The best grandparent activities are simple and repeatable: reading together, baking, gardening, board and card games, nature walks, crafts and family stories, plus video call story time and letters for grandparents who live far away.
Looking for grandparent activities that your grandkids will actually enjoy, and that fit your energy level? This list has 60 ideas, sorted by age from babies to teens, with indoor and outdoor options for each.
You will also find low-energy ideas for grandparents with limited mobility, ways to stay close from far away, legacy projects with oral history interview questions, seasonal plans, and the current AAP safety basics for babysitting.
Key Takeaways
Simple, repeatable activities like reading, baking and gardening build the strongest bonds.
Match each activity to your grandchild’s age and to your own energy level.
Long-distance grandparents can keep a weekly video story time and send real letters.
Legacy projects like recipe cards and oral history interviews become family keepsakes.
When babysitting, follow current AAP rules: babies on their back in a bare crib, correct car seats, medicines locked away.
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Table of Contents
Grandparent Activities at a Glance
Quick Answer
The best grandparent activities are simple and repeatable: reading together, cooking or baking a family recipe, gardening, board and card games, walks and nature hunts, crafts, sharing family stories, and, for grandparents far away, video call story time and letters. Match the activity to your grandchild’s age and your own energy.
Below are 60 numbered ideas by age, plus low-energy, long-distance, legacy and seasonal ideas. Use the table to pick something that fits the time and energy you have today.
Grandparent activities by age, with time and energy needed.
Why Time Together Matters (What the Research Says)
A study published in January 2026 in Psychology and Aging followed 2,887 grandparents over age 50 in England between 2016 and 2022. According to the American Psychological Association, grandparents who cared for grandchildren scored higher on memory and verbal fluency tests than those who did not, after adjusting for age, health and other factors, regardless of how often they provided care or what kind. Grandmothers who provided care also showed less cognitive decline over the study period. The researchers say more work is needed to replicate the findings, and that caring voluntarily in a supportive family may differ from caregiving under stress. It shows a link, not proof, but the everyday reason is simpler: these activities are fun and build a lasting bond.
Grandparent Activities for Babies (0 to 12 Months)
Babies need a warm, chatty face more than entertainment. Keep sessions short and calm. For more ideas, see our list of infant activities.
1. Read board books aloud (indoor): point at pictures, name them and pause as if your grandchild is answering.
2. Sing the songs you sang to your own kids (indoor): family lullabies carry over to the next generation, and repetition is the point.
3. Floor time together (indoor): lie on a blanket with your grandchild during awake time, with a rattle just out of reach. Stay right beside them.
4. Stroller walks (outdoor): talk about the dog, the bus, the leaves. Choose shade and cooler times of day.
5. Water play at bath time (indoor): if the parents are comfortable with it, cups for pouring make it playtime. Stay within reach the whole time.
6. Make a family photo book (indoor): a sturdy album of family faces and pets is something babies look at again and again. It also teaches the name you go by.
Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers (Ages 1 to 5)
Toddlers love doing real jobs next to you. Expect mess and stop while it is still fun. Our list of activities for 2-year-olds has more.
7. Kitchen band (indoor): pots, plastic bowls and wooden spoons. Take turns being the leader.
8. Bake something simple (indoor): they pour, stir and decorate; you handle the oven.
9. Sort laundry or set the table (indoor): matching socks and counting forks feels like a game at 3.
10. Bubbles and sidewalk chalk (outdoor): both work if you prefer to stay seated while your grandchild runs.
11. Plant seeds (outdoor or windowsill): beans and sunflowers sprout fast. Water them together every visit.
12. Play dough or salt dough (indoor): roll, cut and stamp, then bake and paint salt dough shapes.
13. Build a blanket fort (indoor): and read a book inside it with a flashlight.
14. Nature walk with a bag (outdoor): collect leaves and pinecones, then sort them by size or color.
15. Simple crafts (indoor): paper plate animals and sticker art. Find more in our easy crafts for kids.
16. Pretend play (indoor): play store or restaurant with real household items, with your grandchild in charge.
17. A regular outing (outdoor): watching trains or visiting the same park becomes a ritual kids look forward to.
18. Library story time (indoor): many public libraries run free story times; check your branch.
Big days go better with a good night of sleep.
