Camp Grandma Book Review

When I visited my grandparents while I was growing up, I played with my cousins, rode horses, helped pick raspberries, had floats with Strawberry Fanta Soda Pop (my grandma’s favorite pop). That sort of thing.

I didn’t have an awful lot of interaction with my grandparents. But that was normal back in those days.

Now that we baby boomers are grandparents ourselves, many of us are taking grandparenting to a whole new level.

We take grandkids on vacation with us. We organize family reunions at exciting locations. Hold yearly grandma camps for grandkids — camps with themes and themed activities.

Marianne Wagonner Day is one of those women who goes beyond what grandmothers used to do sixty years ago.

She understands that grandparents will be an occasional babysitter. Which is fine.

But she feels that grandparents are way more than babysitters. They are role models, teachers, family historians, mentors, and — most important — examples of how to love and be loved.

Day wrote a book called Camp Grandma: Next Generation Grandparenting–Beyond Babysitting that shares her experiences and perspectives on being a grandparent.

Day has an impressive background. She led the largest commercial retail real estate practice in the world. She globally managed, leased, sold, financed, or advised assets in excess of $190 billion dollars.

Man oh man!

(As a side note, I think that she’s an awesome role model for her granddaughters AND for grandsons!)

Keep that work experience in mind.

Her camp grandma is a child’s version of a corporate retreat. Her grandkids create agendas and business plans, give presentations, practice communications and listening skills, learn how to properly shake hands, write a resume, and do team building exercises.

She gives detailed explanations for each type of activity, of what materials are needed, and how to do them. It’s like she’s your personal assistant standing right at your elbow helping you along the way.

Lest you think it is all business and no play, they do have fun. They do things such as going swimming and bowling, doing crafts, baking cookies, making Christmas presents, playing games, and singing.

Day doesn’t claim that grandmas everywhere have to have grandma camps exactly like hers. Her book is a guidebook to be used as a springboard. She acknowledges that grandmothers have other life experiences and are things like lawyers, firemen, nurses, and Sunday School teachers.

Day encourages grandmothers to base their camp grandma on their own experiences. Personalize their camps. Take into consideration their grandchildren’s likes, strengths, and interests.

Day sums it all up when she said, “Camp Grandma, when all is said and done, is all about bringing my family — in particular, my grandchildren — together to build deep and lasting relationships.”

I whole-heartedly agree. Strong family relationships are critical. And grandparents can play a significant role in strengthening families.

Marianne Day’s book Camp Grandma provides scads of ideas and creative ways for grandparents to help their grandchildren grow strong, think critically, and have fun all at the same time.

Check it out!