10 free or super inexpensive summer outings with grandkids (Friday flashback feature)

10 free or super inexpensive summer outings with grandkids (Friday flashback feature)

Many of us have heard Gretchen Rubin's quote, "The days are long, but the years are short" in reference to parenting. I say the same applies to summer time spent with grandkids. The days seem long yet the summer is relatively short, especially when attempting to pack in meaningful and, more importantly, fun activities.

Always here to help, today I re-run my previous post on ways grandparents can fill such days in inexpensive ways. (The original post featured 11 ways; this one just 10, as one is no longer available.)

10 IDEAS FOR FREE (OR SUPER INEXPENSIVE) SUMMER OUTINGS WITH GRANDKIDS
Originally published June 15, 2016 (outdated info has been removed)

free summer activities 

FREE FISHING
This one tops the list because fishing is fun. Mostly, though, it's because June — the current month! — is...

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From the archives: Four for Valentine's Day

The annual day o' love lurks right around the corner and Cupid will soon be sprinkling hearts and flowery fun far and wide.

Following are four of my previously published posts to peruse, a collection of sweet and silly sorts of stuff focused on ensuring grandkids feel the love — and laughter — this Valentine's Day.

valentine's day activities

 

Click each graphic to see the full post featuring lovey-dovey ...

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From the archives: Four for fall

Having blogged for more than seven years, I have oodles of goodies stored away in the Grandma's Briefs archive, goodies that rarely see the light of day because they go way, way back. At least seven years or so.

Today seems a perfect day to pull out some of those well-seasoned posts, a few of my favorite fall-themed features you just might have missed.

fall recipes and fun

 

14 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT OCTOBER

My shortlisted October loves... in no particular order:

1. The sun has shifted south. Whereas summer...

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Entertaining grandkids: 3 sure things

Entertaining grandkids: 3 sure things

As a long-distance grandma with visits being few and far between, I feel obligated to provide memorable merriment for my three grandsons each time I see them. I put careful consideration into packing my grandma bag with goodies and games and crafty ideas galore.

Sometimes the magical makings I lug 800 miles to my grandsons' door elicit exactly the enjoyment I'd hoped. Sometimes they fail. Especially if picking a Pinterest activity to try together without trying it first myself.

When I visited Bubby, Mac, and Jak last month, I failed at more than a few things. On the other hand, there were a few that surpassed my expectations in terms of the enjoyment factor for the boys. Three in particular were a huge success, and these will likely have a spot in my grandma bag each visit going forward.

Following are those three sure things because if they entertain my grandkids, I'm willing to bet they'll entertain most. Consider them as go-to options for your grandma bag — or to have on hand if you're one of those fortunate grandmas whose grandkiddos live nearby.

FREAKY FACES APPLE SNACK

Now, this one didn't require me packing much in my grandma bag, just a quick trip to the grocery store upon my arrival for the fixings: apples, strawberries, chocolate chips, and peanut butter, plus anything not stocked in Megan's pantry that I needed for this recipe for the freaky eyes (which needs to be made at least 24 hours before snack assembly as the eyes need to dry).

freaky face apple snacks

They're pretty simple: Just quarter an apple; remove...

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My grandsons aren't normal

"My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage."

~ Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

I love that quote. I do believe, though, it applies not only to "darling" girls, but darling boys, too.

Particularly when those darling boys are my darling grandsons.

My abnormal grandsons.

See, my grandsons aren't normal. It doesn't take long scrolling through my photos of Bubby, Mac, and Jak to find evidence of their abnormalness.

weird kids wait in line for IT'S TOUGH TO BE A BUG 

...

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The concussion discussion from a grandparent's perspective

My Q&A with Being Brain Healthy author Ruth Curran

concussion movie posterWill Smith's film CONCUSSION, based on the true story of one brave doctor's unrelenting efforts to enlighten the NFL about the effects of continual trauma to the brains of football players, has opened the eyes of many to the dangers of America's favorite sport. Concussions affect far more than just football players, though, and the movie has also opened the door for many important discussions about the effects of brain injuries of all sorts, suffered by all ages, regardless of the cause.

I have long been concerned about concussions in my rambunctious, active, sports-loving grandsons, so I turned to Ruth Curran, author of Being Brain Healthy, to assuage some of the worries and concerns I have as a grandmother. See, grandparents, unless they're in a situation where they serve as primary caretaker for their grandchildren, have little say in the day-to-day care of their beloved grandkids, can't restrict certain sports or activities. That doesn't mean we have no concerns.

being brain healthy by ruth curranHere, Curran addresses my concussion...

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16 spots I want to take my grandkids on Michigan's sunrise coast

16 spots I want to take my grandkids on Michigan's sunrise coast

michigan attractions for kids 

I live in the mountains and my grandsons live in the desert. Which means neither they nor I have much opportunity to enjoy natural water features—lakes, rivers, and so forth—and the outdoor adventures related to them. It's so very dry here, so very dry there.

Because of our similarly parched home states, when I recently toured gems of communities on the "sunrise coast" of Michigan—primarily the Tawases and Alpena (thanks, Pure Michigan!)—I couldn't help but consider how much my landlocked grandsons would be thrilled by ocean-like Lake Huron as well as...

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