What Grandparents Day activities do you have planned for Grandparents Day on 28 October?
Don’t panic, it’s not too late! Think of me as your events coordinator. I have some seriously loveable Grandparents Day Activities and ideas to honour grandparents or special guests.
When I think of my grandparents now passed, I have fond memories of the smell of lavender and peppermints, secret sugary treats, warm hugs and a very special kind of love. I was fortunate to have grandparents that played a significant part in my life.
Some grandparents are very present in the lives of their grandchildren, while others live far away or have sadly passed. As with every activity that is linked with the personal lives of our students, it is crucial that we are sensitive to the feelings of our students and be mindful of any distress that our activities may cause. The following activities are perfect for either a grandparent or special figure in a little person’s life.
Host a Grandparents Breakfast or Morning Tea
It’s not too late to coordinate a Grandparents or special person Breakfast or Morning Tea!
Download our Grandparents Day Invitations and choose from a selection of invitation designs to suit your needs. Print out and trim these invitation slips for children to take home and give to their grandparents or special guests.
Create a Photo Gallery
Make your guests feel special by creating a photo gallery to honour them. It is as simple as asking your students to bring in a photograph of their grandparents or of a person who is special to them. I used string and pegs to create a quick and easy display and to allow the heartwarming photos to speak for themselves.
Use your photo gallery to welcome your guests. Ask your students to greet their special person(s) on arrival and to show them their photograph. Ask their grandparents to talk about where the photograph was taken and the story that it tells.
A Cup of Tea and a Grandparents Day Card
A welcome drink is a perfect way to greet your special visitors at your get together. Whether it’s a good old fashioned cup of tea or a glass of juice, your students will love to offer their guest a drink.
I love these Cup of Tea Grandparents Day Cards! They are easy to make and use materials that you may already have in your craft cupboard.
To make these cards you’ll need:
- white card
- felt
- buttons
- egg cartons
- pipe cleaners
- tea bags
- double-sided sticky tape
- Blue Tack
If you are going to offer a cup of tea, remember that hot water brings with it dangerous hazards that must be carefully recognised and adequately prevented.
Rotational Grandparents Day Activities
In my experience, rotational activities are the way to go if you’re hosting a grandparents breakfast or morning tea. Short and interactive activities encourage students to spend quality time with their special guests.
Setting up rotational activities does take a little bit of planning but its all worthwhile.
- Arrange your students and their special guest into small groups. Give each group a name.
- Plan how much time you will give for each station. Bear in mind that some longer craft activities may need to be finished off at home.
- Choose your activities and set up your stations. Give each station a number.
- Give each group a starting position and make the direction clear!
For more ideas on how to use rotational activity stations read our blog 68 Ideas and Tips for Setting Up Maths Rotations in the Classroom.
Ideas for Grandparents Day Activities
Station 1 – Grandparents Day Interview
Use our Grandparents Day Interview Worksheet to scaffold an interview between your students and their special guest. This teaching resource makes links with Humanities and Social Science and encourages students to consider our past and present connections to people and places. Students ask their grandparents questions that prompt them to think about how they are connected to their grandparents.
Station 2 – Grandparents Day Top 10 Reasons Worksheet
Our Grandparents Day Top 10 Reasons Worksheet is a great way to get your students thinking about why they love their grandparent(s) or special guest. Why not extend this Grandparents Day activity by asking special guests to reciprocate and give ten reasons why they love their grandchild?
Station 3 – Happy Grandparents Day Art Activity
Use this art activity to celebrate Grandparents Day. All you need to do is download our Happy Grandparents Day Art Activity and provide a wide variety of craft materials.
Station 4 – Pizza Fraction Bingo – Whole, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8
Everyone loves a game of Bingo! Help your students to show their Grandparents how bingo has changed over the years and play a game of Pizza Fraction Bingo – Whole, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8.
Eyes down, legs eleven, all the fives…
Station 5 – Create a Grandparents Day Card and Flowers
Choose from our selection of Grandparents Day Cards and provide colouring and craft materials to encourage your students and their guest to work together. We made a super cute and easy bunch of flowers to accompany our card out of pipe cleaners and patty cases!
Station 6 – Grandma You Rock
The great thing about hosting a grandparent or special person morning tea is that your classroom will be brimming with adult helpers! You will need to make use of adult helpers to pull off this activity, but I love it!
For more ideas check out these teaching resources:
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There you have it, your Grandparents Day morning tea or breakfast has been coordinated for you!
If nothing else, try to make time to use one of these fun Grandparents Day activities to acknowledge the importance of Grandmas, Grandpas and special people who play a significant role in the lives of your students.
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