There's nothing like an hour of swimming to tire out kids. Indoor activities and crafts, not so much.

We played so many games growing up! Volleyball, badminton, whiffle ball, tag, just plain running in circles, making daisy chains, searching the clouds for shapes, kicking a soccer ball around, riding bikes, roller skating... An hour of swimming? I could take my son swimming at 10AM and he'd be completely disappointed if we left before 4PM. There was a lunch break in there, but an entire day was barely enough. We had season passes to the waterpark every year. He's a fish!!!

Enjoy them while you get to be together.

Have them bake some cookies...or have them make pancakes for breakfast one morning.

This website has ideas based on kids ages: GoodPlayGuide.com

I know you asked about crafts, but card games can pass the time -- War, Go Fish, etc. Are they old enough to learn Solitaire? Or another game that's super simple and fast paced is Left-Right-Center, that you play with dice and chips. Fun because even if you're "out", you can still come back to win.

Juice Box Boats, then sail them/race them in whatever water source you have.

Bake some sugar cookies with them.

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and ask for the free kids weekend wooden craft. I think they are handing them out instead of having the kids come in right now. You can always call and ask. Usually you need just a hammer to put it all together. Depending on what it is you can paint it. I still have the wooden picture frames my kids made. I let them paint them with paint and glitter glue. We glued Christmas trinkets on it. I put a Christmas picture of them in there and they get displayed at Christmas.

You could make fairy or gnome gardens or houses, doors, etc.

You can help the kids make ice cubes with Koolaid. Then you put it in a clear cup and pour Sprite or ginger ale over top. We did that with the neighbor kids. It was well received.

Go someplace like a lake, nature trail or park and have a picnic. Or eat at home and splurge on ice cream or something out.

There was a craft posted on here years ago. People put either milk jugs or 2 liter bottles on a stick or something. I think you cut holes for a mouth and decorated the face. They made noise when the wind blew. I never made one, but maybe someone else remembers how to do them.

Make fun out of the puzzle with the missing piece. When it is finished, the kids can make the missing piece by sliding a piece of cardboard under, trace the missing piece, color and cut it out.

Make little pizzas out of English muffins, they put on the toppings.

If you have an electric juicer, they can make orange juice. Go from there and blend smoothies with OJ and fruit.

Uno is a fun and easy card game. I even like it.

Amazon has a lot of craft kits for kids. Paint bird houses, etc. They aren't too expensive but the kids finish them up pretty quick.

My 6 yr old niece is here with me for June and July. She loves playing board games, especially Mexican dominoes. We bike ride, go to the park, swimming, chalk, perler beads. We bought some very inexpensive tank tops at Walmart and are going to do reverse tie-dying with bleach. Last year we did the traditional tie-dying. We are also going to the zoo, bowling and to the drive-in movie theater. I'll add more to this as the month goes by.

Well, we live on a lake and the usual morning is Breakfast Man (Grandpa) makes breakfast then by 10 am we are down at the dock catching minnows and using some dish tubs to turn into homes for them. Using rocks, leaves, seaweed, etc. but they must release all minnows so they can grow big.

When hungry, it is time for lunch. Back up to the house and maybe a craft time or off to climb 300 stairs or the lighthouse. I was thinking of getting 2 rug hooking kits, I know the 9 year old will love them.

I have Clue, Monopoly Deal, Racko, Left, Right, Center, Perfection, Abandon Ship, Zombie Dice, Lie Detector, Uno and a few others I can't remember the names of. Yes, we are card players, so solitaire will be played and maybe even some poker with Grandma's money!

Nickel, thanks for the website.

Fun 2, Juice box boats look like fun and the 7 year old would like that, for sure.

Home Depot is too far to go to, but they have one by their house and have done those projects many times.

I think most of our time will be spent outside. Grandpa says we will go to the Dairy Queen and then walk the 2 blocks to Lake Huron to wash off, just remember to bring towels!

Socks, making the puzzle piece is a good idea, I have lots of cardboard boxes. Plus, the little pizzas, great, they can make their own lunch.

DGD told me today she does not eat meat. Asked her steaks, no, hot dogs, just a little, hamburgers, no. I will see what I can come up with. I'm sure she will not starve! We always have plenty of carrots, celery and fruit in the house.

Thanks all for helping.

You might ask DGD what she likes to eat so you'll have it on hand. Whole grain breads, brown rice, cheese, beans, eggs, peanut butter might work if she'll eat them. We've made refried bean tacos. She'll need protein so she doesn't get too hungry.

Have a wonderful, memorable time.

When camping, we often had an "Engineers Contest." A box of wooden toothpicks and a bag or two of mini marshmallows. The one who can make the tallest free standing structure in a specific amount of time wins. Did it once with 2 second year university students and an eighth grader. The eighth grader won, because the uni guys (one of whom was in engineering) tried to get too complicated, while the eighth grader just concentrated on height! Doesn't have to be a competition though, you could just let them have at it and let their imaginations run wild to see what they can create. After, dismantle the structures, toothpicks in one pile for the campfire and marshmallows in a bowl to eat.

Another family favourite is Banana Golf. Tie the top of a banana to a string. The strings needs to be long enough to tie around participants waists, with the banana clearing the ground by about an inch. Participants line up and an orange is placed on the ground in front of everyone. A line is drawn a few meters away and the object is to get the orange across the line, using the banana only, so hip action is key. It is a great innocent game for the littles and a hilariously raunchy one for the older kids and adults!

How about a UV flashlight to look for Yooperlight stones at the lake?

Books?

Our grands love making ice cream in a bag. They use two plastic sealed bags. Small one has ice cream mixture sealed. Large one has ice and salt. They insert the small one in large one and toss back and forth to each other until small bag of ice cream freezes. I plead “old age” for not giving you the Internet site with instructions. Ice cream in a bag.

Lots of great ideas. My DDIL told me the kids have been packing already. DGD FaceTimed me today to tell me 7 more days. DGS said he will give me kisses and hugs!

i am one lucky Grandma!