(^2018) I SAGA.CO.UK/AUG-MAG (^45)
Home and garden
S
ummer is a time when
parents, grandparents
and other relatives get
the chance to spend
more time with the
little ones. However,
this doesn’t have to
involve expensive days out – with a little
imagination, there’s plenty of fun to be had
in the natural environment.
Making the most of outdoor space is free,
and it has the added bonus of having
a great effect on your mood, too. Research
by mental health charity Mind shows
that regular contact with nature not only
reduces stress, but also brings families
together, creating lasting memories.
When advice website thegrandparenthub.
com asked grandparents what they most
enjoy doing with their grandchildren, they
found that for 88% it was playing games
and for some 80%, it was outside play –
always a great excuse for you to rediscover
your inner child. ‘My granddaughter
Molly often tells me, “You’re really silly,
Grandad, but I like it!’” says veteran
playworker Mick Conway, 67.Flower power
Start by making the most of being at home- your garden is a natural playground with
endless possibilities to keep children busy
and entertained. Think about what the
children are interested in and then let them
take the lead – you’ll be amazed at how
inventive they can be.
‘Give them an old sheet or a cardboard
box and they will soon create their own den
or imaginary world,’ says Sophie Bolt of
campaign group Play England.
If your garden is big enough, why not
have your own Garden Olympics? Set up
an obstacle course and have races round
the lawn; and get a tape measure out of the
toolbox for the long jump. Make medals
to give out to everyone who has taken part.
Think back to your childhood enterprises
and introduce children to the pleasures of
making potions and ‘perfumes’ by filling
a jam jar with edible or fragrant things from
the garden – herbs, lavender, rose petals- then adding water. Getting them to design
labels for their concoctions adds an artistic
element to the project.
Creating bug habitats or hedgehog houses
will appeal to younger children, especially
if they can monitor the creatures that turn
up at different times over a period of days.
Of course, helping with the gardening is
a brilliant way to get outside. Children
can get involved with watering and
weeding – though be prepared for a few
mistakes along the way – and most
importantly, picking! Ask them to help you
make a pretty bouquet of flowers from
the garden, or to pick fruit or vegetables
that you can then cook together.
Head further afield
Plan a visit to a wood, a beach, the park.
Think about what you can do there. Each
setting has its own unique way of igniting
children’s imaginations.
Anne Read, 67 , from Devon, who has two
granddaughters aged six and ten, agrees.
‘Outdoor adventures are all about using the
imagination. We often weave in little games
or stories, such as looking for a Stick Man,
like the one in Julia Donaldson’s book,
when we’re collecting sticks to build a fire
and cook sausages for lunch,’ she says.
‘Doing this teaches the children how to