Grandmas and Granddaughters: Things to Do Together

Go on a Nature Walk

Head out on a nature walk with your granddaughter to get some exercise and enjoy the clean, fresh air.

A nature walk is good for you and your granddaughter because it encourages you both to get outdoors, put away the electronics, and explore.

You can visit a hiking trail or take a nature walk through a historic park in your area.

Bring a camera to snap photos along the way while checking out the trees, plants, and any animals that you might see.

It is an experience that your granddaughter will always remember.

Have a Tea Party with Snacks

Enjoying some hot tea and snacks is a great way to relax with your granddaughter.

You can prepare the hot tea and the snacks, such as cucumber sandwiches, chips with dip, and anything else that you know your granddaughter enjoys eating.

While sitting down to drink the tea and eat the snacks, you can have a great conversation with your granddaughter.

Visit the Nail Salon for Manicures and Pedicures

If you want to treat your granddaughter to a day of pampering and relaxation, bring her to the nail salon or spa, where you can both get manicures and pedicures.

It is a great way to relax while having some much-needed girl time.

While getting a manicure and pedicure, you can talk with your granddaughter and learn more about what is going on in her life.

Paint Some Stunning Images

Painting is a great activity to do with your granddaughter.

Purchase blank canvas panels, paintbrushes, and some paint. Set the panels up on the table, pull the paint out, and get ready to let your imagination loose.

Painting is a relaxing activity you can do at a table, and it is easy to do at your own pace.

You may enjoy painting, and your granddaughter may find it the kind of activity that helps her feel more relaxed too.

Bake Tasty Treats Together

If you want to have a fun time with your granddaughter while making some amazing memories, consider pulling out one of your favorite recipes for a tasty treat and teaching her how to make that treat.

For example, you may be known for preparing a delectable chocolate cake or some of the best banana nut muffins.

You can have a great time in the kitchen while preparing the ingredients together, putting them in the oven, waiting for them to bake, and then tasting the treats when they have finished baking.

Like the idea of this traditional activity but not much of a baker?

Cratejoy offers subscription baking boxes with pre-measured ingredients and step-by-step instructions. Using these boxes, you can look like you know exactly what you are doing!

Make a Pizza

Even if you do not like baking tasty treats, you can still have some fun in the kitchen while making a pizza with your granddaughter.

It is an affordable and fun activity that will keep you both entertained. You can buy a pizza kit at the store or make it alone.

Along with the dough, you will need pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and any toppings for the pizza that you and your granddaughter would prefer to eat.

Play the Hot Potato Game

If your granddaughter is a bit younger, you might like playing the hot potato game with her.

The hot potato is a stuffed plush toy that makes noise when its stomach is pressed (See it at Amazon).

The game aims to throw it back and forth until the music stops. The person who is stuck holding the potato as the music comes to a stop is the one who loses that round of the game.

It is a simple yet fun and entertaining game to play with your granddaughter.

It will have you both laughing the entire time.

RELATED READING: Best Toys for Grandparent’s House

Attend a Pottery Class

Take your granddaughter to a pottery class and learn how to make something useful from clay, such as a coffee mug or even a vase in which you can put flowers.

A pottery class is a learning experience for you and your granddaughter.

Aside from learning how to make things from clay, you can share a few good laughs while chatting with your granddaughter throughout the class.

Decorate Picture Frames

A cheap and fun activity that is sure to keep your granddaughter entertained, you can decorate picture frames that you have purchased from the dollar store.

Simply purchase plain picture frames and a few items that you can use to embellish the frames, such as gemstones, stickers, and paint.

Have a seat at the dining room table together and decorate those picture frames that you can both hold onto as keepsakes for years to come.

Attend a Local Flea Market

If you love shopping around at flea markets to see what they have to offer, take your granddaughter with you to check one out.

You may find some truly neat items that you and your granddaughter will love.

If you find something for her, she may hold onto that item for a long time while thinking of you every time she looks at it.

Card and Board Games for Every Age

A single standard deck of cards can give you hours of entertainment, and the games you can play are many. The nice part is that you can match the game to your granddaughter’s skill.

Younger girls can start with basics like Blackjack and Go Fish. As she gets older, she can move up to Canasta, Hearts, Bridge and even Poker. If you want more choices, there are quite a few different card games to pick from.

Board games are a good way to hand down your favorite board games. If she has never heard of Scrabble, tell her it is like Words With Friends. She will figure it out fast enough.

Keep a few treats nearby for game time, such as slices of cake or bowls of ice cream. A simple dessert turns a game afternoon into a little date.

If you want more ideas for playtime, the list of the best toys for a grandparent’s house is a good place to look.

One trade-off: a game that is too hard for her age can lead to frustration. Pick one that fits where she is now, and move up when she is ready.

