Technically, it is still winter–what passes for winter in sunny California–but soon it will be time for parents to start making plans for summer. Often the plans include a summer camp. I remember summer camp as a kid. It was the stereotypical summer camp experience: six kids to a room, lots of sports, lots of crafts, terrible food, and lots and lots of bugs. At the time, most of us couldn’t wait until the week was over. Looking back, though, summer camp is one of those hazy, nostalgic childhood memories — a rite of passage of childhood. I can still smell the mix of sunscreen, chlorine, and pine trees.
As grandparents, we have the opportunity to be a part of those warm, happy summer memories for our grandchildren. For working parents, sometimes the desire to help your children experience summer camp clashes with work obligations. When I still had young children, getting them to their camp of choice and picked up in the afternoon was a challenge. I usually had to use my vacation time to do it. Day camp hours never work well with a traditional work schedule. If it hadn’t been for help from my parents, my kids would have lost out on many experiences like YMCA outings, baseball camps, and leadership camps. Providing transportation help or a couple of hours of child care after camp could make a big difference in your grandchild’s summer experience. Also, if you’re able, offering to pay for part or all of it can take a considerable burden off the parents.
For grandparents who live too far away to be a part of daily operations, what about starting a summer tradition? Grandma and Grandpa Camp! Keep the grandkids for a week or two this summer and plan some fun. Water parks, trips to the lake or beach, libraries, museums, movie days, crafts…there are so many fun things to do; you’ll run out of days before you run out of activities. If you and your partner are energetic and able, consider expanding that “Grandma Camp” to include all of the grandkids. This gives kids the invaluable opportunity to spend recreational time with their cousins. As the grandparents, remember you get to make the rules–limited technology sounds like a great place to start.
Have you ever heard of summer camps where the grandparents attend with the kids? I hadn’t either until I started looking online for ideas for my time with my grandkids. Many facilities label them as “intergenerational programs,” offering opportunities for grandparents to bond with the natural world and their grandchildren. They are provided all over the country and in Canada. There is even one close by in the Sequoia National Forest. They aren’t cheap, but I can’t imagine a more fantastic memory to create with those precious kids. After researching information for this article, I’m planning on taking my granddaughter to one in Minnesota. There are even companies that have all-inclusive touring trips (called multigenerational adventures) in the states and abroad geared toward grandparents and their grandchildren. You could have a fantastic experience with your grandkids that they will remember for the rest of their lives.
Grandparents have the unique opportunity to play a huge role in the lives of their grandchildren. The advantages to the children are profound and well-documented. However, what we often forget is that being an involved grandparent is also good for us. Studies show that being a grandparent plays a significant role in brain health. One study in Australia found that grandmothers who spend one day per week caring for their grandchildren had the highest cognitive performance of all participants in the study. Spending time with your grandkids keeps you social, keeping loneliness, depression, and isolation at bay. Grandparents who are involved with their grandchildren are more physically active and, generally, enjoy better health than their non-involved counterparts. So get out there and let your grandkids bring out the kid in you again!
Tricia Vlasak is a mother, grandparent, and wife. She works in law enforcement when she isn’t writing about parenting, hiking with her dogs, or going on Jeep adventures.