5 Creative Ways to Stay in Touch with Your Grandchildren
Staying connected with your grandchildren when they live far away can be challenging. Believe me, I know! I have seven grandchildren ranging from 20 years old to 11 months old. All but one live in Southern California, and I live in North Carolina. That’s practically a country apart! I admit, it’s been challenging to stay connected as there are extenuating circumstances surrounding most of the grandchildren.
I wish I had known about the ideas you’re about to read as I believe it would have made the connection between all of us stronger.
On the positive side, living far from your grandchildren presents a fantastic opportunity to get creative and make the U.S. Postal Service happy!
A Fun Story of Creative Thought
Before I get into the Five Ways, I want to share something I did for my granddaughter all through school and it might spark the same idea for you. When Micaiah was in first grade, I sent one red rose to her at her school on the first day of school. Second grade, 2 roses, third grade, 3 roses… and so on.
I always sent the same note: “Do a good day’s work and act like somebody!” It’s a saying that Andy says to Opie on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
To not embarrass her, I sent the roses to her house during her four high school years. Finally, the day arrived! The first day of her senior year in high school, she received a dozen roses from me, her grandma!
My Five Ideas for a Strong Relationship with Grandchildren
Now, let’s get into the Five Ideas so you can keep your relationship with your grandchildren strong and vibrant. The fun thing is that you can modify the items in each package, so they’re age appropriate and have appeal for each gender. The ideas are geared towards elementary school aged children, but, again, they can be adapted for older children.
Remember, these are just the beginning – let your imagination run wild!
#1 – Birthday in a Box
Who doesn’t love a surprise party, especially when it arrives in the mail? Imagine your grandchild’s delight when they receive a package filled with:
- Cake mix and frosting mix
- Party hats and tooters
- Confetti and cake decorations
- Balloons and bubbles
- A package of popcorn
- Candles and a Happy Birthday banner
- A disposable camera or parent’s cell phone
- A birthday card
Encourage them to have a little party and send you the pictures. They can also use Facetime or Google Duo to create an in-person experience. Not only will this create a memorable celebration, but it will also give you a glimpse into their special day.
#2 – Artist Day
Unleash your artistic grandchild’s inner Picasso with an “Artist Day” package. Fill a box with:
- Construction paper
- A new box of crayons and markers
- Stickers and a stencil kit
- A new coloring book
- Rubber stamps
- Watercolor paints and brushes
Ask your grandchild to create their masterpiece and send it back to you in a return, stamped envelope. Display their artwork proudly on your fridge or frame it to create a mini art gallery. This activity not only nurtures their creativity but also provides a tangible way to share their progress and imagination with you.
#3 – Reading Day
Spark a lifelong love of reading with a “Reading Day” package. Tailor the contents to your grandchild’s interests and age.
- Childhood classics
- A couple of nice bookmarks
- A book on a subject they love (sports, famous person, etc.)
- Magazines of interest
- A pad of paper for jotting down their own story ideas
Encourage them to write their own stories inspired by their reading and send them to you. You can even start a “family book club” where you both read the same book and discuss it over video calls or letters. This can be a wonderful way to bond over shared adventures in the pages of a book.
#4 – Gardening Day
Help your grandchild cultivate a green thumb with a “Gardening Day” package. Include:
- Gardening gloves
- Packages of seeds (flowers, herbs, or veggies)
- Some hand tools
- Plastic pots
- A bag of “good” dirt
- A book on planting
Guide your grandchild through the planting process via video call or letters. Watching their plants grow will be a rewarding experience, and they’ll have you to thank for their blossoming garden. Plus, it’s a great way to teach them patience and the joys of nurturing life.
#5 – Cooking Day
Turn your grandchildren into little chefs with a “Cooking Day” package. Fill the Budding Chef box with:
- Easy-to-follow recipes
- Non-perishable ingredients
- A kids’ cookbook with simple recipes
- A few kitchen utensils for their very own use (these can be purchased at Dollar Tree for a minimal cost)
- A notebook with dividers (Appetizers, Breakfast, Main dishes, Vegetables, Salads, Desserts)
Encourage your grandchild to start their own family recipe notebook. They can add their favorite recipes, including ones you’ve shared with them. They might even invent their own recipes to send to you! Cooking together, even from afar, can create lasting memories and instill valuable skills. Again, Facetime or Google Duo can help enrich the experience.
Get Creative!
These five ideas are the tip of the iceberg. Tailor each package to your grandchild’s age, personality, and interests. The key is to make the interaction effort personal and fun. By sending these thoughtful packages, you’ll not only stay connected but also create lasting memories and foster a sense of closeness that distance can’t diminish.