Low-Energy Fall Activities You Can Do Sitting Down

The best fall visits are not about how much energy you spend. Grandchildren remember your attention, the stories you told while stirring cookie batter, and the way you laughed at their jokes. When you are comfortable and relaxed, you can be fully present, and that is when real conversations happen. Many people find these quiet moments together are the ones they treasure most.

In the kitchen, no-bake treats mean no standing at a hot oven. Try rice crispy treats with fall-colored sprinkles, chocolate-dipped pretzels, or apple “nachos” (apple slices topped with peanut butter, chocolate chips and granola). Cookie decorating works too: buy pre-made sugar cookies, and give each child frosting and sprinkles in their own cupcake liner. A hot chocolate bar with marshmallows, whipped cream and cinnamon sticks lets you heat the milk and then sit while they build their drinks.

For quiet time, pull out the old photo albums and let your grandchildren ask the questions. Settle under a blanket with fall books and warm cider. Take turns adding sentences to a made-up story (“Once upon a time, a pumpkin came to life…”), or play an audio book while you color or string beads together.

Outdoors, keep it gentle. Play leaf hunt bingo in the yard from a comfortable chair, and let the children bring their finds to you to judge. Set up a bird feeder outside a window, or draw fall scenes in chalk while sitting on a stool.

Crafts and games fit well too. You could make a gratitude tree, adding a paper leaf each visit, or roll pinecones in peanut butter and birdseed for the birds. A fall puzzle kept on a tray can stretch across several visits. Pumpkin bowling in a hallway has you sitting at one end as scorekeeper. If you want to keep grandchildren engaged with technology too, a video call while you both taste apples is a sweet way to connect across distances.

A rough age guide: ages 2 to 4 like simple, sensory things. Ages 5 to 7 can follow instructions and enjoy baking and games with rules. Ages 8 and up like family stories and learning real skills.

To keep visits stress-free, choose two or three activities and leave room to follow their lead. Keep simple snacks handy, build in rest time, and let them fetch supplies and do the cleanup. A timer helps with transitions, and a quiet backup activity is handy for when you want a break.

One trade-off: some of these still need a little preparation, like pre-measuring ingredients or pre-cutting paper leaves. Doing that before they arrive keeps the visit itself relaxed.

Modern and Tech-Based Ways to Bond With Your Grandchild

Cards and baking will always have their place, and nothing is wrong with sticking to what works. Still, there is room to add a few newer ideas. Activities where you both learn something together build a partnership, not just a teacher and a student.

Start with a virtual reality memory tour. Put on a VR headset with your grandchild and “walk” through your childhood neighborhood. Many public libraries offer free VR experiences. You could visit a virtual version of your wedding venue or see what Times Square looked like in the 1960s. It starts conversations a photo album cannot.

You can also make things together for the family. Some grandparents record short videos teaching a traditional skill. You might start a family YouTube channel where you cook, tell family stories or record what you are learning. The goal is something your family will treasure, not becoming a social media star. A laptop or tablet helps you stay connected to your family’s digital world.

For an art challenge, you each make art in your own medium, then combine the pieces. You might paint a landscape while your grandchild adds digital art on top. Or you could both take photos from different angles and build a photo story. If photography appeals to you, the right camera makes it easier.

Try a skill swap. You teach knitting, woodworking or gardening, and they show you a social media app or their favorite video game. You are both teacher and student. Your grandchild learns patience when you struggle with an app, and appreciation when knitting needles tangle in their hands.

Historical detective work is another option. Use online genealogy tools to research your family history. Go past names and dates to what daily life was like in each period. Then build a family timeline with photos, stories and context.

If your grandchild lives far away, many of these work over a video call, and a smartphone is enough to take part. If technology feels intimidating, begin with simple apps and let your grandchild be the teacher.

One trade-off: tech projects can feel clumsy at first. Start with the simplest version, and expect a few things to go wrong along the way.

Bonding with Grandchildren Who Live Far Away, Without Tech Help

Plenty of grandparents live hundreds of miles from at least one grandchild. If you are tired of asking for help with video calls, you can build a close bond without passwords or apps. A plain phone call is enough to tie these ideas together.

Subscription boxes are one way in. Some services send identical or matching activity kits to you and your grandchild each month, such as country-themed boxes, science experiments or craft projects. You each do the activity, then call to talk about what you made. These are activities that create shared experiences without shared geography.

A book and media club works the same way. Send your grandchild a copy of the same book, set reading goals together, and talk over each chapter by phone. With younger children, read the same picture book and talk about the pictures. Older kids do well with chapter books and a few discussion questions, and you could make bookmarks to hold the questions. If you want to see how book clubs work for grown-ups, there is a separate article on that.

