Summer Activities for Grandchildren

My son has custody of our two grandkids, ages 11 and 13. Now that he is a single parent, we have been helping him during the hours when he must be at work. He does get off fairly early in the afternoon. While they are in school, we are fine with this schedule. Now we are looking for something to keep the kids happily occupied throughout the day this summer. - Fond Grandparents
Answer: You have many options in the summer that will keep your grandchildren both happy and busy. You can simply enroll them in a Monday through Friday program sponsored by a youth organization, the parks department, a church, a sports organization, or a local school or college.
Another possibility is to have them participate in planned activities such as tennis or swimming lessons, team sports, library programs and museum programs several times a week. It is very important to let your grandchildren have input in choosing activities that appeal to them. Remember, most children do enjoy having some unscheduled time in the summer just to play, ride a bike, rollerblade, swim, read a book and enjoy their friends.