Seven ways to celebrate Grandparent’s Day
This Sunday is Grandparent’s Day. It’s a time to celebrate grandparents and to show them some love for all they do.
Grandparent’s Day has been celebrated in the United States since the 1970's. It was initiated at the grassroots level by West Virginian Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade.
Mrs. McQuade wanted Grandparent’s Day to be a family day. She envisioned families enjoying small, private gatherings, perhaps even a family reunion, or participating in community events. Mrs. McQuade started her campaign for a day to honour grandparents in 1970 and first launched the day in her home state in 1973. Then, after many years, much persuasion, and unending persistence, she finally achieved her bigger goal. It was in 1979 that President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the first Sunday after Labour Day each year as National Grandparents Day.
Grandparent’s Day is now celebrated around the world at different times of the year. In New Zealand we celebrate on the first Sunday in October.
To help you celebrate, we’ve put together some ideas for your family
Bring out the board games!
The more traditional the better - try Ludo, Draughts, or Clue and get everyone around the table to play. Or do a jigsaw together.
Make a time capsule
Gather together a number of small items from your grandparents and parents’ generations and some from today and make and bury a time capsule for the next generation to find.
Bake a Grandparent’s Day cake for your Grandies.
Go for a walk
Even if there’s no summer sun callin’ your name, nature walks are fun during any season. Have the kids put on some comfortable shoes and a hat, and they can hold grandma’s hand while they explore a new trail or give her a “tour” of the neighborhood. Tea for two (or three or five).
Crack open a book
A pile of picture books (or one riveting chapter book) and a comfy couch are the makings of a perfect day. Make a trip out of it by going to the library, or let the kids show off their personal collection and pick out books they think their grandparents will enjoy, too.
Learn to cook
Learn to cook a meal with your grandparents and treat them all the following weekend with your new-found skills.
Create a family tree
Put together a family tree and see if you have any intriguing stories as you go back through the generations.
If you don’t have your own grandparents to celebrate with but would love to have an older person to bring a new dimension to your family, we’d like to try and help you with that. Join the GrandFriends members-only platform and connect with older people across Aotearoa New Zealand virtually or find someone local to meet up with in person. It’s free to sign up and you can create an account here.
You can find more ideas for celebrating Grandparent’s Day here.