You can stretch the idea past books. Watch the same movie on your own and compare favorite scenes. Subscribe to a magazine for both homes and discuss the articles. Keep nature journals where you document plants and animals where each of you lives, then compare.

Games and mail projects fit well too. Set up identical chess or checkers boards in both homes and call out your moves. Mail a scavenger hunt list for your grandchild to do in their own neighborhood. Start a story in a notebook, mail it off, and let them write the next part. You can also trade round-robin journals, or start a drawing and mail it for your grandchild to add to. An art collaboration like that grows into something you both made. Colorful envelopes and small surprises add to the excitement.

Then there are adventures you do apart but on the same day. Look at the same moon and stars. Cook the same recipe and share how it tasted. Visit the museums or zoos near you and compare notes. You can also visit local parks and collect leaves or rocks to compare.

One trade-off: these ideas only work if you keep a regular rhythm, and mailing and waiting for replies takes patience. The books, journals and drawings you trade do pile up as keepsakes, though.

Start a Memory Journal Together With Your Grandchild

A memory journal is a notebook, or something like it, that you and your grandchild fill in together. You share a story, they answer with their own, and the pages become a keepsake. It does not cost much, and it asks for no special skills. You need openness, curiosity and a regular habit.

It works because both of you take part. A normal visit can slide into the grandparent doing all the talking, and a journal gives your grandchild a turn too. If you want a gentle place to begin, my piece on the habit of journaling may help.

How to get started

Choose a format that suits you both. It can be a notebook passed back and forth, a shared digital document, voice recordings, or a private group on social media.

Begin with prompts that invite a story, not a yes or no answer. After you share a story, ask your grandchild to respond with their thoughts, a similar experience, or a question. Then have them tell you something from their world.

Add photos, ticket stubs, recipes or other small items to bring the stories to life. Pick a regular time to work on it, weekly if you are together, or monthly by mail or video call.

If passing a notebook around is not your family’s style, Memorygram turns spoken answers to life-story questions into a printed hardcover book. My review covers where it falls short.

Tips for each age and situation

• Ages 4 to 8: Draw pictures together and write down their stories while you tell yours out loud. Take photos of their artwork for the journal.
• Ages 9 to 16: Ask about their interests and opinions, and share stories from when you were their age.
• Adult grandchildren: Ask deeper questions about life lessons, family history and values.
• Long distance: Share stories on a video call, write them down separately, then send each other photos of your entries.
• Limited mobility, such as arthritis: Voice recordings can be easier than writing, and video calls let you connect without physical strain.

What you may notice

You may notice your grandchildren start asking about family history and seeking your advice. The journal can become something they look forward to more than screen time. The shared stories may even help mend strained relationships with your own grown children.

One trade-off: the journal only works if you keep at it. A regular schedule matters more than a fancy notebook.

Simple Things to Do at Home With Your Grandchildren

Your grandkids do not always need an outing. Most of these ideas use things you probably already have in the house.

Start with what is on your shelves. Sit down with old family photo albums and show your grandkids what their parents, aunts and uncles looked like as children. Pull out a jigsaw puzzle and help the younger ones finish it, even if it is a hard one. If you still have old marbles, teach them how to play.

For rainy afternoons, build a fort in the living room from your biggest pillows and blankets. Once it is built, climb in and have a tea party inside. A movie night works the same way: make a big bowl of popcorn and pick a family-friendly film you all like.

A deck of cards takes up almost no room. You can teach card games from Go Fish to Euchre, and kids are happy to learn from you. If you pull out board games, let your grandkids choose which one to play.

Some ideas use paper, paint and a little imagination. Painting is a relaxing activity you can do at a table, and it is easy to do at your own pace. Hand over paints or crayons and draw each other’s portraits, then compare them. Buy plain t-shirts and fabric paint or markers, and let the kids decorate them any way they like, including one for you. Younger grandkids can decorate blank cards to give their parents at pickup.

Others need nothing at all. Play 20 Questions, or start a story with a few sentences and let your grandchild say what happens next. Mad Libs bring silly humor, and a book of them is easy to find. You can also blow bubbles, which can keep young children busy for hours. Mixing dishwashing soap with water makes your own.

A few more: take silly photos with props and costumes, try karaoke, or let them help you cook and pass along a family recipe. If the weather is nice, plant a small garden together. Then ask your grandkids to teach you something, such as a few new tricks on your smartphone.

One trade-off: pick with the child’s age in mind. Very young grandkids may put beads in their mouths during jewelry making, and a long board game like Monopoly can run for hours.

Activities for Teenage Grandchildren

Teenagers are a different crowd from little ones, and the best activities start with what they already like. Pick something that suits both of you, and the talking tends to follow.

