70 Fun Activities Grandparents Can Do with Grandkids

• Go on a nature walk, admiring and collecting or taking pictures of leaves, nuts, and rocks. 
• Identify trees by their bark using our blog post “Tree Bark Identification” and its FREE downloadable bark chart!
• Learn about and press wildflowers using our FREE printable instructions. 
• Read books centered around nature, such as Insect & Spider Mazes, Butterflies & Beetles Flip Books, The Good and the Beautiful Board Books, and other nature books suggested on The Good and the Beautiful Book List. 
• Go berry or fruit picking.
• Plant a garden together.
• Go fishing and read books about fish, such as The Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish Questions & Answers Book. 
• Visit the beach and learn about ocean life with our FREE family-style science unit, Marine Biology.
• Go birdwatching, recording what you see and hear. If desired, use our Birdwatching Notebook or Nature Notebook to guide your adventure.

• Share and record family stories.
• Make a traditional meal or craft from a country or area your ancestors lived in.
• Have a dance party to traditional music from your family’s heritage.
• Draw or create a family tree.
• Make a time capsule filled with funny stories, printed photos, and recent accomplishments. 
• Write down or make favorite family recipes.
• Act out funny or exciting family stories.
• Go through old scrapbooks. Then make a new one with old or recent photos. 
• Read books about your ancestors’ homeland(s). Check out recommended titles from our Book List’s search by geographical regions feature.

• Go on a hometown visit. Grandparents can tell about what life was like growing up way back when!
• Take a class together: cake decorating, oil painting, or even karate.
• Read a book about transportation, such as Facts About Trains & Planes or the Kindergarten Books—Little Go Books set, and take a train, plane, or boat somewhere new. 
• Go to a local children’s museum, zoo, or aquarium. 
• Play a sport at the park or read a book about sports, such as Motion in Sports.
• Attend a baseball game or play our FREE “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” game. 
• Watch planes take off and land at the airport.
• Learn about safety, then go biking on a beautiful trail.
• Go to a drive-in movie theater or a play. Dress up for the occasion!

• Mend or sew clothes.
• Crochet or knit socks and sweaters.
• Can and preserve food or make homemade bread together. 
• Cook some favorite family recipes or learn some new ones with our Cooking 1 elective. 
• Complete minor home or car repairs.
• Learn about healthy eating and nutrition with library books or our family-style science unit Health and the Physical Body. 
• Teach proper cleaning techniques such as effective laundry care, home organization, and which chores should be done daily, weekly, and seasonally. 
• Teach about lawncare and gardening. 
• Play educational games to learn cooperation and turn-taking.

• Tell stories with homemade puppets, in a fort, or around a fire. To get started, check out our FREE narrated stories and read-aloud books.
• Practice handwriting and make cards for someone who is sick or lonely.
• Learn about flags around the world and about the history of the American flag. Then design and create a family flag or crest. 
• Read about interior design with library books, then decorate a room with DIY projects. 
• Color together! Check out our FREE Christmas coloring pages, “Jesus Loves Me” coloring pages, and patriotic American coloring pages to get started! 
• Practice letters and numbers with sidewalk chalk, or “paint” them with water on a warm sidewalk. 
• Build with blocks or construct simple structures out of wood! Further budding building skills with library books about engineering or our family-style science unit Motion and Simple Machines. 
• Check out library books that teach about art and crafts or use one of our engaging electives, including Finger Painting, Oil Painting, Drawing 1, and Drawing 2. Our fascinating hands-on electives can be used by both homeschoolers and children who attend public or private school.

• Make traditional holiday decorations from another country. For example, if you have ancestors from Denmark, learn how to weave a Danish heart basket for Christmas.
• Make Christmas cards using Drawing 100 Fun & Easy Christmas Items or another drawing tutorial. 
• Celebrate the patriotic holidays with our Presidents Day, Constitution Day, and Fourth of July facts and FREE activities. 
• Learn about and celebrate a more obscure holiday, such as Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17) or World Penguin Day (April 25).
• Make gingerbread houses—for any holiday!—and learn about the history of gingerbread houses or how gingerbread is made. A Valentine’s Day gingerbread house can be covered in red and pink candy and hearts, and an Easter house can be decorated with chocolate eggs and jelly beans.
• Give a holiday gift to someone in need. Learn to knit hats or make fleece-tie blankets, make a meal to deliver, or send someone a thoughtful card. Then download 25 Ways to Share Joy at Christmas for more ideas. 
• Learn about holidays in other parts of the world. 
• Sing or write a holiday song. If it’s Christmastime, go caroling and learn about the history of caroling. Here are some favorite Christmas carols you can sing together.

Grandparents can teach children how to

• appreciate different styles of music,
• play an instrument,
• sing choral parts, and
• read sheet music. 

All of these skills can be taught both in-person or virtually!

Here are some more musical learning activities:

• Check out library books about music or complete our beautiful and engaging Music Appreciation electives together. 
• Attend a local concert or music festival. 
• Listen to and sing along with our FREE Good and Beautiful Songs collection of learning songs, nursery rhymes, and calming music. 
• Have a dance party with your favorite songs.
• Learn and memorize the lyrics to favorite hymns, and watch our beautiful hymn music videos.

• Read good books together over the phone. Find wholesome and engaging books in our Bookshop and on our Book List. Each of you can keep track of the books you read in your own copy of the 50 Books Club elective.
• Become pen pals. Send each other fun facts, favorite poems, or encouraging letters. 
• Study the Bible together over a video call. 
• Play a game over a video call. Experiment with which games work best long distance!
• Do a virtual scavenger hunt by taking pictures of a list of pre-determined items, such as birds, trees, or household items. 
• Do an Exercise Adventure video together over a video call. 
• Watch a wholesome educational movie, starting at the exact same time! Optionally, text during the movie or call after to discuss your favorite parts.
• Take a virtual tour of somewhere faraway. Where will you travel together?
• Prepare the same meal for dinner and eat together as you talk over a video call. 

While many incredible benefits come from grandparents spending time with their grandchildren, one of the greatest is the loving familial relationships that are formed. Families are one of the most precious blessings God has given us! We hope you and your family find fun and joy in nurturing your lasting relationships with these 70 fun activities for grandparents and grandchildren.