Grandparenting

The annual flowers are at their peak! A fun art activity to do with the grandkids this time of year is flower pounding. Flowers and leaves can be hammered to release their vibrant natural dye onto paper or fabric. Great results come from flowers that are mostly flat and have a lot of color, such as rose petals, bright daisies, geranium petals, petunias and pansies. ...

Whether you live nearby or far away, you hold a special position in your grandchildren’s lives. Especially as they enter teen years and adulthood, members of each new generation sort out their identities and values, often in opposition to their parents. But grandparents can hold unique influence over their beloved grandchildren.  ...

Summer is, unbelievably, half over. A Christmas in July party may become your family’s new and much-anticipated summer tradition. Ho-ho-ho and Merry Christmas in July! ...

Why is it that children are so attracted to dandelions? Maybe it’s because of their bright yellow color and their round, fluffy seed heads that are so much fun to blow into the wind and make a wish. Whatever it is, grandchildren love these flowers that we adults consider only as pesky weeds! ...

Grammy on the Go Karen Shardrach adds to last month’s blog on magical playgrounds. She and her grandkids and have discovered several other unique and fun playgrounds here in Northeast Ohio that feature unexpected climbing structures, pathways, tunnel slides, bear bridges and even dinosaur bones! ...

Before you rush into the heat of the moment with either advice or action that was neither requested nor appreciated, wait for a time when heads are calm and tempers are cool. Then bring up the incident(s) that trouble you. ...

Our Grammy on the Go columnist spends a lot of time visiting playgrounds with her two sets of twin grandchildren. She says, "It seems like most of the communities in Northeast Ohio have playgrounds that are now open and the grandkids are yearning to make up lost time, playing and visiting with their friends. We have a few favorites I’d like to share that we will definitely try to get to this summer." ...

Time for another egg hunt! Whether or not you attend any public egg hunts this year, you can always have your own egg hunt for the grandkids. Besides the traditional egg hunt, Grammy on the Go blogger Karen Shadrach has additional egg games for the children to enjoy! ...