Making Grandparent Progress

The grandkids are becoming more and more enjoyable for me as they gain in competence and skills. I've always liked collecting blocks and using them. Now the kids are able to use lots of my collections. This gives me great pleasure and I'm delighted that their parents no longer feel they have to bring the kids own toys to keep them from being bored. Bill Ding was always one of my favorites. S and D are starting to see his possibilities. Checking on line I was surprised to see that this set is still being manufactured and sold. I'm tempted to get a third set which comes with multitudinous diagrams of positions he can hold.

I've made up a toy area in the living area that mimics the one my aunts and grandfather had when I was a child, in the library of their home outside of Phila. One of the cabinets under the books, held the toys that my mother and her siblings had used. My cousins and I never considered these toys boring nor old and "less than" more modern toys. In fact, we were fascinated with them. There was an old orange metal Dusenberg car, a felt hand-sewn Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, a round chalkboard with letters on tracks surrounding the slate.

Just like that area, all my vintage toys are in under cabinets behind a large Oriental rug to play on. There are child size hardwood flat blocks that help stabilize buildings. You can't see the cupboards in the above photo because of the contrast.
We can also play cards with them now! S wants to play SNAP as soon as she is up in the morning. She learned the game quickly and we don't have to hold back too much to let her win! Knowing she needs to learn to lose as well, we do manage to let that happen occasionally. And when she is winning, she often gives us half her cards so we won't feel bad. Games are great.
Almost five, S now wants to assist in the kitchen and at meal times too. She helps set the table and dry the dishes. At one point she sat down and covered the dish she was drying with the towel right there on the floor. It's best to let her do it her way, rather than discourage her by teaching her the "right" way, I think.