NIKKI DUCAS
A sleepover at grandma’s house excites my kids. They stay up late, eat junk food and don’t have the same rules they do at home. They especially love the cookies, candy and ice cream she buys them, and she has games and books unique to her house. Most importantly, they love the time spent together and memories they make.
As much as my boys anticipate their visit, Grandma is equally aflutter. She tells her friends the boys are coming for the weekend and all the exciting activities she has planned. First, they’ll make blueberry muffins and play Parcheesi, and then she’ll show them around the clubhouse where they can jump in the pool and have a snack. She enjoys driving them to downtown Fredericksburg to grab a huge slice of pepperoni pizza at Benny Vitali’s for dinner and afterward taking them to Carl’s Frozen Custard for dessert. On Sunday, they’ll go to church, have brunch at Mason Dixon Café and go on a downtown trolley tour.
Now that my kids are getting older, they are more and more antsy and seem to always be on the move. Luckily, Fredericksburg is stocked with inexpensive fun for Grandma to do with the grandkids. If you’re a grandma, these activities—all under $20!—will keep your grandkids wanting to hang out with grandma in Fredericksburg.
Go see a play.
If your grands are into the arts, take in a show at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts. Their children’s theatre has performed more than 120 musical adaptations of popular children’s stories.
Teach them the ropes.
Got adventurous grandkids? Take them to Wilderness Presidential Resort to do the ropes course and play mini golf.
Let them bounce off the walls.
At SkyZone, your grands can bounce on trampolines, climb rock walls or be little ninja warriors as they tackle the Warrior Course. There’s also SkySlam (basketball) and Ultimate Fusion Dodgeball.
Blow their minds.
Children’s Museum Fredericksburg is great for hands-on play and entertainment. Let your child try their hands at any or all of more than 20 available exhibits.
Trek into the past.
Got budding history buffs on your hands? Visit a national park and the kids can become National Parks Service Junior Rangers. Some of the closest to Fredericksburg are Chatham National Park Services, Chancellorsville Battlefield, Wilderness Battlefield and Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. Also, visit historic buildings and explore with a guide in colorful first-person tours. My 9-year-old suggests Ferry Farm, Hugh Mercer’s Apothecary, Mary Washington House, and Rising Sun Tavern.
If that isn’t enough, there are also museums—the Rappahannock Railroad Museum and the Fredericksburg Area Museum. All these suggestions are within 15 miles of downtown Fredericksburg and will surely pique the grandkids’ interest.
