21 Ways to Spoil a Grandkid in San Antonio

21 Ways to Spoil a Grandkid in San

I have to admit, I pulled the idea for this post from one of my favorite blogs, Mommy Shorts, and I am not sure if Ilana’s post was old or new, but it had to do with the diabolical scheme grandmas have to make grandchildren NEVER WANT TO LEAVE and to like Grandma’s house better than their own home. She talks about how her grandmother experience was a little more plain vanilla than 31 flavors, and I have to agree.

My children, however, are the ultimate SPOILED when it comes to my mom. She has hatched a plan to make sure that my kids want to be with or near her at her house/car/office all the time, and leaving her is worse than going to the dentist and getting shots in the same day.

The worst part, though, is that my dad has recently joined in on this dubious plot. He used to be a little more reasonable at the lengths he would go to entertain the little humans, but I’m not sure what changed because he is now WORSE than my mom.

All of this is fine and well for my family, but I thought it might be helpful to pass along 21 ways to spoil your grandchild, niece, nephew, Godchild, or basically any child whom you would like to love you more than his/her own parents during a weekend in San Antonio. Some of these are “typical,” and others are hidden gems that my parents use to slowly make sure the tiny humans whom I created love them more than my husband and me:

  1. Visit a Krispy Kreme and watch the hot donuts fall in the glaze. Allow children to eat unlimited number of donuts.
  2. Sea World. Enough said.
  3. Enjoy the “outdoors” at Bass Pro Shops. You can shoot pretend deer, buy candy, look at fish, and pretend to drive a boat—it’s a one-stop kid playground. And it’s inside if the weather is iffy.
  4. Go to Toy Zone (or another great toy store) and set zero limits on the number of toys the child or children you are with may have.
  5. Visit Thin Air. Allow the kids to bounce until they can no longer move. Then proceed to give them some sort of sugar to reload. It works well.
  6. If you are a member (or know someone who is), go down the water slides at Lifetime Fitness. These are fun for adults too!
  7. Ride the San Antonio Zoo Eagle Train through Brackenridge Park. If you are really feeling generous, allow them to ride it twice.
  8. Head to Orange Leaf or any other yogurt store. Allow children minimal amount of yogurt and maximum amount of toppings.
  9. Ride a trolley downtown. (This is a favorite of my littles and something my husband and I are never going to go do.)
  10. Visit the Rainforest Café. Children can eat with elephants. Nothing at your house is as cool as a life-size elephant.
  11. Walk the River by the Pearl and watch the barges go through the locks.
  12. Eat at as many restaurants that have sandboxes as possible (Willie’s, Purple Garlic, etc.).
  13. Visit Kiddie Park. Again, enough said.
  14. Meander around the Witte. (It’s actually even better for little boys right now because of all the construction equipment.)
  15. Eat at a Hibachi restaurant, such as Osaka on Broadway. This combines fire, throwing knives, and playing with your food—all things that are not allowed at home.
  16. Two words: Candy. Store. (Lolli and Pops in La Cantera is a great example.) This is preferably done as the absolute last grandparent activity because you can buy the kids candy and then return them to their parents.
  17. Dine at the Magic Time Machine. This is an oldie but goody in San Antonio, and something most of us did as kids but only on special occasions. Grandparents will do this on a random Tuesday.
  18. Have lunch at Cheesy Jane’s on Broadway. The kids don’t even have to eat. Mine just want to watch the little train go around and around above their heads. Milkshakes are good too.
  19. Tee it up at Top Golf, a favorite of golfing granddads everywhere.
  20. Treat them to an afternoon of fun at Chuck-E-Cheese or Gatti’s. Games that cost a gazzilion dollars for prizes that will clutter your house? Yes, please.
  21. And if you really, really want to win over the grandkids, buy one of these for the backyard:

    This is a picture of the actual slide my parents purchased for my son.  I can't win.
    This is a picture of the actual slide my parents purchased for my son. I can’t win.
Katy
While not born in the Alamo City, Katy moved here at the ripe age of one and eventually became a proud Keystone graduate. She has called San Antonio home since she first arrived, with the exception of the four-year stint spent in Nashville to attend Vanderbilt University. After graduation, she moved back here to serve as the director of marketing for a local law firm. She and her patient husband have three kids: one son (3) and identical twin girls (almost 2). When not working or mothering full-time, she likes to drink wine, read historical fiction, and enjoy some peace and quiet. You can read more about Katy’s busy but very fulfilling life on her blog, A Mom Divided.

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