Conversations with Grandma Archives

Did you know that it’s Grandparents’ Day on Sunday, 27 November? Though this occasion isn’t as widely celebrated as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, it has been officially recognised in Singapore since 1979, one year after the US started. In Singapore, Grandparents’ Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of November.

While we need not be sucked into the commercialisation of the occasion, it would be nice to help the little ones show their appreciation of, and love for, their grandparents. On top of hand-drawn cards, big hugs, and a nice treat, here are some ways you can make the occasion even more special:

ORGANISE A PHOTO SESSION FOR THE GRANDPARENTS AND GRANDKIDS

Photo credit: Wong Wei Lun

It doesn’t need to be an elaborate studio shoot. You can get the grandparents and grandkids together doing something that they all enjoy, and capture their moments of interaction on your camera. Have the photos framed up, or for a special touch, have them printed on canvas and hung on the wall at the grandparents’ home.

Tip: Use a telephoto lens so your subjects won’t feel that the camera is in their face. You’ll probably be able to get more genuine candid shots this way.

PLAN A SLEEPOVER FOR THE GRANDKIDS AT THEIR GRANDPARENTS’

Grandparents love to spoil the grandkids. Give them the opportunity to do so (without being under your watchful eye) by sending the kids over for the day and letting them stay overnight. Let the old folks plan their own programmes with the little ones. You get some kid-free time; they get their kid-filled day (and night). Everyone’s happy!

ENABLE THE KIDS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR GRANDPARENTS
Sometimes, children may find it a little hard to communicate with their grandparents. After all, they are many years apart. And for many busy families, the kids do not get to spend much time with their grandparents.

You can help to bring them closer by giving them conversation topics. Using the Conversations with Grandma journal from Little Day Out Shop, children can have meaningful interactions with their grandparents by following the conversation cues found in the book. They can then record what they have learnt about their grandparents on the beautifully designed pages of the journal.

Conversations with Grandma, available from Little Day Out Shop for $2.90.

Getting to know the grandparents better – check. Improving conversational and written skills – check. Collecting precious memories – check.

Kids can also take a leaf out of Timmy and Tammy’s book – literally. In the book “Talking to Grandpa about the War“, Timmy and Tammy learn about the war that Grandpa lived through, and find themselves empathising with him.

Timmy and Tammy Talking to Grandpa about the War, available from Little Day Out Shop in a set together with three other books for $33.81.

A better understanding of grandparents is the start of a good relationship. When children show their love and concern for their grandparents, every day is Grandparents’ Day.

Ah, the short one week break, where schooling kids can have a breather amid their hectic schedules.

Before the “I’m bored. What can I do?” comments come up, here are a few meaningful activities the kids can engage in:

JOURNAL ABOUT THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR GRANDPARENTS

Kids love their grandparents, but often find it hard to have conversations that go beyond “Eat, Grandma” or “Goodnight, Grandpa”. It could be because of the language barrier, or the generation gap that they assume exists between them and the old folks.

Contributor to Little Day Out Shop, Jacqueline Zhang, has come up with a solution to this problem. Her latest product, Conversations with Grandma, is a journal that contains conversation cues to help spark meaningful conversations between children and their grandparents.

There are 16 pages in the journal, each with a differently-themed conversation topic exploring the past (e.g. where the grandparent used to live and what it was like back then) as well as the present (e.g. what the grandparent’s favourite food is and where it can be found).

Children are encouraged to record what they have learnt or found memorable on the beautifully designed journal pages. There are even spaces for photographs and drawings.

Jacqueline hopes that this activity can be the start of better relationships and wonderful memories.

Conversations with Grandma is available at Little Day Out Shop for $4.90.

GO ON A QUEST

On a day with nice weather, it’s good to have fun outdoors. Even better – and more exciting – to be on a quest!

The Merlion Park is a good place to start. Using Little Day Out’s Exploring Merlion Park activity pack, you’ll have a fun day discovering interesting finds such as the cute elephant with a unicorn’s horn, and a poem about the Greek hero Ulysses’ encounter with the Merlion. A great activity that nurtures children’s curiosity and observation skills – assets that will stand them in good stead in their schooling and working lives.

Exploring Merlion Park is available at Little Day Out Shop for $1.50.

Another exciting way to spend a family day together is to go on a treasure hunt at West Coast Park. For convenience, use Little Day Out’s activity pack, Mystery of the Missing Goblet (West Coast Park Treasure Hunt), which contains a series of clues that will take players around West Coast Park in search of the Golden Goblet of Gablegon. Your little sleuths will have a fun time unravelling the mystery in a test of their analytical and observation skills!

Mystery of the Missing Goblet (West Coast Park Treasure Hunt) is available at Little Day Out Shop for $3.99.

We hope you’ll enjoy the September holidays. More suggestions coming up in our next post. Till then!

Tag Archives: Conversations with Grandma

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