So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your first package and see how your relationships blossom. Happy connecting!
Also read, INTRODUCING GRANDCHILDREN TO THE MOVIES YOU LOVE.
Let’s Exchange Ideas:
What creative ways have you used to connect with your distant grandchildren? Have you sent them packages, written letters or something else? If your grandchildren live nearby, how do you build your relationship with them?
Tags Grandchildren
I live in Australia, my grandchildren in England! Now THAT’S what “far away” means!
Please: as a retired elementary school teacher, do not send roses to your grandchild’s classroom. Think of how the other children will feel, especially those who may never receive flowers from anyone. Send them to their home.
Thank you for your recommendation, Sherry. I appreciate your insight! In the era I sent the flowers during elementary school, it worked, but in today’s landscape, it’s probably better to send them to the home.
I love the rose idea – but I know this is sexist what to send to a grandson?
Thank you, Nancy! In a previous response I suggested a few ideas for the boys. Maybe mini-cars, sports trading cards, building block sets…I think it’s harder to buy for boys but find out from your son or daughter what their son is especially into and maybe tailor it to that.
Who is to say grandsons don’t love flowers? Perhaps a sunflower???
Margaret, you are so right! Never considered that but flowers might be a viable option for boys, too, although I don’t know if I would send them to his school as it may embarrass him and prompt teasing.
Hi Nancy!
Why should flowers of any kind be considered sexist? Or asking after ideas for a grandson? I believe we are putting up with too much drama and political (in)correctness these days, allowing certain terminology to cloud our better judgment. To become more “tolerant” we have become more insensitive to ourselves and our loved ones.
Boys love gardening as much as girls do. If you know your grandson loves flowers, send him some. Maybe seeds so he can plant them himself and observe the results every day. It’s so much fun to watch a plant grow and flower or produce fruit of some sort.
Cheers!
Vanya, I love the seed idea if the grandchild has space to plant and watch them grow!
Although not all boys would appreciate flowers, not all girls would appreciate them either. It’s a generalization. But, as you said, if they like them, send them!
I think it’s a matter of finding out what the child likes and tailor the yearly first-day-of-school to what would dazzle their heart.
Not much space is needed for a seedling, which is the best part of it. A pot is all they need. That is, of course, if the child is interested in the first place, but I find most are.
Other ideas include NASA build-a-rocket kit, legos, cooking utensils, stitching kit. Anything they will love. The big issue here is actually knowing your grandchild’s wants, and for many that’s become an unrealistic expectation.
One thing grandparents of estranged grandkids should keep in mind, in my opinion, is that children grow. Yes, today they are influenced by their parents’ choices (good and bad), but tomorrow they may just decide that they want to meet their Grandma or Grandpa. Be ready for that day!
Yes, Vanya, that’s the glory of it – children grow!! And I’m so glad because as they mature they’ll hopefully form their own opinions and courses of action.
My daughter put her first child, a son, up for adoption 21 years ago. Although it was an open adoption, the adoptive parents cut off our family members one at a time, which was their choice, of course.
After all these years, my first grandson reached out to me on Ancestry.com right before Christmas last year and provided his phone number. I left a vm and a text and still have not heard back but he’s probably feeling all kinds of things surrounding reaching out and reconnecting with his biological family. I’ll wait!
All that to say I wholeheartedly agree with you, “Be ready ;for that day!”
I’m a long-distance grandma, too, and I’m grateful for my friend Cindy who gave me this idea for my five grandkids many years ago.
When each child turned five, they did their first “Mama Dee Birthday” outing with me during my next visit—even if it was months after their birthday!
— They get to choose where we go for lunch
— We go shopping together, and I give them their “budget.” When they were little, it was something like, “One big thing or two little things.” As they got older, it was a dollar amount.
— After shopping, we go for a birthday treat—ice cream, frozen yogurt, a smoothie, whatever they want.
Over the years this has given me some wonderful one-on-one times with each child. During a skateboard phase with my grandsons, we would sometimes spend a whole afternoon out together, eating and shopping! Now it’s often time spent eating, shopping, and talking.
When I recently asked my 21-year-old grandson if he was too old to do our birthday lunch, he said, “Grandma, I’ll never be too old for that.” He’s recently married, and I’m now doing a “Mama Dee Birthday” with his wife as well!
These outings are not only birthday gifts for each of my grandkids, they’ve turned out to be the greatest gift a grandma can receive!
What a brilliant idea! Thank you for sharing, Dee!
Love the “Mama Dee Birthday!” That works beautifully if your grandchildren are close by!