Grammy on the Go
By Karen Shadrach
There’s something incredibly special for grandchikdren to spend a night or two at their grandparents’ house over the holidays, and especially when you turn the visit into a mini camping adventure! Not the wilderness-survival type, but the kind filled with family stories, movies, games and homemade treats.
Whatever room your tree is in, let your living or family room transform into a campground. Make sleeping bags appear where the coffee table used to be. Chairs can become mountains. Couch cushions and pillows can morph into fort walls. Dining room chairs can also form tent walls and may become bridges. Give the grandkids sheets and blankets to connect and cover the chairs and sofas to create tunnels to crawl through. Every fort is an improvisational masterpiece. The grandkids suddenly become an engineer, interior designer and structural architect, all at once. Building a fort is teamwork. Everyone gets a job, and the fort becomes a shared creation and memory.
Here are some simple blueprints for excellent forts. Of course, allow the kids to do their own thing to build their unique blanket fort. These are just a few ideas on how to help guide them:
1. The Chair-Back Classic
- Line up 4–6 chairs in two rows
- Drape sheets over the top and clip them with clothespins
- Add blankets on the floor + pillows
Best for: Families, movie nights, mid-day retreats
2. The Sofa-Cave
- Pull couch cushions forward to create a hollow space
- Drape a blanket from the back of the sofa to a coffee table
Best for: Solo reading nooks
3. The Ceiling Hang
- Tie a bed sheet to curtain rods, hooks or a tension line
- Let it cascade down like a tent
Best for: Lofty ceilings or open rooms
4. The “Big Camp” Build
- Combine chairs, sofas, broom handles and boxes
- Use multiple sheets to create rooms
Best for: Sleepovers and all-night fort adventures.
Forget starting a real campfire. Create a campfire glow on your kitchen table from a cinnamon-scented candle, flickering beside a plate of homemade cookies. Tell your grandchildren tales of your past holidays or family traditions. Don’t forget the s’mores! These can be made over the stove or microwave marshmallows for a few seconds until they become melty.
If the night is still young, you can plan to play a game together. The card game, UNO, is a fun and fast game for all ages. Board games or dominoes are also great choices.
It’s always a hit to pop your own popcorn, make some hot chocolate, and watch a holiday movie while sitting in their blanket forts. Favorites include “The Christmas Story,” “Home Alone” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
The children must be somewhat tired by now! So, her comes my favorite part… lying under the Christmas tree. There is something almost otherworldly about lying on the floor under the tree with the lights dimmed and nothing but the Christmas tree lights illuminating the room. The soft glow turns the pine needles into a galaxy of tiny stars. The ornaments look enormous from this strange vantage point. Read the kids a favorite holiday story or let them describe to you what they can see looking up into the tree. When bedtime arrives, all lights off except for the lights on the tree.
Morning comes with the smell of bacon through the house. The children are all hungry and anxious to help you make some fun pancakes. You can mix normal batter but add special things such as blueberries or chocolate chips. Fry up some small dollar pancakes or make extra-large ones. To the large ones, you can place a stencil on top and sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it: Turn off the overhead lights, spread out a few blankets, and camp under the glow of the tree. You might be surprised at just how magical it feels.
Photos by Karen Shadrach
