picnics, zoos even Disneyworld. But now I am worn out, tattered around the edges and him upstairs won't even give me the time to share a meal together away from his computer and facebook chat with the girl of his dreams, so time for me to do my thing now.

I'd be happy to have my GD (13) and GS (11) for half term, but their mum is a teacher, so they now have a family tradition of going ski-ing at February half term which lets me off the hook.

Thank you all for some good suggestions. I have added in a trip to The Range art and craft department with money for each to spend. Hope they will each choose something fairly time consuming! I found an Usborne book of card games so we might learn some new ones. I like some of the science experiments so we will make the kitchen even more messy, and they have a film editing app for their ipad so they are already preparing the script for their magnum opus!

Mine are all going way

No school run, no pick ups.

Mine are all going way

Mine are all going way

Mine are all going way

I know how you all feel. My grandchild is only one and it's been hell not getting out because of the weather. You are kind of limited with things to do when you have them all day. The wee one doesn't even have a nap, so you are on the go all the time.

I love having her but I can find it hard going at times.

I always used to do a bit of messy science with my DGCs. Get in a supply of balloons, vinegar and bicarb and you can make rockets, volcanoes, cable cars and much more. You will find lots of websites, this is one: www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html

As someone who hates board games I would go down the cooking and cutting and sticking route. It all depends on the ages of course but for older ones I would first suggest a long lie in!!
If that is a cop out or they are larks I pray for good weather for you. Our half term is next week and I am only on duty one day for an 11 year old who loves going out for hot chocolate and coffee for me. That is a morning gone.

My Granddaughter is 11. She enjoys board games and a card game called Uno.
Hobbycraft were selling pottery money boxes at the weekend (various designs) that come with tiny pots of paint so children can paint them, £1.50 - £2.00 each.
Cooking, sewing, sticking and colouring all go down well.