Articles, activities for boomers & seniors
Public libraries are quiet places to introduce your grandchildren to the great events and thoughts of history. Show them that books don't have to be read on little screens or recharged. Let the kids pick out books that interest them and share your thoughts and experiences regarding that subject. Borrow some videos of old shows and documentaries and discuss them. Libraries often have special programs, contests, and author presentations for children. Check out your local library!
Walking is great exercise, and a walk through history is great for the mind as well. Take advantage of the Valley's many self-guided historical tours. Take the kids to see what life was like when the only "buttons" you had were on your shoes, and you had to do everything by hand.
Bethlehem has a rich history going back centuries. See where Revolutionary War heroes stayed at the Sun Inn in downtown Bethlehem. The Smithy, Goundie House, and Waterworks, as well as buildings in the Colonial Industrial Quarter along the Monocacy Creek, bring you back centuries, before there were even cell phones and Walmarts! Share the significance of these places and your own memories of growing up in similar ways.
Search discoverlehighvalley.com/things-to-do/history for other sites in surrounding towns.
Your grandkids may think their grandparents are dinosaurs, but you can prove them wrong by visiting the Da Vinci Science Center through September 6. Experience jaw-dropping, life-sized animatronic dinosaurs and step into the shoes of the explorers and scientists who study them! Expedition: Dinosaur, Rise of the Mammals, 3145 Hamilton Blvd. Bypass, Allentown, PA 18103 | (484) 664-1002 | 10:00 to 5:00 | davincisciencecenter.org/expedition-dinosaur-rise-of-the-mammals/.
"Ray, people will come, Ray." So says Terence Mann in Field of Dreams. And so have people come to Coca-Cola Park in Allentown to watch the IronPigs play baseball. Since 2008, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs have led Minor League Baseball in per-game attendance and has become the Valley’s place for affordable family entertainment. After the game, have a game of stickball or whiffle ball with the kids and share your peanuts and Cracker Jack memories; even talk about the first major league minority players.
Talk and teach at home. How did you entertain yourself when you were your grandchild's age? Was it something you can recreate with a ball and stick or a trip to the lake or drive-in? What was dating like "back then"? Who were your "super heroes"? Did you have a calculator that cost $75, used 2 9-volt batteries, and had four functions? Pull out the photos, the Golden Books, and whatever other memory-laden stuff you still have (even old clothes and jewelry) and show them how "hip" you were!