Grandparent's Day
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
One way to share some quality time with your grandparents is to create a Grandparent's Day at your grandchildren's school. These events are catching on all over the country, and most districts and principles are now encouraging more family participation in the classroom. So, how do you create a Grandparent's Day?
Plan it First
Grandparent's Day involves a lot of planning and participation by numerous people so the first thing to do is get people involved and have a planning session. Try to get as many people as you can to participate, so too many jobs don't fall on one pair of shoulders. The principle of the school and the head of the Parent's Organization should certainly be involved. Community leaders such as clergy or council people might want to be in on the planning, too. Make sure you make the event far enough in the future that out-of-town grandparents will have time to make arrangements to attend. Then, involve the teachers, so they can create classroom activities around the event, and encourage their students to invite their grandparents. After the first planning session, plan some brainstorming sessions with teachers, etc., to really get some creative ideas. Local merchants may also get involved to help defray any costs for mailing, food, or other costs associated with the event.
Some Activities
What kind of activities can you include during Grandparent's Day? Children can invite their grandparents to speak to their class about their memories and experiences, their trade or work, their music, dancing, etc. Grandparents that don't want to perform for a classroom can man craft or food booths for a lunchtime family picnic. Some planners have found that a dinner the night before can get things rolling nicely. Grandparents then spend the morning in classes, and in the afternoon perhaps an assembly for the whole school, games, and maybe a picnic or barbecue. Often the grandparents then meet for dinner after the event.
Absentee Grandparents
Some grandparents may not be able to attend the event, but could send tape or video recordings of their ideas and thoughts. They could also send CDs or DVDs of music they treasure, or other memories to share with the class. They might help the teacher with a history lesson by giving their own "spin" on historical events they witnessed first hand.
So, get involved with planning a Grandparent's Day at your grandchildren's school. You'll share memories, get involved with your family, and maybe even make some new friends!