Most grandparents can't get enough photos of their grandchildren, and photo gifts are easy for preschoolers to make. Children can make simple frames out of craft sticks or pieces of cardboard, then decorate them and glue recent photos inside. For an even more meaningful gift, enlist parents to help students make gifts showing multiple generations. Ask parents to send in photos of themselves and photos of children's grandparents. Help children make three frames for each grandparent and attach them to one another with yarn. Glue a photo of the child in the bottom frame, the parent in the middle and the grandparents on top.
The more exposure preschoolers have to books, the more they learn to appreciate the written word. Making their own books also helps children practice writing letters and holding a writing utensil. Help children create books for their grandparents that commemorate all their favorite memories with Grandma and Grandpa. Give each child several sheets of paper and ask her to draw one picture on each sheet. She might draw an illustration of a fun thing she does with her grandmother or a picture of her grandfather in his favorite chair. Staple all the pages together to create a book.
While parents may regularly visit the classroom for different activities, grandparents may never get to see their preschoolers in a school environment. Inviting them to visit for a party will be exciting for children and grandparents alike. Serve snacks and set out an art project that children and their grandparents can do together. If you have very few children with grandparents who live locally, contact a local retirement home to ask if you can visit their seniors. Explain to your students that the residents will be their honorary grandparents for a day.
In a class full of preschoolers, chances are good that many different nationalities will be represented, even if the children themselves don't realize it. Many children's grandparents or great-grandparents may have been the first generation to live in America. A mapping project will teach preschoolers about geography and educates them about their own ancestry. Send a letter home asking if any grandparents immigrated to the United States from other countries. Place pins on a world map showing where each child's ancestors came from.