August 22, 2012
Celebrating Grandparents Day
This year, Grandparents day is Sunday, September 9; in your classroom you will be celebrating this special holiday during Mr Family & Home week on Wednesday, September 12.
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation that created national Grandparents Day; and as Carter once wrote, “Grandparents are our continuing tie to the near-past, to the events and beliefs and experiences that so strongly affect our lives and the world around us.”
Here are some classroom suggestions for celebrating the lives of some truly special people:
Invitations
Create invitations for the children to give their grandparents, inviting them into the classroom. Consider typing up the important information (date, time and details) and gluing it inside a handmade card decorated by the children. Make sure to make this far enough in advance so that grandparents can plan their visit.
Activities
- Set up stations for the children to complete with their grandparent(s). Suggestions:
- Make a “memory quilt” where the grandparent(s) draw a favorite memory from when they were in school onto a square piece of paper. At the same time, have the children draw a picture of their favorite thing about school onto a square piece of paper. Hang the squares together on a bulletin board to make the “memory quilt.”
- Decorate a craft stick frame. Take a picture of the grandparent(s) and the child and place it into the frame as a keepsake.
- Make bracelets.
Special Snack
Plan a special snack, a fun-filled time for the children to share with their grandparents. If weather permits, consider going outside for a picnic snack!
Songs
Sing some songs for your special quests
Grandparents Day (Tune: You Are My Sunshine)
You are my Grandma
You are my Grandpa
You make me happy when I’m with you
You give good hugs and
You give good kisses
Hope you know how much I Love You!
Grandparent Share
Ask if any of the grandparents would like to share a special activity with the class. For example, they may want to read their grandchild’s favorite book to the class. (You may want to hang up a sigh-up sheet for this, or include the desire for grandparent volunteers in the invitations made by the children.)
A special thanks to this week’s contributing blogger, Kelsey Kilgore, a teacher at our Webster Center. We welcome and encourage other teachers to blog as well. For more information please e-mail christina.fecio@doodlebugs.com.