Got a little one at home too? Our free two-minute quiz builds a gentle, personalized sleep plan for babies and toddlers.
Things for Grandparents to Do With Grandchildren Ages 6 to 12
School-age kids are ready for games with rules, projects with tools, and stories about how things used to be.
19. Board game afternoons (indoor): teach the classics you grew up with. Our card games for kids guide lists easy starters.
20. Teach a hand skill (indoor): knitting, sewing on a button, simple woodworking, or fixing a bike chain.
21. Cook a family recipe start to finish (indoor): they read it aloud, measure and taste.
22. Garden together (outdoor): give them their own small patch, then pick and eat what you grow.
23. Fishing or birdwatching (outdoor): both reward patience; a simple log of catches or sightings keeps kids engaged.
24. Backyard games (outdoor): croquet, bocce or the tag games you played as a kid. See our outdoor games for kids.
25. Museum or zoo day (indoor and outdoor): let your grandchild plan the route on the map.
26. Start a collection (indoor): rocks, coins or postcards, with a notebook to label each find.
27. Read the same chapter book (indoor): aloud on visits, or separately and then talk about it.
28. Puzzle in progress (indoor): leave a jigsaw out and add to it every visit.
29. Stargazing (outdoor): lawn chairs in the backyard on a clear night to find the moon and bright planets.
30. Volunteer together (indoor or outdoor): a park cleanup or baking for a neighbor shows your values in action.
Activities With Grandparents for Tweens and Teens
Older grandkids may seem busy, but most love being asked about what they care about and treated as capable.
31. Let them teach you (indoor): a game, an app or a song they love. Being the expert is a big deal at 13.
32. Teach real-world skills (indoor): changing a tire, budgeting, sewing a hem, cooking a full dinner.
33. One-on-one meal dates (out and about): a regular breakfast out without siblings gives you time to really talk.
34. Plan a short trip together (outdoor): they research the route, stops and food.
35. Build or restore something (indoor or outdoor): a birdhouse, a raised garden bed or an old chair.
36. Swap favorite movies (indoor): take turns choosing and talk about them afterward.
37. Take a class together (indoor): a language, photography or chess through a library or community program.
38. Record an oral history (indoor): they interview you with a phone, using the questions below.
Low-Energy Grandparent Activities for Limited Mobility
You do not need to chase anyone around a playground. These ideas work from a chair or a porch.
39. Read-aloud on the couch (indoor): the oldest and best grandparent activity there is.
40. Card games at the table (indoor): Go Fish, War and Crazy Eights need only a deck.
41. Directed play (indoor or outdoor): you call out challenges (“hop to the tree and back”) and your grandchild does the running.
42. Coloring and drawing together (indoor): side by side, or draw each other.
43. A button jar to sort (indoor): soothing for both of you. Skip small items with children under 3 or anyone who still mouths things.
44. Window or porch watching (indoor or outdoor): birds at a feeder or passing trucks, with a tally of who spots the most.
Plan visits for the time of day you feel best, keep them short, and ask a parent to handle lifting and bathing.
Long-Distance Grandparent Activities
The secret to staying close from far away is a routine your grandchild can count on.
45. Video call story time (indoor): pick a regular day and read a picture book or a chapter. Mail a second copy so your grandchild can follow along.
46. Letters and postcards (indoor): kids love their own mail. Include a question they can answer in reply.
47. Shared reading club (indoor): read the same book, then talk about it on a call.
48. Cook the same recipe on a call (indoor): send it ahead and eat together on screen.
49. Games over video (indoor): Twenty Questions, I Spy in each other’s rooms, or a board game with a copy on each end.
50. A traveling journal (indoor): mail a notebook back and forth with writing, drawings and photos.
Keep calls short for little ones; five focused minutes beat thirty minutes of a toddler wandering off.
Legacy Grandparent Activities: Family Tree, Recipes and an Oral History
These are the projects grandchildren treasure when they are grown.
51. Build a family tree (indoor): a big sheet of paper and photos, with names, places and one fun fact per person.
52. Make family recipe cards (indoor): add a note about who made each dish and when, then cook one together.
53. Fill a time capsule (indoor): a letter from each of you, a photo and small mementos, with an opening date.
54. Label old photos (indoor): write names and dates on the backs together before memories fade.
55. Record an oral history interview (indoor): your grandchild asks the questions below and records the answers on a phone.
