What to do with the grandchildren over the Easter holidays

[Gemini]

Prompted by Daisy's request for suggestions , I thought a thread was a good idea!
Some of us have grandchild duties and /or sleepovers over the Easter holidays.
Schools here broke up on Friday, so the holidays are just beginning here.

I have all 3 grandchildren all day on Tuesday. The following week I have GS1 all day Tuesday, GS2 all day Friday. GD otherwise engaged. On the 3rd week the Monday is Teacher Training Day so DD has asked me to have GS1 all day that day, instead of from school on the Tuesday. So, that is 2 full days to amuse a fairly high maintenance child who is limited to 2 hours a day screen time. I want to take him to the cinema on one of those 2 days, so I have decided that will be extra to screen time
He will play board games if you catch him in the right mood.

The day I have all 3 is in fact easy, as they are glad to be together and 9 year old GD is good at organising things they can do.
She loves craft, but her cousin doesn't, so we can't do that as a group activity. GD and 3 year old GS love to draw, but not the 6 year old.
Finding a DVD for all 3 to watch may be a challenge too! Last time they were all here GS2 still had an afternoon nap, so we all watched a film when he was asleep. I have no worries about amusing them all all day though, it will be fine. If is it fine weather they will play outside too.

The 2 days with GS1 are more of challenge!!

[Nanto2girls]

Going to be busy time for you Gem.
But,think of all the memories you will be making.

[grannyjules]

We’ve just had the twins for a two night sleepover, and survived!
Luckily Rhys had to come for awhile before Granddad took him riding and then Ryan popped in too.
They all got on really well playing with the cars and hide and seek.
So it was a bit easier to keep them all going.
We’ve already been bowling and on the slots with R&R.

[Daisy]

Gem - grannyjules mentioned hide and seek, and when our 4 GCs are together that's often what they choose to play, even though one is nearly 16! The other game they all play together is making dens or pirate ships out of the two single beds in my study.

Having the two girls on their own in their own home is harder - familiarity etc I suppose. But for GS1 on his own, Gem - I think the weather forecast is ok, so what about some kind of garden project - like a wormery (Key Stage 1 type of project), or a bee hotel?

https://schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk/R...y/Mini-wormery

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=726

https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-lea...ies/Activities

[Gemini]

Really good ideas there Daisy, thank you!

GS2 loves Hide and Seek btw. He always hides in the place you hid last time and can't find you unless you hide in plain sight LOL. He is just 3 though

I see what you mean about it being harder to make it different when looking after your GDs at their house.
You need something new or different to bring to them don't you?

[Daisy]

Gem, so far today we’ve made bracelets, played a near impossible game called Sum and Swamp,watched tv for a few minutes, cooked what we call “super jackets” for lunch and done some gardening. The girls are now playing on their scooters while I grab a quick cuppa! 😨😀

[Qwerty]

My grandchildren are all back at school my stint is over for a little while , good luck ladies

[Gemini]

Qwerty, they are back at school before Easter?! Odd holidays they have in schools in your area😁

[Nanto2girls]

i have heard that in some areas kids go back to school next Tuesday.
In our area they have always had the week of Good Friday off,and the week of Easter Monday.

[Gemini]

Yes, I have never known Easter holidays which don't include the Easter weekend! I suppose there must be a reason for it.
Ours have this week and next off, and I know others had last week and this, and go back straight after the Easter weekend.

[Qwerty]

Qwerty, they are back at school before Easter?! Odd holidays they have in schools in your area😁

Yes they went back yesterday Gem and are off again this Friday and Monday

[WeeGranny]

GS starts back next Wednesday ( Inset day on Tuesday). It's because Easter is so late that the holidays are all over the place. I think schools can't have more than 12 weeks teaching in a term, so the break had to be before Easter or the Summer term would have been too short and the Spring one too long! And there's another Bank holiday in a couple of weeks, so another day off school.

[Glammanana]

Our school holidays are different this Easter also,my eldest goes back next Wednesday after breaking up to-night all to do with Easter being later this year,then half term a few weeks later.
My baby GGD started full time reception school this last Monday ( the time has flown by) she finishes tomorrow and also goes back next Wednesday she goes 4 days a week 9am-3-15 and stays over for lunch,mummy said she was such a tired little thing on Monday after her first day.
Over Easter she and her brother are coming on a Easter Egg hunt at our local Strawberry Farm where eggs and Strawberrys will be up for collection so should be a lovely morning.

[Gemini]

Well yesterday with all 3 grandchildren went well.
The age range from a girl of 9 and half to a little boy of just 3, with a 6 year old boy in the middle isn't the easiest for joint activities. We played some games at home in the morning and OH and the older 2 watched a movie in the afternoon while I amused GS2.
After lunch and before the DVD we went to park, hiding rocks which GD and I had previously decorated, on the way. The 2 boys played together a little, both on the train and the climbing frame bridge where they re-enacted The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Mostly all 3 did their own thing however!

We were quite tired by the time they had all gone home, so we had a fish and chip tea

[Daisy]

i have heard that in some areas kids go back to school next Tuesday.
In our area they have always had the week of Good Friday off,and the week of Easter Monday.

Our GCs all go back on Tuesday - they've had two weeks and one day. Then of course there's the May Day Bank holiday to come. For State schools it's up to the Local authority to set the holidays each year, and this impossible task fell to a friend of mine at one time (not my county!) and she said you just couldn't please everyone, especially in schools close to county boundaries where families could have children in two or even three different LA schools!

When I was teaching I hated Easter being late - with exams starting at the beginning of May having two weeks off just beforehand gave no time for last minute revision for topics they were worried about, and it was a nightmare for skills subjects such as shorthand where you need regular practice.




Gem - your day went well. It sounds as though all three GCs did things they enjoyed and it was good that they could share some activities. As they get a bit older the age gaps will seem less obvious.