Things to Do With Grandkids: 30 Ideas at Home and From Far Away

Quick answer: The best things to do with grandkids are simple and repeatable: bake together, garden, visit the library, teach a skill from your own childhood, and read aloud. If you live far away, keep a weekly video call with a shared ritual, like reading the same book on both ends. The Teddy picture books, about a grandfather and his two grandsons, were made for exactly that: get all ten in the Complete Collection ($109.99, free US shipping).

Grandchildren rarely remember what you bought them. They remember the pancakes on Saturday, the walk where you found a frog, and the story you always read in a funny voice. The ideas below cost little and repeat well, because repetition is what turns an afternoon into a tradition.

We run Caring Parents’ Choice, a small family store that sells the Teddy books. The 30 ideas work with or without them.

Made for grandparents

Teddy Complete Collection, 10 books

Both five-book sets · $109.99 · free US shipping

Stories about Grandpa Teddy and his grandsons: saving, work, friendship, a puppy and more. Ten reading dates in one gift.

See the Complete Collection →

A first set

Teddy Volume 1, five-book set

5 illustrated hardcovers · $69.99 · free US shipping

See Volume 1 →

10 things to do with grandkids at home

1. Bake a family recipe and write it on a card together.
2. Build a blanket fort and read inside it with a flashlight.
3. Teach a skill from your childhood: a card game, knitting, whittling soap, a song.
4. Look through old photos and tell the story behind each one.
5. Play store with real coins and price tags. A great first money lesson.
6. Make a “Grandma and me” book: photos, drawings and a sentence per page.
7. Do a puzzle over several visits, so there’s always a reason to come back.
8. Fix something together: a wobbly chair, a birdhouse, a bike tire.
9. Hold a pancake or pizza night where the grandchild is the chef.
10. Read a book series together, one book per visit.

10 things to do with grandkids outside

11. Plant a small garden or a pot of herbs and check it every visit.
12. Visit the library and let them choose, then read one book on a bench.
13. Feed the ducks (with birdseed or peas, not bread).
14. Go on a nature scavenger hunt: a feather, a red leaf, a smooth stone.
15. Visit a farmers market with a few dollars to spend.
16. Go fishing, even if nothing bites.
17. Take a “job tour” of the fire station, bakery or post office.
18. Pick berries or apples in season.
19. Have a picnic with a blanket and a book.
20. Volunteer together at a food drive or animal shelter.

10 things to do with grandkids from far away

21. Read aloud over video once a week, each with a copy of the same book. See our guide: how to read to your grandchild over FaceTime.
22. Send snail mail: a postcard with a riddle they answer on the next call.
23. Cook the same recipe in two kitchens on video.
24. Play a game over video: I spy, 20 questions, Pictionary with paper.
25. Start a shared drawing: you draw half, mail it, they finish it.
26. Watch the moon on the same night and call to compare.
27. Send a “book box” with a note in the front of each book.
28. Record yourself reading so they can listen at bedtime.
29. Grow the same seeds and compare plants weekly.
30. Plan the next visit together with a countdown calendar.

Why a book series works so well for grandparents

• It gives every call and visit a purpose: “What happens in the next book?”
• It opens real conversations about money, work and friendship, the lessons grandparents love to pass on.
• It becomes “your” thing, something only the two of you share.

The Teddy series by Ryan Cohen was inspired by his father, Ted, and follows Grandpa Teddy and his grandsons, Princeton and Kingston. Ten illustrated hardcovers in two five-book sets. We suggest them for reading aloud with children about 3 to 8.

Gift	Best for	Price
Complete Collection	Ten reading dates; siblings; the whole series at once	$109.99
Volume 1	A first set: saving, work, helpers, the world, kind words	$69.99
Volume 2	Wants and needs, earning, friendship, a puppy, chores	$69.99

For long-distance reading, order one set for yourself and one for your grandchild; we can ship the second straight to them. Every set ships free within the US.

Frequently asked questions

What can grandparents do with grandkids on a budget?

Bake, garden, visit the library, play cards, look at old photos and read aloud. Most of the 30 ideas above cost little or nothing.

How can I stay close to grandkids who live far away?

Keep a regular video call with a ritual, such as reading the next book in a series, and send mail they can open between calls.

Are there picture books about grandparents?

Yes. The Teddy books by Ryan Cohen center on a grandfather teaching his grandsons everyday lessons. See also book gifts for grandchildren.

Our pick

Choose one ritual and repeat it. A book series makes the easiest ritual of all, in person or on video.

See the Complete Collection · Volume 1 · Volume 2

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