5 Fun Ways to Stay in Touch with Grandparents

A close bond between grandparents and their grandchildren benefits everyone in the family. Grandparents provide support for parents and grandchildren alike. And are a source of fun, learning, and unconditional love for the children in their lives. For grandparents, a close bond with younger family members can prevent loneliness and social isolation that may endanger their health. Although physical distance and busy schedules may make regular time with grandparents difficult, it’s important to maintain close bonds between grandparents and grandchildren. With that in mind, here are five fun ways to stay in touch with grandparents!

1. Stay in Touch through Technology

Technology has made keeping in touch across long distances easier than ever before. You can make phone calls, video chat, send emails, pictures, or text messages as often as you want. Consider setting up a regular appointment for video chats every week between grandparents and kids. Or make a video of Grandma and Grandpa reading a story that can be played at bedtime.

For teenage grandkids, using text messaging or social media is a great way to stay in regular contact with grandparents. Even brief contact on a frequent basis will maintain the close connection between generations.

2. Share a Skill or Activity

Shared activities and experiences are a fun way to build close bonds between family members. Grandparents with a special skill such as knitting or woodworking can pass on their gift to grandkids and use the shared interest to spend time together and develop a closer relationship.

Thanks to video chatting, you can even teach new skills across long distances.

Games are also a fun way to share experiences across the miles. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, or games of online chess can be played no matter where you’re located. You can also use email and texting to play games like Twenty Questions.

Consider starting a book club for grandparents and school age grandkids. Often discussing 

a book will lead naturally into conversations about life and over time create a closer bond between generations. Discussions can take place over video chat or, if you know you have a visit coming up, plan to read the book in advance and enjoy an in person discussion.

3. Become Pen Pals

Technology is wonderful for frequent contact and touching base throughout the week but there is nothing quite like a long, newsy letter or funny card in the mail to brighten anyone’s day. Kids and grandparents will both look forward to surprises in the mailbox with this old fashioned way to stay in touch with grandparents.

4. Use Photographs

Sharing pictures and memories is one of the best ways to stay in touch with grandparents near and far. Kids grow so quickly, sharing frequent artwork, school work, and photographs is a wonderful way for grandparents to follow the changes in their grandchildren.

Photos of grandparents are equally important. Keeping photos of grandparents throughout the house is a great way to keep them present in their grandchildren’s lives. Even more fun is photos of the grandparents and grandkids together!

Use the Keepy app to easily share photos of kids and grandparents back and forth privately, without having everything visible publicly on social media. And even non-tech savvy grandparents can view photos on Keepy, they only need an email address. Recording voices with each photo on Keepy makes each picture more meaningful and brings the memories to life.

Another fun way to use Keepy is creating photo books or keepsakes with photos from visits between grandchildren and their grandparents. These keepsakes can be looked back on in between visits and the cherished memories relived.  

5. Share Family History

By building close bonds with their grandkids, older adults can give them the gift of sharing their family history. Time together either in person or on a phone or video chat is a wonderful opportunity for grandparents to share about their lives growing up in a world so different from what their grandkids will ever experience. The Keepy app can help with this too. Grandparents can share old family photos and add a video telling stories about the pictures and the people in them.

Building Relationships that Last

Through these fun ways to stay in touch with grandparents meaningful, lasting relationships can be created and treasured. Don’t wait! Grandparents Day is September 10th, the perfect time to reach out and connect with a beloved grandparent or grandchild and let them know you’re thinking of them.