Camp Grandma 2016 totally rocked it. It’s our 5th year of hosting our grandchildren for a weekend of fun with grandpa and grandma. All we were missing were our two grandsons who live in Finland. *sigh*
Pictured above are: First row: Mama Sharla holding Sawyer, Adelaide, me, Paisley, Rilian holding her cousin Atlas, Avalon holding her cousin Kaius. Second row: KaraLee, Dylan (adopted grandson), and Tom. Third row: Korbin.
Camp officially started on a Friday afternoon after my two oldest granddaughters had arrived the night before to help me set everything up for Camp Grandma 2016. We ended camp on Sunday with a Parent’s Bar-b-que after church.
Six kids + one grandpa in the tent
One young child slept with Grandma in her big bed after discovering that he missed his mommy. Once Grandma tucked him in, he was out like a light. The other young grandson slept at home and came for “day camp.” Sometimes you have to improvise.
Morning exercises
California drought = brown lawn. But the kids didn’t seem to care!
Pool time
Grandpa was the BEST lifeguard ever as the pool got a little crowded at times with 8 grandchildren in it (and one teenager who we adopted as a grandson counselor.)
Crafts
My two oldest granddaughters, Rilian and Avalon, again were amazing Camp Counselors. I also added Adelaide as a Jr. Camp Counselor and Rilian’s boyfriend, Dylan, helped add some manliness to the counselor team.
2016 Crafts
No Sew Zippered Duck Taped Pouch
Nature Sun Catcher Wind Chimes
Over the past year I had saved my cans of tea after the tea was gone for the kids to make their own little containers. They decorated them with scrapbook paper and stickers. Later we made wood puppets to keep inside their containers.
Yummy snacks and fun food
Trail mix, fruit Popsicles, and ice cream were made the week before camp. Avalon made the amazing Rice Krispy watermelon treats. (It helps to get as much as you can done ahead of time.) Add to that some creative food for meals, and Camp Grandma 2016 made eating FUN!
Recipes
Muffin Tin Bacon and Eggs (a Camp Grandma tradition)
Pie in the Face Game
Safari hunt
Hot days, water guns, and animal targets drawn by Rilian. Perfect!
Campfire and S’mores
Evening campfire is always a time to tell stories, worship, and roast marshmallows for S’mores. Two of the youngest grandsons had their first Camp Grandma experience this year and campfire time was the perfect end to a busy day.
Kaius came for “Day Camp” and went home to sleep, while Sawyer got to spend the night… with Grandma in her big bed. (He’s not quite ready for tent camping yet.) And yes, our adopted teen counselor, Dylan (Rilian’s boyfriend), also went home to sleep each night.)
Parent’s bar-b-que
On the last day of camp we had our annual Parent’s Bar-b-que where the kids preformed their skits, showed off their crafts, and Grandma got to cuddle her littlest grandchild.
The kids had put together a skit where Rilian interview each camper. The child impersonated a parent or one of their aunts or uncles, and the parents had to guess who it was. Obviously, it was hilarious.
Here’s more creative ideas for your own Camp Grandma or Cousins Camp
Fresh Ideas for a Camp Grandma or Cousins Camp (2015 camp)
How to Plan a Cousins Camp or Camp Grandma (This is the basics of what I teach in a Camp Grandma/Cousins Camp workshop.)
Camp Grandma Tips and Ideas (2012 Camp Grandma)
This Post Has 2 Comments
As always I loved your ideas. Thank you for writing about them so others would know how to go about their own Grandma or Cousins Camp. Your ideas really helped me when we had our Cousins Sleepover in June. As you do, I want our grandkids to have a close knit bond and to most of all be closer to their Lord.
Susan, please tell me more about the tea containers and the wooden puppets. What kind of tea containers and how did you make the wooden puppets? Also, where did you find that cute cat fabric. A few of my grandchildren would love that print.
Thanks again, Susan. Love, Willa
Hi Willa,
I used my empty tea can containers from Tea Forte and some other tea containers that are the same type of cans from World Market or California Fresh. They have to have nice fitting lids.
I drink a lot of tea so I always save the tea can when it is empty for craft projects like we do at Camp Grandma.
I found the wooden puppets on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L4P6Y1E/