Grandparent’s Day is upon us and that means it’s time to celebrate all the wonderful memories we’ve shared with them. I no longer have any living Grandparents but they all hold very special places in my heart. Memories of my Gramma N. are filled with bits and pieces of crafting, sewing, cooking, gardening, birdwatching, thrift store scouring and endless tips and tidbits of advice. All of these things build upon a relationship with grandchildren and has a bonus of some good old fashioned bonding time to create memories that will last forever. I love that our children have a similar relationship with their grandparents.

When I’m not feeling up to certain crafts, Grandma & Grandpa oftentimes are ready to have fun with our children! Usually Grandma’s ideas are plentiful (and very creative!) but if she ever does run out of things to do she can flip through the pages of the award winning Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars book by Sharon Lovejoy that I’m passing on to her. Subtitled “Grandma’s Bag of Tricks”, it is packed full of 130 grandchild friendly activities. Everything from making a solar oven out of a pizza box (recipes included!) to making Firefly lanterns and your own Floral paper! I love the large section on gardening with the grandkids! This book reminds me of times I’ve spent with my own grandma and makes me want even more for my children to realize how much they’ll treasure all the moments they spend with theirs.

Try this sweet little project for a rainy day the next time your grandchildren are over. (Or if you’re like me do it with your own children!) Sidebar exert from Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars:

Wind Wishes

In my old Heart’s Ease gardens, the children loved the elderberry tree spangled with paper wind wishes that danced in the slightest breeze. Sometimes, it was a heartbreaker to read the wishes they scribbled and hung. Use scraps of your beautiful handmade paper to write out a wish, a blessing, or a poem. Punch a hole in the top of the wish, and tie it loosely to a favorite tree or bush. If you want your child’s wish to last longer, simply cover it with clear contact paper, which will protect it from the rain.

credit: Workman Publishing

Author, illustrator, and grandmother of four, Sharon Lovejoy, has written a book that I believe can strengthen the connection a child feels with their grandparents by doing everyday activities that are geared towards exploring nature in an environmentally friendly way, and with everyday objects. Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars would make a wonderful gift to grandma or grandpa!

Buy It! Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars: Grandma’s Bag of Tricks is  a 205 page book geared towards 9-12 year olds. It is available at online and offline retailers including Amazon.com for around $10.00.

CLOSED Win It! One very lucky reader is going to win a copy of Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars – A Grandma’s Bag of Tricks!

How to Enter: (mandatory) Leave a comment sharing a favorite memory of time spent with grandparents!

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Rules: Follow the directions above! Giveaway open to U.S. residents, 18+ only and ends September 26th, 11:59 est. Winner must reply to email within 48 hours or I will redraw.