Grandparents Day falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day, and there is no shortage of ways to celebrate this special day. Whether your grandparents are still living or have passed on, take some time out of your busy life to honor your grandparents. Celebrate all that they mean to you with these Grandparents Day activities.
Ideas for Celebrating Grandparents Day
Cynics may want to believe that Grandparents Day is just another trumped-up way to sell more greeting cards, candy, and flowers, but it still means something to many grandparents across the USA. With that in mind, consider the following ideas for celebrating this holiday in a meaningful way.
Hold a Family Photo Shoot
Surprise Grandma and Grandpa with a fun photoshoot. Tell them to dress in their finest frocks and meet you at a designated location. When they arrive, have a photographer ready to snap some memorable images of them. You can incorporate other family members into this idea as well. Consider having all of their grandchildren present and taking some pictures with the varying generations.
Perform a Play
Do you have a gang of creative minds in your family? Put a play on for your grandparents. Use a favorite family memory, humor, and props to set the scene. Your grandparents will appreciate the effort and time it takes to put something like this together, and everyone can have fun participating in the production.
Write a Poem
If you have children, make this a family activity. Together, construct a poem specially made with grandparents in mind. The poem can be silly or sentimental. Have everyone sign their name to the poem and consider framing it so that your grandparents can keep it safe and intact forever.
Organize a Movie Date
What a special treat for grandma to get all dressed up and head out to the picture show with her beloved grandchildren. See if any theaters are playing classics and take her back in time. Consider making this type of “date” an annual occurrence.
Buy Matching 23andMe Kits
Ensure your grandma or grandpa are up for learning more about where they came from and then purchase matching DNA kits. Together you can discover so much more than you previously knew about where you both came from.
Host a Luncheon or Dinner
Hold a luncheon or dinner in honor of your grandparents. Be sure to include other family members who also want to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa on this day.
Share Family History
Dedicate the day to learning more about the past and listen carefully to your grandparents’ stories. Record them on tape, or write them down to create a lasting record of your family’s history. If you’re interested in genealogy, you can also use this time to expand on your family tree.
Plan a Grandparents Day Event
Plan a school or church event. Taking part in a special presentation can help you honor your grandparents on a larger scale. It might be nice to offer refreshments as well.
Share a Grandparent’s Hobby
Ask your grandparents to teach you about their favorite hobby. Whether they preferbird watching, gardening, golfing, riding bikes, or playing poker, they’ll enjoy the opportunity to share a favorite pastime with you. Grandparents love nothing more than teaching!
Build Something Together
A grandparent can do wonders with a hammer and some nails. Build something together that will live on long past your dear elders. Fashion a birdhouse or a bench for the garden. Paint a special quote or write an inside joke on the item to personalize it.
Cook A Family Recipe
Have your grandparent choose a recipe from their childhood or her heritage and make the dish together. Spend an afternoon learning how to make the recipe and then listen to their stories of decades long ago while you feast together. Food is an excellent way to connect to one’sculture and heritage.
Have a Sleepover
If you have younger children, make Grandparents Day into an annual sleepover. Arrange for all of your parents’ grandchildren to stay with Grammie and Gramps for a weekend retreat. They can bake cookies, watch movies, and camp out in the living room.Time with grandparentsis crucial to children.
Take a Trip
If you and your grandparents are feeling up for some adventure, try road tripping. Every Grandparents Day weekend set out on a trip with your grandma or grandpa. Visit places near and dear to them, like the city in which they were born, or discover new places each year.
Do Their Yardwork
The older people become, the harder raking, pruning, and lawn mowing is. Gather your siblings up and head to your grandparents’ home for Grandparents Day. Bring all the yard work tools that you might need to spruce up the home and yard. Paint fences, trim trees, weed garden beds, and hang flowering baskets.
Have Virtual Story Time
If your family lives far away from grandparents, you can still find ways to connect on Grandparents Day. Purchase a copy of a story for your child and your parent. Connect them on Facetime or Zoom, and they can read the story together.
Plant a Tree
Plant a treewith your grandma or grandpa. When they pass on, you will remember their love every time you sit beneath its shade. Read under the tree’s branches, built a tree fort in it someday with your own children, and allow that tree you plant together to be a space dedicated to your grandma or grandpa’s memory.
Sign Up for a Class Together
Think of something that you have always wanted to learn, like pottery or knitting. Ask your dear granny to take a class at a community center with you. Even if she is a professional with knitting needles, she will likely attend just so that she can spend quality time with you.
Ways to Honor Grandparents Who Have Passed Away
Just because you have lost your grandparents doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate them. Try out these ideas for your beloved grandparents.
Visit the Cemetery
Consider visiting your grandparents’ graves and planting some fall mums or placing a wreath on them. Even spending a few moments of silence remembering them and the times you shared together can make the day special.
Light a Candle
Lighting a candle is a very symbolic gesture, and it’s a lovely way to pay homage to your grandparents. You could light a candle at church or light one at home and let it burn all day long in a safe location.
Hold a Dinner in Memory
Gather members of your family for a special dinner to commemorate your grandparents’ lives. Ask everyone to bring their favorite photos to share, and set a special place at the table for each grandparent to show they are still present in spirit, if not in person. Ideally, try to serve some dishes made from some of their family recipes.
Volunteer at a Senior Center or Nursing Home
Consider volunteering to spend time with seniors who may not have any grandchildren to visit them. The nursing home or senior center staff can help identify lonely seniors and might like some company. You could talk with them and let them share stories about their lives and families, or they may enjoy being read to. If you form a bond with a particular senior, you might even like to continue visiting on a more regular basis.
