How to Celebrate Grandparents Day Virtually When You Can’t Be Together?
Many families don’t live close together and so often spend certain holidays apart. The pandemic has exacerbated that situation, with travel becoming much more difficult. However, one thing we’ve all gotten good at over the last several months is getting creative about keeping connected to our loved ones. We thought we’d share a few ideas for how to celebrate Grandparents Day virtually. You don’t have to wait for a holiday, either. Every day is a good day to spend time with the grandkids! These Zoom ideas for grandparents can help you feel close, even when you’re apart.
Our Best Ideas for Grandparents Day During COVID
1. Cook a favorite recipe together. Making special recipes is often a big part of the traditions at family get-togethers. You can share your recipe with your kids and grandkids ahead of time. Then demonstrate all your secret tips and tricks to making your best dishes come out just right. Your family members will cook along with you. When the timer dings, everyone can sit down and enjoy the same meal. This is a wonderful way to pass down family traditions to the next generation.
2. Let your grandkids interview you. Talk about your favorite games and toys, your best subject at school, your close friends, and what you did for fun. It can be fascinating for kids to learn about what life was like “way back when.” It also helps them to see their grandparents as whole people, who were children at one point, too. This can be a fun time to get out family albums, so kids know who the people in the photos are and how they’re related. Another good project along these lines is to make an online album for everyone to enjoy.
3. Read together. Shared books are a great way for kids and grandparents to bond. Maybe there’s a book you especially loved to read as a child. Order a copy for your grandkids (if you haven’t already) and read it aloud to them while you are all on a Zoom call. You can also make a recording of you reading the book and send it to your grandkids so they can enjoy it anytime.
When kids are learning to read, grandparents can step in and help them practice, which also takes a load off of parents’ shoulders. Let your grandchild read one book, then you read another.
Families with older kids might want to form a family book club. Pick a book to read and discuss together every week or so.
Games to Play on Zoom with Grandparents
4. Play games. Bonding over shared activities is great for grandkids and grandparents. Mad Libs are easy to play over a video call. Take turns calling out words to fill in the spaces, then read the hilarious final product. There’s even a nice little parts of speech review for the kids, too.
Battleship is easy to play on a video call, as long as both households have the game on hand. It’s also inexpensive to order if you don’t.
Plan a scavenger hunt. Kids and grandparents can each make lists of things to find for one another. See who finishes their list the fastest. You can also turn it into a little show and tell if you include items like favorite toy, oldest thing you own, or favorite music.
More Zoom Ideas for Grandparents
Whether you’re celebrating Grandparents Day, a birthday, or Christmas, surprise your grandkids with a box of special treats. Coordinate with your kids and see if the grandkids can make up a special box for you, too. Include festive napkins, paper plates, and decorations. Exchange gifts and favorite cookies or candy. Include a movie everyone can watch together. Plan to open the boxes together while you’re on a video call. This lets you see the excitement on everyone’s faces when they see their gifts.
We hope these ideas for celebrating Grandparents Day virtually help get your own ideas flowing.
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