For a day outside, try hiking in local parks. Choose a nearby park with easy trails, and pack a small backpack with water, snacks and a map. Talk about the plants and animals, spot some birds, and take photos on your phone.

A beach day works too. Bring a picnic and sunscreen, then challenge them to a sandcastle contest or a game of frisbee. If they like water sports, you could rent kayaks or paddleboards.

Video games are a good way to see what they enjoy. Mario Kart, Minecraft, Fortnite and Among Us are all popular, and you get to watch their skills up close. You can also learn new tech skills together, such as coding on Scratch or Code.org, making a TikTok video, or editing photos in Adobe Lightroom.

Museums and live shows give you something to talk about afterward. A science museum has hands-on experiments, art museums often run tours or workshops for teens, and a historical museum can make stories from the past come alive. For a concert or a play, you could take a musical fan to “Hamilton” or “Wicked,” or go see a favorite band. It is also a chance to share your own favorite artists and discover new music together.

To get moving, sign up for a fitness class. Zumba or hip-hop suits dancers, and many community centers offer beginner yoga. A cycling trip along a scenic route or a park bike trail is another option. Pack a picnic, and set timed challenges if your grandchild is competitive.

For a quieter pastime, start a family book club. Choose a book, set aside time each week to talk about it, and ask open questions like “Did anything in the book surprise you?” Let your grandchild pick the next book so they have a say.

One trade-off: some of these, like concerts, classes and rentals, take planning and a bit of cost, and not every activity fits every person’s abilities or health. Choose what suits you both, and keep it safe.

Things to Do With Grandchildren on Cold Winter Days

Once the holidays are over and there is no snow to play in, cooped-up grandchildren get restless fast. A few simple ideas can keep their minds busy and their creativity going.

Start with a hobby collection. Rather than worrying about a grandfather’s tackle box or a grandmother’s jewelry box, sit down and go through it piece by piece. Tell the stories behind each item and let your grandchildren pick the ones that fascinate them. If one catches on, you can teach them the hobby itself.

Home science experiments are another good choice. You can make a lemon battery with a penny, a dime and a lemon, or make glue from sugar, vinegar, flour and water. Borax is a skin and eye irritant, so if you try the ice crystal experiment, keep it away from young children and let a grown-up handle it. If science sounds intimidating, pre-packaged kits walk you through each step.

Bird watching works indoors too. A big bay window or a big yard is enough to sit together and identify the species you see. With a good Internet connection, you can also watch live bird cams online, or live-streamed aquariums where you count the fish. If you want ideas that do get you outside, I have a list of outdoor winter activities.

A single deck of cards can fill hours, and you can pick from quite a few different card games to match your grandchildren’s skill. They might start with Blackjack and Go Fish, then move up to Canasta, Hearts, Bridge and even Poker. Board games are also a nice way to share your favorite classics. Tell them Scrabble is like Words With Friends and they will catch on quickly.

You can also explore apps together on a phone or tablet. There are plenty of free educational ones.

For a change of scene, go to a movie. Matinee prices, comfortable seats and buttered popcorn are part of the fun, and many theaters offer kids’ and seniors’ discounts, so it is worth asking. ParentPreviews.com can tell you whether a film suits the grandkids.

At home, you can put on a family talent show with a stage in the living room, where everyone gets a few minutes. Karaoke is another good one. You and your grandkids learn each other’s favorite songs, and you do not need a machine, because there are dozens of apps for it.

One trade-off: some of these, like the experiments, take a little setup and your attention. If you are short on energy, a photo scavenger hunt on their phones keeps them busy for a while.

A cooking subscription box is a good way to give you and your granddaughter something new to make together. Cratejoy lists a range of them, from regional BBQ to global cuisine. Boxes arrive monthly with ingredients, easy recipes, and sometimes a new kitchen tool.

The appeal is that the planning is done for you. You don’t have to hunt down a recipe or shop for an odd ingredient. You open the box, read the recipe, and get cooking. It also gives the two of you something to look forward to each month.

The trade-off is that a subscription keeps coming until you stop it. If your granddaughter lives far away or you won’t cook together every month, boxes can pile up. Look at how cancelling or pausing works before you sign up, and check any ingredients against food allergies in the family.

Summary and Final Recommendations

If you are a grandmother and you would like to do some fun things with your granddaughter, these are 10 of the best activities that are worth trying.

When you try these activities, you can create many wonderful memories with your granddaughter and spend quality time with her.

RELATED READING: Things to Do With Your Grandchildren in Winter

You will get to learn so much more about her while making sure that she gets to learn much more about you, too.

Whatever you decide to do, you can have the most amazing time with your granddaughter.

What other activities can you suggest to do with your granddaughter? Tell me your ideas and experiences in the comments below!