Fashion a Plaque
Have a plaque made with Grandma or Grandpa’s favorite saying on it. The plaque can be hung in the home or the yard. You can even attach it to a favorite tree or bench. Each time you gaze at the plaque, you will remember your grandparent’s wise words.
Make a Donation
What charities did or would your grandparents be involved in if they were alive today? Was your grandpa a veteran? Consider supporting a military organization to honor him. Did your grandmother love her cats more than life itself? Donate to a cat rescue center each year in her honor.
Honor Them at Church
If your grandparents were devout religious folk, honor them at a local church service. On Grandparents Day weekend, have a special prayer said for them or make an extra generous donation to the church on that weekend each year.
Do Something That They Loved
If your grandfather loved to fish, take your own children fishing on Grandparents Day weekend in honor of his memory. If your grandma loved gardening, plant a new flower or bush in your yard on this weekend each year. Think of the things that they loved and engage in those activities to help remember them.
Re-Fashion a Family Heirloom
Did your grandma or grandpa leave you something before they passed? Perhaps you have some old jewelry of your grandmothers or tools that were once your grandpas. Take the time to restore them to their initial beauty. Old broaches and gems can be reset and polished up. Tools and be fixed up and used for years to come.
Wear Something Special
Did your grandpa have a favorite tie, or was he a suspenders fellow? Pay tribute to his iconic fashion on Grandparents Day by wearing something that he often wore. Did your grandmother wear hats each Sunday to church? Dress up and wear an old hat of hers or a new hat that she would have adored on Grandparents Day.
What Really Matters to Your Grandparents
It doesn’t matter if you plan an elaborate celebration or plan to share some quiet time together. Your grandparents will still appreciate hearing from you and spending time with you, no matter what you have planned for the day. What really matters to them most is that you care enough to mark the day with them, so make the most of the time you have together.
Recommended Webinar: Grandparent Rights
In recognition of Grandparent’s Day, EAPO is hosting a webinar on Sept 8th to raise awareness of the rights of grandparents. Watch the webinar recording by clicking the button below!
FAQs
How can I make Grandparents Day special? ›
- Share a Grandparent's Hobby. Ask your grandparents to teach you about their favorite hobby. ...
- Build Something Together. A grandparent can do wonders with a hammer and some nails. ...
- Cook A Family Recipe. ...
- Have a Sleepover. ...
- Take a Trip.
- Visit Them Often.
- Listen to Them.
- Ensure They Have a Safe Home.
- Encourage Light Physical Activity.
- Help Them Stay Mentally Busy.
- Assist in Shopping.
- Find Help When You Need It.
Grandparents' Day Activities for Schools
Assign grandparent (or special person) interviews — Teach students the importance of collecting the stories of older generations with a simple interview assignment that tasks kids with asking a few questions of either a grandparent or another special person in their life.
President Carter designated the first Grandparents Day on September 10, 1978. His goal was to encourage all citizens to plan activities that will recognize the many contributions grandparents have made to our lives. Pretty sweet, huh? The holiday always lands on the Sunday after Labor Day.
What is a short message for Grandparents Day? ›- To my mentors and best friends, Happy Grandparents Day.
- On Grandparents Day, I can't help but feel so much gratitude for all the love you've shown and all the lessons you've shared.
- To my wonderful Grandma/Grandpa, your presence in my life has made all the difference.
Word searches, crossword puzzles, and jigsaw puzzles are all fun activities that grandparents and grandchildren can do together to celebrate Grandparents Day. The youngster and the grandparent will enjoy themselves tremendously while participating in this enjoyable and simple activity.
What is the best thing about grandparents? ›They give great advice.
Grandparents know best and for a good reason. Not only do they want the best for you, but they've been around awhile and have likely faced similar situations and if not, their years of wisdom afford them with great advice from life, money, and relationships, and everything in between.
Grandchildren need to hear that their grandparents are proud of them, no matter what. They need to feel loved and supported unconditionally. Even if they make mistakes, you can be there for them, telling them that they're proud of them and cheering them on.
What is one thing I like to do for my grandparents? ›Take them out to eat or cook for them
Cooking something special for someone is a great way to show them love and is a very intimate gesture. Your grandparents may have cooked for you for years, it is time for you to make them feel special. So, take them out to eat, or even better, make the effort to cook for them.
Grandparents can have an impact on their grandchildren's lives in many different ways. They can act as the family historian, mentor, playmate, nurturer, role model, confidante, advocate, advisor, and surrogate parent.
What is the objective of celebrating Grandparents Day? ›
The day honors the adorable bond between the grandparents and their grandchildren. After all, grandparents are the ones besides parents who love their grandchildren unconditionally. Countries worldwide celebrate Grandparents Day with great enthusiasm throughout the year on different days.
What is the objective of Grandparents Day activity? ›Grandparents Day can help to make children more aware of the many ways in which their grandparents often influence their emotional development and education. It's a good time for grandchildren (and their parents) to reflect on the guidance they receive from older generations and to show their appreciation.
What makes a grandparent special? ›They're the greatest story-tellers. Not only do they tell the embarrassing stories about parents to their grandkids, but they also make sure to keep the family history alive by providing insight about their ancestors. And when they don't have any stories based on real events, they come up with the best fiction.
What do churches do for Grandparents Day? ›You may want to ask your pastor to acknowledge and pray for the grandparents in your congregation during corporate worship; set aside the Sunday school hour to pray for children and grandchildren; or gather in your home for prayer. Some churches host a prayer breakfast or a luncheon following their morning worship.
What to do at church for Grandparents Day? ›Honor Them at Church
If your grandparents were devout religious folk, honor them at a local church service. On Grandparents Day weekend, have a special prayer said for them or make an extra generous donation to the church on that weekend each year.