Affordable childcare has become an increasing challenge for families all across the country, but one set of grandparents is making sure their grandchildren are well taken care of over the summer — by establishing ‘Camp OmaPapa,’ an unofficial official grandparents’ summer camp for their grandchildren.
Paula Beverly (@pbev12), a content creator with 12,000 followers on TikTok, explained how she and her husband created ‘Camp OmaPapa,’ at their house to take care of their three grandchildren, ages 5,4, and 2, while her daughter and her husband celebrated their anniversary together.
Beverly had T-shirts made for the “counselors” (her and her husband), as well as the campers, and sent official invites to Camp OmaPapa in the mail with a sample of some of the activities the campers would enjoy during their stay.
The camp included a daily schedule of activities, which Beverly posted every day to a blue square so the kids could know what to expect.
From Beverly’s list of daily activities, it appears Camp OmaPapa lasted just over a week (9 days to be exact), and the itinerary was a packed one, full of fun at-home activities and off-site excursions. She even added pictures for the non-readers of the campers, to help them get a visual of what to expect.
A sampling of some of the activities included:
- A trip to the zoo
- Daily arts and crafts
- Scooter and bike rides
- Movie nights
- Spa night
- Pizza parties
- Ice cream trips
And because Oma ain’t no fool, the schedule also included a daily nap and quiet time for the big kids. Even grandparent camp counselors need a break!
Beverly gave updates throughout the duration of the camp on their activities, such as painting flower pots with paint markers and then planting flowers in the pots once they had dried.
In the comment section of one of the update videos, Beverly did admit that she has worked in education for years and is currently a preschool teacher who works with students with special needs, so if you’re wondering why on earth your kids’ grandparents aren’t this organized and helpful, it is worth noting this woman is an actual professional, so that definitely helps.
Many people in the comments praised the involved grandparents.
The comments of praise came for being active in their grandchildren’s lives, and commenters noted that by being active in this real way, it gives parents a true break knowing their kids are well-cared for.
Clearly, healthy, active, and involved grandparents are a gift, but many commenters in the videos also rightfully pointed out that the parents in this scenario also hugely benefit, because they can actually take a restful vacation without worrying about their children.
Other current and active parents lamented their own lack of involved grandparents in their kids' lives.
“My parents have never even taken my kid out for an ice cream cone,” wrote one commenter. “This is so awesome!”
“As a mom with no village, this is amazing, your kids and grandkids are lucky to have you,” added another.
Still other commenters noted that seeing this level of involvement and intention from Oma and Papa helped show them what kind of grandparent they hope to be someday. Beverly herself even responded in the comment section that when her own kids were little, they had one grandparent who was heavily involved and another who had no interest in seeing the kids, so they learned quickly what model of grandparenting they wanted to emulate.
“I can’t wait to be a grandma!” said one commenter.
“It really is the best,” Beverly replied.
Despite her clear love for her grandchildren and dedication to ensuring Camp OmaPapa was a success, Beverly was still pleased to announce that “after an exhausting 9 days,” camp is officially closed for the season.
But not to worry — the camp will be welcoming a fresh set of campers again in the 2026 summer camp season, with new and familiar traditions, and a whole lot of ice cream.
Um, where can we sign up?