Oral history interview questions (for grandkids to ask):
Where did you grow up, and what did your house look like?
What chores did you have when you were my age?
Who was your best friend as a kid, and what did you do together?
What was your first job?
How did you meet Grandma (or Grandpa)?
What was the hardest thing you ever did, and how did you get through it?
What invention changed your life the most?
What family tradition do you hope we keep going?
What do you wish you had known at my age?
Need words for the finished project? Our grandparent quotes work well on a family tree poster or recipe book cover.
Seasonal Ideas and Grandparents Day Activities
Federal law asks the President to proclaim National Grandparents Day each year on the first Sunday in September after Labor Day. These ideas work all year.
56. Spring (outdoor): plant a garden bed, fly a kite or plan a school vacation day trip. See our spring break activities for kids.
57. Summer (outdoor): picnics, berry picking and sprinklers. Any water play needs an adult within arm’s reach.
58. Fall (outdoor and indoor): jump in leaf piles, paint pumpkins and bake with apples.
59. Winter (indoor): holiday baking, cards for neighbors and projects from our indoor activities for kids list.
60. Grandparents Day (indoor or outdoor): swap roles: your grandchild plans the day, the lunch and the game.
Babysitting Safety Notes for Grandparents
Some advice has changed since you raised your own children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests grandparents ask parents to share updated medical information. The basics, as AAP HealthyChildren.org states them:
Safe sleep: place babies on their back for all naps and at night, on a firm, flat surface with a fitted sheet only and nothing else in the crib. Do not let your grandchild sleep in your bed. A crib made before June 2011 will not meet today’s standards. See our safe sleep environment checklist.
Car seats: infants and toddlers ride rear facing as long as possible, then in a harness as long as possible (at least to age 4), then a booster until the seat belt fits (typically about 4 feet 9 inches and 8 to 12 years old). Children under 13 ride in the back seat. Install the seat properly or have a trained professional do it.
Medicines: keep them out of sight and reach in child-resistant containers, including in your purse or bag. Ask parents before giving any over-the-counter medicine.
Around the house: smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, gates at the top and bottom of stairs, button batteries (used in hearing aids and some remotes) out of reach, no mobile baby walkers, and a four-sided pool fence at least 4 feet high with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Never leave a child alone in a tub, or in an infant seat on a table or counter.
The best grandparent activities are rarely expensive. A book on the couch, a batch of cookies or a story about the day you met Grandma means more than any outing. Match the activity to your grandchild’s age and your energy, and keep it repeatable.
Far away? A standing video call and letters carry the relationship between visits. When you babysit, check today’s safe sleep, car seat and medicine rules with the parents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good grandparent activities for young kids?
For babies and toddlers, the best grandparent activities are reading board books, singing, stroller walks, bubbles, kitchen band play with pots and spoons, and simple baking. Keep sessions short, follow your grandchild’s lead and repeat favorites, since young children love routines.
What can grandparents do with grandchildren at home?
Read aloud, bake a family recipe, play board and card games, work on a jigsaw puzzle, build a blanket fort, do simple crafts, sort a button jar, look through old photo albums or record an oral history interview. Most need little setup.
How can grandparents bond with grandchildren who live far away?
Set a regular video call, such as weekly story time, and mail a copy of the book so your grandchild can follow along. Send letters and postcards, keep a traveling journal that you mail back and forth, cook the same recipe on a call, or read the same chapter book and talk about it.
What are some activities for grandparents with limited mobility?
Reading aloud, card games at the table, coloring and drawing together, puzzles, window or porch bird watching, and directed play, where you call out challenges and your grandchild does the running. Plan visits for the time of day you feel best, keep them short and ask a parent to handle lifting and bathing.
What do you do with grandkids on Grandparents Day?
In the U.S., National Grandparents Day falls on the first Sunday in September after Labor Day. Let your grandchild plan the day: pick a game, make lunch together, plant something, start a family tree or record an oral history together.
What safety rules should grandparents know when babysitting?
The AAP says babies sleep on their back on a firm, flat surface with only a fitted sheet, and never in your bed. Replace cribs made before June 2011. Use the right car seat, rear facing as long as possible, with children under 13 in the back seat. Keep medicines out of sight and reach in child-resistant containers.
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