Some Interesting Things Grandparents & Grandchildren Can Do when Spending the Day Together

As a grandparent, I know that sometimes those grandchildren can get bored when they are spending the day with us. To keep everyone happy, I've come up with some interesting ideas on things we can do together that will keep all of us happy and hopefully create some good memories that will last a long time.

1. Macy's Annual Santaland in Minneapolis: This 48th annual holiday show runs everyday from 11/20/2010 to 12/30/2010(except Christmas Day). This year the theme for the show is "A Day in the Life of an Elf. The magical tale that will delight guests of all ages depicts Santa's elves at the North Pole as they prepare for Christmas. There is no charge for this event which runs pretty much throughout the day during Macy's regular business hours. If you would like you could visit Macy's Puppet Theater where "Moose Crossing", a trio of song-filled tales is presented. Tickets for this event are $4.00 per person(children under 2 are free). Check with Macy's for exact showtimes for this event.
Macy's Minneapolis is located at 700 On The Mall where this event takes place.

2. Holidazzle Parade: The holidazzle parade has been a holiday tradition in the Twin Cities since 1992. It's at 6:30 P.M. Nov. 26 to Dec. 19 on Thursday through Sunday evenings. Floats, choirs, marching bands and storybook characters are all a part of this Minnesota Holiday Spectacular. The parade encourages spectators to bundle up and head to downtown Minneapolis for an evening of holiday fun. The parade route runs along the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. Last year my girlfriend and I took our youngest grandchildren to Macy's Santaland and then to the Holidazzle parade. We ended the evening with hot chocolate at a local cafe. It was a wonderful, fun filled day for all of us.

3. Holiday Storytime: The American Swedish Institute located at 2600 Park Ave, Minneapolis, Mn. features this event on Sat. Dec.4-18 at 11:30 and 2:30. This is a very nice place to bring the little ones as Christmas nears. The 3rd floor story attic is where this is takes place. The storytime leader will select from a collection of Swedish storybooks(read in English) and invites you and those special grandchildren to settle in and listen. The institute also features a little exploration of a Swedish Christmas on Wed. Dec.15 & Mon. Dec. 20. which grandchildren and grandparents can enjoy together. The cost for this event is $10.00 per child with the accompanying grandparent free.

4. Mall of America Fun Getaway: This fun overnite getaway is ideal for the grandchildren and grandparents who want a little break from the long cold Minnesota winter. It includes 1 night hotel accommodations at a Mall of America Hotel, 2 wristbands for the grandkids at Nickelodeon Universe, Breakfast for 4, A Mall of America coupon book, and shopping bag. The total price for this package is around $170.00 and worth every penny of it. We have done this a number of times with our grandsons and I don't know if we had more fun or they did. Go to mallofamerica.com for all the details and package options.

5. St. Paul Winter Carnival: This annual event described as the Coolest Celebration on Earth runs from Jan.27-Feb.6,2011. This mid-winter Minnesota celebration features parades, snow sculpting, ice carving, a treasure hunt and much more. This event will provide the grandparents and grandchildren a whole day and evening of unlimited fun, just remember to dress warm. Details are available on st.paulwinercarnival.com

sources:http://macy's.com
mallofamerica.com
americanswedishinstitute.com
holidazzleparade.com
stpaulwintercarnival.com