We all love making special memories, but how much sweeter would the memories be if we made them with our loved ones? Grandparents have been known to be the historians of the family for a long time, so they have lots of stories to share. The generational gap may make it seem like there’s not much to do, but there is a lot you can share with them in the real sense.
Seniors’ lives are not restricted to having fun even when they opt to move into an independent senior living community. On the contrary, when they are around, even if you’re far away from them, you know they are well taken care of and that they coexist well amongst other seniors. However, they still need their families to spend time with them. In this guide, we’ll look at ways in which you can spend time with your grandparents as you make lasting memories:
1. Cook and Dine Together
There’s no doubt that our grandparents are some of the best cooks around. These days, they may not have the energy to cook all the different meals they used to make and stand for long, but that doesn’t mean they can’t share their favorite recipe. The main goal is to spend time together, so try cooking with them. You can ask your grandparents to share your favorite recipes so that you can pass on the meal to future generations.
After the meals are made, gather around the dining table or yard and enjoy the food you made together. Alternatively, you can also organize a BBQ or potluck dinner with their favorite food and enjoy the meal together.
2. Go Out for the Day
Grandparents have their favorite spots and outdoor activities that they used to do when they were younger. You can go with them to some of their favorite sites like museums, fishing spots, restaurants, or parks. They can also take you to the place where they grew up if it’s not too far away. If you’ve always wanted to know what it was like when they were younger, then this is the time. While you visit, they will likely get flashbacks about their childhood and tell you all the fantastic stories during their era. It’s all about the simple things.
3. Look Through the Family Albums
Unlike this era of smartphones that rely on a backup cloud system to keep memories in case they get lost, most grandparents have well-kept memories in photo albums. These family albums will reveal the family history, and you can get to see pictures of them when they were younger. It will be fun to see younger versions of grandparents and even your parents when they were children. Additionally, it is nice to see what your grandparents considered important and memorable enough to take pictures of and keep.
4. Play Their Favorite Music
It’s hard not to recognize the feeling that music gives everyone. Besides being a source of relaxation, it also offers a platform for interaction. Almost everyone has a genre of music that they like, and music also gives us fond memories of past events in our lives. Therefore music would be a great way to start those discussions, and it’s also therapeutic for seniors. If they can play musical instruments, then allow them to play them, and in the process, they can also teach you how to play their favorite instrument.
5. Play Board Games
Some may consider board games to be old-fashioned due to the numerous games now available on our gadgets. However, even senior living communities know how important it is to provide such amenities due to the countless benefits. Some of the most common board games include card games, chess and checkers, and scrabble. In the process, the younger kids can teach their grandparents some new games.
6. Make A Family Tree
Besides having a family photo album, a family tree would be another fun project that you can do with your grandparents. A deep discussion into this would help clear any doubt that the kids might have about the family history and help establish a clear family lineage. Who else would be ideal to do this besides your grandparents?
Make a list of every family member, starting from the great grandparents to the youngest generation, and get details and photos of them, if any. Decide how elaborate you would want the tree to be and use craft paper on the tree with every family member represented, and stick scanned photos with glue to each person.
One of the best gifts to your seniors is giving them your time and creating those precious memories with them. Doing this is already therapeutic enough for them and cultivating this bond and culture lives on through the generations.
This piece was written by Jenn Walker
Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey.
