As quarantine continues, ElWell has compiled tips on generation bridging activities and how to be a great virtual grandparent. This includes:
Virtual Gardening
Teaching grandchildren how to garden can be done remotely – and you don’t even need to get their hands dirty. Choose some colourful and easy to grow plants (such as sunflowers and snap dragons) and plant them in portable pots while the kids watch on FaceTime. Then you can have weekly video calls to check how the plants are progressing and the grandparent can water the plant in front of them.
Asking questions about ‘their plant’ (such as how much water should it have, counting the number of leaves, talking about the colours of the petals or making plant labels) is a great way to keep their interest up and educate them. Use small pots – they are a good gift for the grandchildren when you see them next.
Reading a Bedtime Story
While there’s nothing quite like grandparents and grandchildren reading together, technology can really help. For reading with younger children, we like the Toniebox. It’s a child friendly portable speaker that doesn’t require screen time and lets kids listen to music and stories. You can record a story for them which they can listen to again and again.
