How are you entertaining your grandchildren?

I have my grandson all day on Friday. I’m going to take him to the coast where hopefully there will be a cooler breeze. When we come home he’ll play on the water chute in the garden.

I had my 2 GC yesterday and it was very hot here. I packed up a picnic, rug, towel and a couple of little fishing nets and took them to a local stream which is currently very low and paddle-able and set us up under a shady tree. I made sure they had factor 50 sun cream on and sun hats. We were there for most of the day, just pottering around in the cool water, until home for tea.

I've got this problem as well but for a week. We usually cook scones or something but it is too hot. I've bought a small tent that can be moved around in the shade and they can make a den and maybe an ice lolly now and again.
They like modelling clay but it will mean a messy kitchen and it is self-setting. DH was hoping to take them walking but it is far too hot so we have found a nature reserve in a forest not far away.
Feeding them is another problem not many children relish salads everyday so we thought a visit to a chippy on an evening and go to a ruined Abbey near by to eat them and a play in the shade.We also have a forrest walk at a stately home planned.
Best of luck I was talking to a neighbour about this this morning.

I forgot to say my gd is 5yrs old

One of mine is 5 Ohmother and was very happy pottering in a stream. A swimming pool with a toddlers section would work too.
Are there any ice cream farms or parlours near you? Or a miniature railway, perhaps?

My gd arrives at 8 so out in the garden for an hour first thing, then sand modelling, making a model theatre, drawing, making peg dolls and a bit more TV than I would usually allow. I have painting and papier-mâché projects lined up plus a kit to make and paint plaster dinosaurs. I’m grateful I’ve only got one child to keep occupied. Looking forward to seeing other people’s suggestions.

Should add that I don’t have any transport so getting out to somewhere shady involves a long walk in the sun hence staying indoors

OK, do you have any outside space? A garden or patio? You could build a little den out there that your GC "furnishes" with her favourite toys, a cushion, colouring book & crayons, snacks and drinks etc. If not, you could still do the den on the living room floor.

Dens are a great idea, indoors or out. If too hot or no outside space then sheets draped over a dining room table with various interesting items inside and maybe even a picnic in the den go down well.

5 year olds just cant resist water/play dough etc

When very hot I found that sitting my grandaughters in a cool bath with toys and bubbles went down a treat!! They tended to be quite long baths but created water play without the mess, if you don't have an out door space

There is an ice cream parlour but it would take us a 20 minute hot walk to get to it. I suppose I could go earlier or later although it was boiling already when I had to walk the dog to the vets for 9:30 this morning

Some good ideas coming up here. Thank you all so far. ?

Yes, too far and too hot to walk a littley to the ice cream parlour. A den, either indoors or out, and a dish of ice cream from your freezer will be accepted with delight I suspect!

My grandson is 17 so does not need looking after but he has been a real help to us today, clearing ivy off the wall at the back before the sun was that side, then he weeded the front garden( in the shade). He ate a huge amount of course, and I paid him for his work, as it involved stretching and bending which we struggle to do.

My three - 11, 9 and 4 - have been in the garden pretty much all day, slathered in factor 50, either on the climbing frame, in the paddling pool or attacking each other (and me) with spray from the hose. I’ve forced fluids down them regularly (too often in their view).

Tomorrow, we will be cleaning the car, which is just another excuse for throwing water over everyone really and then may go to a nearish lido for a while.

Sadly,I don't have grandchildren, but my next-door neighbour has two delightful grandchildren, four and seven I think, They don't come often and I can see why. They arrived yesterday morning, and she won't let them outside in her precious garden, let alone take them to the field, playground or recreation centre, all two minutes walk away. Every so often I hear a plaintive 'please can we go outside, Grandma?' but they are not allowed out unless grandpa supervises them, and he is busy elsewhere today, preparing for their golden wedding celebrations! (you only get thirty years for murder.) She ignores them and sits on the sofa reading.
I feel like reporting her to the NSPCC

The cinema is another option as it will have air conditioning.

She ignores them and sits on the sofa reading.

Good grief why on earth agree to have them if she's not going to play with them or entertain them? Poor kids.

I've got my hyperactive four-year-old grandson here just now and had to take him to his swimming lesson this afternoon. Thought I was going to pass out - it was like a sauna in there! Trying to think how to keep him occupied tomorrow...chasing around after him in this heat is exhausting. He literally does not stay still for 30 seconds.

Cabbie21

My grandson is 17 so does not need looking after but he has been a real help to us today, clearing ivy off the wall at the back before the sun was that side, then he weeded the front garden( in the shade). He ate a huge amount of course, and I paid him for his work, as it involved stretching and bending which we struggle to do.

What a smashing lad! That was lovely to read. You must be proud of him.

‘She ignores them and sits on the sofa reading‘ How sad. Just chatting with young children is a joy.

DGD (5) and I spent quite a lot of time making our own snakes and ladders board on a large piece of paper. She wrote the numbers on the squares and coloured in the snakes. I covered it with clear sticky plastic to make it durable. We have spent lots of time playing it and she has (just about) learnt that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Thanks for all the ideas. We had a great time together playing vets with the soft toys. I have no emergency sticking plasters left but hey ho. ?‍♀️ She came up with some super creative ideas of illnesses and treatments for them. I was the minion writing down the details for her and inspecting the animals in recovery. I think she’s going to be a leader ?

That's lovely to hear Ohmother, imaginative play at its best!

Had my 4 year old grandson on Tuesday. He is dinosaur mad. We had lots of games involving dinosaurs and bowls of water in shady bits of the garden. We pretended it was the seaside, turned one bowl into a swamp, then when we had finished had soapy water to wash them all.