Archives by: Karen Shadrach
About the author
Karen Shadrach is an on-the-go, in-the-know grandmother of two sets of twins, and our NEO Grandparent columnist. Prior to retirement, she worked within the Cleveland Clinic Health System for 33 years, both as a Registered Medical Technologist and a Lead Research Technologist in the Ophthalmic Research Department. Now retired(?), she spends most of her time babysitting-teaching and entertaining the twins. When she’s not grandmothering, Karen spends time with friends, plays flute in the Independence community band, is a member of the Cleveland Astronomy Society and walks her basset hounds, Tucker and Herman. Do you have grandparenting questions about where to go and what to do when you get there? Email Karen at
[email protected].
Karen Shadrach Posts
The air is getting cooler and the leaves are starting to turn colors. It’s beginning to feel like fall and it’s time for apple picking. The only thing better than spending a sunny, crisp fall day in an orchard picking apples is sharing this fall tradition with grandchildren. ...
Read more
There are so many things for your grandchildren to do with sidewalk chalk! Playing with sidewalk chalk reinforces the learning of color skills and also improves dexterity. Very little preparation is required for hours of colorful fun and contagious joy. ...
Read more
Do you want to go to a fun, all-in-one place where you can shop for candy, play miniature golf and eat ice cream? Then this giant wholesale candy store in Cleveland is where you need to take the grandkids this summer! This complex offers a multitude of fun, yet is still small enough to be able to maintain social distancing and to feel safe. ...
Read more
Make small wands by wrapping pipe cleaners around the top of sticks to form a circle. Popsicle sticks, a dowel rod, or even sticks from your yard will work well. You can get fancier and have the grandkids use beads to string onto the pipe cleaners to decorate before attaching to the wand stick. ...
Read more
Growing sunflowers with your grandchildren is a rewarding summertime experience. The weekly growth of sunflowers is staggering and the kids can measure and record each sunflower’s progress. Soon, the plants surpass the child’s height before blooming in late summer or early fall into their magnificent yellow and orange heads. And, of course, it is important to save some seeds for next year, dry them and wait until another spring to continue the sunflower tradition! ...
Read more
If you have a smaller box, just large enough to fit one child, make a race car or a car to take to a make-shift drive-in movie. I could not find four identically sized boxes (they must be the same!) so I bought four plastic storage containers. ...
Read more
Public egg hunts for the kiddos are a great Eastertime tradition, but if communities are still under coronavirus shutdown, you can have an egg hunt in your own house or yard! Plastic eggs can be filled with candy, such as small chocolates or jelly beans. Candy alternatives can include stickers, small toys or money. ...
Read more
Forget the old days of library shushing and disapproving glares. Libraries today are kid-friendly and full of things for you and your grandkids to share. See what's on the shelf and help little ones learn the love of reading. ...
Read more
