Simple Christmas activities to enjoy with grandchildren

Christmas is a magical time of the year, but for many older people, it can also be a lonely time. It is estimated that around 3.6 million older people in the UK live alone and around two million are aged 75 or over.

Grandparents mustn’t feel left out at Christmas and this article takes a look at a selection of Christmas-themed activities older people can enjoy at home with grandkids and other family members. All of these activities are simple and are accessible so older people with mobility problems that need aids like walk in showers and baths can still try these with grandchildren.

What are the best Christmas activities to enjoy with grandchildren?

Cooking Christmas treats

One great activity you can try with your grandchildren in the festive period is cooking as spending time in the kitchen is fun for both of you. It also gives your grandchildren a love of cooking.

Many people understandably might shy away from letting children loose in the kitchen as it can get very messy but baking and cooking is a great bonding experience.

If you’re wanting to get your apron on and try cooking some Christmas treats, then check out some suggestions below that the Greedy Gourmet feature on their food blog:

• Roasted Chestnuts – As described on the Greedy Gourmet site “nothing says Christmas like the rich comforting aroma of roasted chestnuts wafting from the fireplace”. First, you need to score the roasted chestnuts by using a sharp knife to stop them exploding and then you soak them in water at room temperature for 10 minutes. You then need to roast the chestnuts either over your fireplace, gas stove or oven. If you want to add some flavour many people sprinkle salt or nutmeg over them and finally you leave them to cool. See the recipe here.
• Brussels sprouts with bacon, blue cheese and pecan nuts – A Christmas dinner just isn’t complete with the humble Brussel sprouts. To make them tastier you can fry the bacon and once boiled add the Brussel Sprouts and toss them around to coat them. Put the sprouts and bacon in a bowl and scatter the blue cheese and pecan nuts over the top of them. See the recipe here.
• Baked chocolate cheesecake with cherry coulis – This tasty treat is a great treat to get the grandchildren to help with. You can get them to help brush the non-stick baking parchment with oil and then get them to crush the biscuits and add honey. Once you’ve put this mixture on the tray, you will need to beat together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese and eggs until smooth before stirring in some granulated sugar. Pour ¾ of the mixture into a separate bowl, add the lemon zest and pour into the cake tin. The next step is to warm the milk, add the cocoa and then add the mixture into the centre of the plain mixture and bake for around 50 minutes. Once chilled you will need to heat the cherries in a pan with water for about 5 minutes and place on top the cheesecake. See the recipe here.

Do some colouring in with your grandchildren

Adult colouring books have become increasingly popular in recent years, so when the grandchildren arrive and you’re looking for some fun activities to try together you should print out some sheets and colour in together.

According to Ask Granny, there are lots of great websites that you can use to print out colouring sheets. One site the online resource recommends using is Hello Kids as they have some great printables of superheroes, cartoon characters and lots of other designs. If you have older grandchildren then you should consider using Crayola as they have sports designs or use Educational Colouring Pages as they have Star Wars printables.

This is a great way for older adults and their grandchildren to bond and if you struggle with your mobility it is something you can do that is fun and can be enjoyed from the comfort of your living room.

Make Christmas decorations

It is great to decorate your home at Christmas time. Many people who suffer from mobility problems can struggle to do this but a great way to get this job done is to involve the grandchildren.

They can help you decorate the tree, put Christmas cards on display and even hang up stockings and other decorations.

You can also look at making home-made Christmas decorations as there are lots that are easy to make. One such decoration that you can make is a paper lantern and this is recommended by Home-made Gifts Made Easy.

On their website, they share a guide on how to make these decorations. First, you need the correct equipment:

• pretty paper or card
• printer
• scissors
• glue or double-sided tape
• needle and thread

The first step is to download the paper star lantern template and to print it (you might need a few different sheets depending on the size you want). You can follow the different steps to make this decoration here.

Watch Christmas films

Grandparents should make sure they have lots of Christmas movies in their home so they can sit down with their grandchildren and watch them.

Watching movies together is a great experience as you can discuss your favourite parts of the film or if you’re watching a film that was one of your childhood favourites you can tell them about when you first watched it.

You can make it into a cinema-like experience by making some popcorn and then switching on the Christmas lights to increase the festive feel.

Below are some of the best Christmas movies you could watch together:

• Elf (2003) – This comedy is about a boy (Will Farrell) who was raised by elves in the North Pole and his journey to meet his biological father in New York City.
• Home Alone (1990) – A child (Macaulay Caulkin) is left behind by his family and he is forced to battle a couple of thieves around Christmas in this classic children’s adventure.
• It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) – This fantasy may be many grandparents favourite Christmas movie. This tells the story of a man who is on the verge of committing suicide but is visited by an angel who shows him the importance of life.
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1998) – This threequel is better than its two predecessors. It once again tells the story of the mishap-besieged family get-together.

Enjoy a day out

If you’re stuck for ideas or would like to get out and about over the festive period then take the grandchildren on a Christmas themed day out.

With Red Letter Days you can enjoy a variety of activities and these range from an indoor skydive experience, a 2 for 1 Meerkat encounter, sightseeing cruises or another family day out.

Going on a family day out over the Christmas period can create unforgettable memories with your grandchildren and this is something they are likely to remember for a very long time.

Christmas activities to enjoy with grandchildren

To recap, we have listed some of the best Christmas activities grandparents and grandchildren can enjoy together.

• Cooking Christmas treats
• Do some colouring in with your grandchildren
• Make Christmas decorations
• Watch Christmas films
• Enjoy a day out

READ ALSO: Tips and advice for grandparents