Grandma’s Bookbag – Acting It Out

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If you have read our blog for more than a year, you probably know that we have a yearly tradition of acting out one of the books in Grandma’s Bookbag. The Twins’ Picnic is a lovely Rod and Staff book describing twins who want to have a picnic and how their mom responds and helps them with the picnic.

For our re-enactment, we start by reading the book together. Then we act the story out page by page. When the children were younger, I was Mother and two of the children were the twins. When there were more children, we improvised characters by adding more children in and giving them “S” names to go with the twin names, which were Stanley and Susie. 

Now there are so many children that I am only the director, and we have a narrator, mother, and each of the twins plus the younger grandchild who just hangs around until it is time to carry things to the picnic location.

It is a simple, wholesome activity to do with my grandchildren and they truly love it. I asked Abby, now 11, and Bethany, 9, whether they wanted to keep being part of the Twins’ Picnic. “Absolutely!” they told me. So we are making plans for what it will be like when Deborah, their youngest, is old enough to participate and looking forward to how we might act it out. 

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

Joshua was the narrator for his family’s picnic. He is reading the prayer they are going to say together.

“Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast
established the earth, and it abideth.”  Psalm 119:90 

6 thoughts on “Grandma’s Bookbag – Acting It Out”

  1. Grandparents are so important in their grandchildren’s lives. You are a wonderful example of intentionally investing in your grandchildren. I’m sure they delight in spending time with you.

    1. It is my joy to spend time with my grandchildren, and I do find that intentionality – I like that word you used – really helps make consistent time for our interactions.

  2. Gorgeous! What a great idea to use books and act them out! We will be adopting this idea, thank you!

    1. That’s the only book we have acted out, but I am sure you could do others, and the children would enjoy it. The picnic part makes it especially delightful and active.

  3. How fun! My Grandma used to read to me, play with me, and take me to the park/playground every weekday when I was small, and I treasure those memories always (even when I was old enough to stay home alone after school, I would STILL walk over to her house instead just because I wanted to be around her). I remember reading a seemingly similar book with her called “Once Upon A Time in the Meadow” (I think . . . Something like that anyway!) about a group of cousins who had a picnic, and often I would act it out with her, my sister, and my aunt in the park nearby (my Barbie dolls and stuffed animals had roles too!) Fun times with a caring grandma stay with you for life I think. I’m not at all surprised that the older girls still wanted to be involved. Very sweet post that evoked sweet memories 🙂

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