For many families, the process of helping an aging parent or loved one transition to a St. Augustine nursing home or senior living community can be an anxious time. But you’ll quickly find that local CCRCs are designed to provide seniors with access to a vibrant, exciting, active lifestyle that helps build social connections and overall wellbeing. However, this new chapter doesn’t need to mean changes in strong family connections!

Planning fun, engaging activities for grandkids and grandparents to share when visiting St. Augustine nursing homes can help the whole family create lasting memories together. With an array of community amenities to share – plus a handful of creative activity ideas to keep handy for visits – grandchildren of all ages can enjoy this special time spent with their loved ones. Read on for a few ideas to get started!

Embrace the Power of Storytelling

Is there any gift more precious than sharing a story? From tales of family history to personal anecdotes and life lessons, grandparents have so much to share with grandkids and younger generations. Grandchildren are often fascinated to learn about what life was like when Grandma and Grandpa were younger. It’s the perfect opportunity to bring along old family photo albums to enrich the storytelling with visuals.

Here’s a few entertaining storytelling activities for grandparents and grandkids to share during visits to St. Augustine nursing homes:

Try reading favorite children’s books or classic novels aloud together. Let a school-age grandchild practice their reading skills on Grandma.
Work together to record an oral history. Help a grandparent record their personal history and life stories as a special family keepsake. Grandkids can conduct an “interview” asking Grandma questions about her life.
Discuss current events. Encourage grandkids (and especially teens) to discuss pop culture, school happenings and more with Grandpa. They’ll benefit from his wisdom and perspective.

Get Crafty and Creative

Everyone loves expressing their artistic side! There’s plenty of arts and crafts activities that grandparents and grandkids can enjoy together. Consider how seasonal crafts are often a hit with kids and provide fun keepsakes to decorate with over the years. This could mean making popsicle-stick Christmas tree ornaments in December or hand print turkeys in November.

But why stop there? Here are some more fun crafting ideas for grandparent-grandkid visits:

String colorful beaded bracelets or necklaces
Create greeting cards for upcoming holidays or birthdays
Piece together puzzles
Build with Legos or blocks
Make paper snowflakes, finger puppets, or origami animals
Paint rocks with inspirational words or cheerful designs
Assemble scrapbook pages
Knit a simple scarf or crochet granny squares

At the end of the day, the best part can be proudly displaying the grandparent and grandchild’s special creations in Grandma’s room or taking them home as cherished keepsakes. The best gift is creating something together!

Get Your Game On

Board games, card games, chess and checkers never go out of style. Does your family like some friendly competition? Take the time to practice those strategic thinking skills. Your St. Augustine nursing home may have a collection of games available – or you can bring along those longtime family favorites! Try Monopoly, Scrabble, Uno, Go Fish, or jigsaw puzzles.

Grandparents can also teach eager grandkids classic games from their youth like canasta, cribbage, dominos, or backgammon. If you’re ready to get the whole family involved, try a big multiplayer game like Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit, or Charades.

Looking for more ideas? Here are some entertaining game ideas for grandparent-grandchild visits:

Work on crossword puzzles or brain teasers together
Play a game of 20 Questions or I Spy
Engage in fun physical games if mobility allows, like indoor bowling, ring toss, bean bag tic-tac-toe, or balloon volleyball
Hold a family poker tournament or bingo night

Get in the Kitchen

There’s nothing that brings families together like food. If possible, try doing some simple cooking or baking with grandkids in your St. Augustine nursing home kitchen. Maybe this is the perfect time to pass along favorite family recipes – like Grandpa’s famous oatmeal raisin cookies or Grandma’s chicken noodle soup. If you’d like to keep the process more simple, even decorating pre-made sugar cookies, making s’mores in the microwave, or assembling trail mix Chex Mix can yield delicious snacks to share together.

Consider these other engaging cooking activities for grandparents and grandkids:

Decorate cupcakes or ice cream sundaes
Make personal pizzas and see who’s is the most creative
Sample different kinds of fruits, ranking them from most favorite to least favorite
Have a popcorn taste test with varying seasonings like cinnamon sugar, Parmesan, or ranch
Prepare simple no-bake recipes like Rice Krispies treats or ice box cake
Make “ants on a log” with celery, peanut butter and raisins

Be sure to manage any dietary restrictions with the nursing staff where needed.

Lend a Helping Hand

Many grandparents take great pride in passing along skills to the next generation! Let them teach their grandkids something special during their next visit. This could be the perfect setting for a knitting lesson, sharing whittling tips, or learning how to sew on buttons.

Here’s a few other useful skills grandparents can teach grandchildren:

How to write in cursive
Household tips like folding a fitted sheet or ironing a shirt
Gardening basics like planting seeds or pruning roses
How to tie different knots
Fishing or camping skills
Photography or drawing tips
Identifying different bird calls or types of leaves

Soon, grandkids can begin to master new abilities with grandparents cheering them on – and they’ll both cherish new opportunities to utilize these skills together.

Making Memories in St. Augustine Nursing Homes

While making the transition to a St. Augustine nursing home or CCRC can be a challenge for your loved one, it’s also an opportunity to connect them to the care they need in a vibrant environment packed with great services, amenities and activities. In this transitional time, family visits can be a great source of joy for grandkids and grandparents alike. With some extra creativity and planning, these fun activities can lead to special memories for all generations.

Whether you’re sharing stories, enjoying beloved hobbies, celebrating milestones, or playing games, you’ll find many meaningful moments shared between grandchildren and grandparents in senior living communities. You can also take advantage of recreation spaces, activity calendars, outdoor spaces, and local outings to make visits even more engaging. Bonds between grandparents and grandchildren are truly one-of-a-kind – and they can keep flourishing and growing in St. Augustine nursing homes and CCRCs, too.

If you’re still looking for the right fit or helping your loved one make the transition to the senior living community that’s a perfect fit for their lifestyle, don’t hesitate to contact Senior Care Options. We’re excited to assist you in finding the right levels of care!

Family Visits Made Fun: Activities for Grandkids in St. Augustine Nursing Homes