Who remembers the i-Spy books ?

I've been trying to think of ideas to keep one of my grandchildren amused, other than video's after she has a major operation in September. Likely to be off school for a couple of months at least.
This is the aftermath of meningitis when she was 10months old. Certain problems can manifest later in life, and she's now 8 yrs old but the bone in her arm is growing outwards now and it has to be dealt with.
This will result in a cage being placed on her arm for a long time and obviously restricting many activities.

So , trying to think of ideas made me remember these little books, which I thought were really fun as a kid. Now they have i-Spy' in the street,' shopping, airports, garden, creepy crawlies, loads of different ones.
Excellent idea for youngsters to learn what is around them and go on searching adventures with mum and dad.
I think she would like them and then even going shopping with mum can be fun ! (that's the expectation)

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/series/Collins%20Michelin%20i-SPY%20Guides

If anyone has any other ideas, I'd be more than happy for you to share them.

On the book front ....

The old "First Aid in English" was a good book with some slightly quirky stuff in it, no idea what the new version is like.

Pears Encyclopedia was along the same track.

Both are maybe a little old for 8 years but I always found them an interesting read and stimulation for things to think about long before I could cope with all of the stuff in the books.

Any of the sequential memory games are good, eg animals where both of you take turns to add another to the list to remember, make it harder (or easier) by allowing repeats. The electronic games with four colours/tones are similar. Also set a sequence up to remember for the next day, write it down and see who can reproduce it, can be any objects in the list, perhaps do two, one with objects, one with numbers. Then ask if they can remember the list from the day before that.

Reversals, take a simple poem or sentence and try and say it backwards, same with numbers, remember sequence forwards then try and repeat it backwards. Backwards counting, backwards alphabet.

Sequences, keep on adding two or three etc similar to multiplication tables but is thinking instead of remembering, or even alternating between adding one and two (1, 3, 4, 6, 7), let them write it down at first then challenge to do it in their heads. Fairly easy to make it easier or more difficult as required.

Then teach her to moonwalk

I got some where's Wally books from the charity shop , a good buy in really good condition. Thought they may amuse my grandson who is 4 and.a half. My own son used to love them ....we had a great time Granny seeing who could find Wally first it was good fun. A bit like the i_spy books I think.i think most kids love them although she may have already seen them. It's so hard trying to keep them amused especially when you can't run around with them all the time , getting old we are Granny, ha. Plenty of sticker and craft books etc for you Granny. Sorry to hear about your granddaughter , it's so hard when it's the children I'd rather go through it myself than them. Good luck x

Great ideas. DD. We do play memory games like 'I pack my bag and in it I put' Letters of the alphabet A-Z so the first is an apple, next person says apple and brush, next person apple, brush and a cat and so on. We usually play that in the car and it gets quite silly at times. They also have a 'Simon' . I like the 'sequence 'idea. Moonwalking ! Can you do it DD ? I wouldn't know where to start. ha !

Cools, she loves 'where's wally' and usually gets one for Christmas, so a new edition could easily keep her amused for quite a while.
Thanks for your empathy and wishes, and yes, I would much prefer to take the pain for her.

Sorry to hear your granddaughters problems granny . Hope she recovers quickly. Is it her writing arm?

You could do a sort of seeking game whatever you want to call it -- find x number of articles on your walk and tick them off A twig exactly 6cm long (you have tape or short ruler with you obviously), a red leaf , a brown stone, a flowering grass stem, a woodlouse , a beetle , a blue flower, a piece of limestone, an empty plastic bottle etc etc -- the latter making me think if you had a grasper and empty bag, you could also go either beachcombing after high tide, or even plastic rubbish collecting . A walk to Hilbre would be nice too on a less hot day . Stick or leaf racing Pooh stick style along any stretch of water .Could give this a go too. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sonorous-science-making-music-with-bottles/

Thanks Venice. More good ideas. I'm not sure about 'beach combing' as we are looking at the winter months but on a nice day , yes we could , and get some fresh air into the lungs..

Morning Granny, sorry to hear of your granddaughter's problem.

How about pebble painting. We did this on holiday (all ages) with a paint kit from The Range (other suppliers are probably available!) and once the paint dried we sealed them with PVA glue (available as before). Some of the stones were displayed and some hidden for others to find. You will need to source pebbles which could be another distraction.

Jigsaws are good for a rainy day - not too hard or they wont be done.

Trip to the Library for some good books if she loves a good story.

Hi Moonstar, thanks for you kind words..

I think jigsaws will be a great source of occupational therapy. A few with something to chat about and to make it interesting.
Thanks for the pebble painting idea. She paints and writes with her left hand, but draws and colours with her right hand. Work that out. Quite handy (no pun intended) being ambidextrous .

Down the bird hide at Thurstaston country park to spot the birds (pay for parking!!), or splash out and join or Borrow) RSPB cards and go Burton RSPB , Nice walk along boardwalk there plus cafe if cold.
Ferry cross the mersey, sea zoo at seacombe? (plus cafe) .
Larton Farm cafe has a fish pool outside or sit in by window and watch horses in their stable blocks,
dominoes..helped my maths
board games,
find pubs where kids eat free
tour the nice old church buildings that are open admire stained glass (st peters lower heswall)
nice day Brimstage Courtyard doesnt get too busy...
further afield the kids zoo at Walton Park near Warrington..

Good ideas Fish... yep, the fish pool at Larton; She has quite an interest in fish. It could be nice to spend some time there. She will only be with me some of the time at weekends , so I think a calendar of trips out will be quite a good idea for some days.

I went to Brimstage last week and although a friend and myself spent a lovely couple of hours in the café garden (very relaxing) there's not much at Brimstage now, all the shops have changed. The Maze Maze will be opening next month until September (I think)or October, which is excellent for children, but not cheap.

Went to Chester Zoo last year, it cost £85 for 2 adults and 2 children (they were 6 six at the time) !