9 Ideas on How Kids Can Connect With Grandparents When Separated by Distance

Keeping kids connected to grandparents even when there is distance is really important. This collection of kid-tested, grandparent-approved things to do together even when you are apart will have everyone happy and bonded!

How to Stay Connected with grandparents over distance — So many fun things to do with grandma and grandpa even when apart…

Long Distance Activities for Grandparents & Kids

My kids are used to seeing my parents on a regular basis and then that changed. They missed their grandparents like crazy and we came up with some distance connection ideas!

To entertain and connect with my kids and my nephew, my mom made a video about going on a fairy hunt with some beach toys she had. My kids absolutely adored it and kept asking for the next installment.

1. Connecting with Grandparents through Technology

While it’s hard not being together in person, thank goodness for the Internet. But we can do more than video chat with FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype while we’re not together!

Here are some of our favorite ways for our kids to build relationships and connect with grandparents, even when we can’t see them in person:

2. Storytime with Grandparents

Start a book club. Read the same book and then chat about it on the next video call.

Story time! Authors, illustrators, and actors are doing virtual story time. So why not a virtual story time with Grandma and Grandpa? Start a video chat and listen in to a new story, or grandparents can prerecord it and then send. If Grandma and Grandpa don’t have many kid books on hand, they can get free access (temporarily) to digital libraries like Vooks and Epic right now. And kids who know how to read — or are practicing — can send their story videos too.

3. Write the Family Story

Write a story together. Families can do this by sharing a Google Doc, and taking turns adding lines or scenes.

4. Grandparent Interview

Interview each other. Kids can ask for family stories, like ones about their grandparents’ childhood. And grandparents can ask kids questions about their favorite things, for example.

5. Crafts for Grandparents to Do with Kids

Draw pictures. Challenge each other to a draw off! After the drawings are complete, show them off on the next video call.
Teach each other crafts. After your kiddo makes a craft, have them teach their grandparents, over video, how to do the craft too. This can be reversed too!

6. Care Package

Create a care package. In the care package, mail crafts to each other. One of our favorite things to mail: a hug.

7. Send Messages and Notes

Create a video message. Perhaps your kiddo wants to sing their grandparents a song. Or maybe they’ve created a puppet show. Video your kids playing and send it on over.
Become pen pals. Mail each other some handwritten snail mail. Perhaps include letters and pictures. Or maybe even some pressed flowers! As pen pals, this is also a great opportunity for younger kids to practice their writing.
Develop a secret code. In writing back and forth, decide upon a secret code to talk to each other in. For example, a rectangle could stand for “R,” a triangle stands for “T,” etc.

8. Photo Share

Share photos. Grandparents can share photos and photo albums over video chat while they tells stories about when you were a baby! If your kids are like mine, they’ll totally get a kick out of it.

9. Games for Grandparents to Play with Kids

Play a board game. If grandparents and kids have the same board game, they can play a version of it together over video.
Play an online multiplayer game. Once again, thank goodness for the Internet. Kids can play an online video game with grandparents on sites like Kizi.

Video chats may not be the same as seeing loved ones in person, but at least we can get creative in how we connect while we’re all stuck at home!