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My in-laws are coming in for the weekend to help celebrate my wife's birthday. We are in our late 20's, and they are in their late 50's. What are some activities we can do to keep everyone happily occupied?
They really aren't into any kind board games, movies, or drinking... so that narrows the easy choices out. I don't think they would enjoy the beach, (we live at the Jersey shore) so that's out too.
Any suggestions?
Posts: 468 | Registered: Mar 2008
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Well, the age gap isn't the problem, but the interest gap may be. When my parents come into town, there are a number of things we can do together, including card games, board games, and some movies (overlapping but not identical tastes there).
What do you in-law's like to do? Music? Sports? Bowling? Golf? Shopping? Horseback riding?
Posts: 2392 | Registered: Sep 2005
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Do you like trivia? My husband and I like to go to Buffalo Wild Wing and play trivia. They give you a box and the tv has trivia questions come up (with multiple choice) and you hit the answer on your box. There are different games with different rules and themes.
If they wouldn't enjoy beach, probably not a gentle hike either. Museums? Crafts (I have a 2 year old- we do lots of craft) paint your own pottery? bike ride? zoo? Do they like photography?
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Along the lines of the other questions posed, I'd ask myself and your wife what it is they do in their own free time. Since you know your own interests, it shouldn't be difficult, when you come across them, to find overlapping activities.
Posts: 691 | Registered: Nov 2008
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They like to watch HGTV and do housework. They are big Packers fans, but nothing to really do there. My wife doesn't like to pick what she wants to do, even though its her birthday. She wants me to figure everything out.
I would love to have a few drinks and play games all night, but I would be the only one.
Thanks for the help guys!
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They like housework? You have a drink and watch them clean your house My mom loves HGTV and one of her favorite things is to go look at model homes.
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I find Apples to Apples draws in a lot of people who don't normally consider themselves "gamers", if you have it available or can borrow it.
Local performances or concerts? Open dancing lessons? Foods that everyone can make their own way and cook quickly, like tacos or pizzas? Local tours or attractions (sometimes there's ones the locals take for granted)? Street or farmers' markets?
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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Something I've found successful with my parents is to have a small, informal gathering of some close friends. It takes the pressure off of you and the parents to entertain each other, and lets them feel like their seeing a part of you life they might otherwise miss out on. You wife's birthday might be a great opportunity for this.
Posts: 368 | Registered: Dec 2005
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Seriously though, once or twice a year I get a whole pile of family to descend on my house and stay for a week or two. That's a lot of people to cook for, and what usually happens is that we all land up cooking together. I'm the "chef" and all the rest of the folks are my "sous chefs". So, I'll give Dad an onion and tell him to chop it finely, and I'll give Ma a pile of kale and tell her to wash it really well, yadda yadda ya. I've got extra cutting boards and enough knives to go around so that everyone can participate. If someone is left without a task, you can ask him what he'd like to make -- maybe a dessert.
It's good for both the folk who know their way around the kitchen and for folk who don't, because you can assign tasks according to ability. Someone with good cooking skills can be in charge of making or directing an entire recipe, or making a fabulous sauce, and someone with poor cooking skills can wash the produce or peel carrots.
Also, if you have some home improvement projects that you'd like to tackle, but could use extra hands on, well -- there are your extra hands. Someone with sewing skills can make curtains while the folks who know how to use a hammer can hang curtain rods, install a chair rail, yadda yadda ya. Everyone can paint! You can go to Ikea and pick out stuff and then assemble it all together (I did this with a pair of dressers -- the one put together by the family who knew what they were doing was terrific. The one put together by the other team needed some remedial reassembly later ) Take pictures of everything as you go. As long as you have the "wanting to be useful" kinds of in-laws as opposed to the "wanting to be waited on" kinds of in-laws, this can go swimmingly. They'll have a good time working together towards something useful and have a good sense of accomplishment in giving your wife her birthday present of new curtains and a newly-painted room.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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What ended up happening, we went to a local flea market, but it was packed up by the time we got there. We ended up playing on sporcle.com instead.
Thanks for all of the suggestions.
Posts: 468 | Registered: Mar 2008
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Out here in the desert we just kick the old folks outside with the kids and water spicket. Figure if any of em make it back for dinner then they did something to earn it.
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![[Smile]](smile.gif)
My mom loves HGTV and one of her favorite things is to go look at model homes.
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
) Take pictures of everything as you go. As long as you have the "wanting to be useful" kinds of in-laws as opposed to the "wanting to be waited on" kinds of in-laws, this can go swimmingly. They'll have a good time working together towards something useful and have a good sense of accomplishment in giving your wife her birthday present of new curtains and a newly-painted room.
