10 activities for grandparents and grandkids
Simple ideas for quality time: a life-story interview, a memory game, a shared puzzle, cooking a family recipe and more — at home, outside, or over video call.
The secret: do things together, don’t entertain
The best time with grandkids isn’t always the big outing or the new toy. It’s the moment when each brings something: grandma the recipe, the grandchild the curiosity, grandpa the story. None of these activities needs special equipment, they adapt to any age, and most are gentle on the back.
Ten ideas
- A life-story interview: grandkids interview grandparents about their childhood, school, how they met and holidays long ago.
- Memory with a regular deck of cards — big cards, no timer, no pressure.
- A puzzle together: grandpa reads the clue, the grandchild writes. Little ones count squares. Try logic grid puzzles or sudoku.
- Cooking or baking a family recipe: kids measure, stir and decorate; grown-ups handle the oven and knives.
- A photo album: guess who’s in old photos and in what year, and write short captions together.
- Old-fashioned games: jacks, hopscotch, cat’s cradle. Grandparents teach theirs; grandkids teach a new one.
- Coloring side by side: one mandala, two colors, each colors half.
- A slow walk with “missions”: find five flowers, three birds, a red door.
- Reading aloud — and swapping: the grandchild reads one page, the grandparent the next. Our stories are just the right length.
- Teaching tech: older grandkids teach how to send a voice message or set up a video call — the roles flip.
When you live far apart
A video call can hold a lot: read a bedtime story, play “I spy,” solve the same printed puzzle on both ends, or cook the same recipe in two kitchens at once. Set a regular weekly time so the call has something to look forward to beyond “How are you?”
Making sure everyone enjoys it
- Short beats long — stop while it’s still fun.
- Match the grown-up’s pace, not just the child’s: sitting, breaks and water.
- Let the grandkids lead sometimes.
- You don’t have to finish. Half a puzzle is still time together.
Keep the memories
After an interview or an evening of stories, save something: a phone recording (with permission), a page of answers next to an old photo, or a family recipe notebook the kids illustrate. In a few years it will be the family’s most precious treasure. Grandparents Day is a good excuse to start.