One-on-One Activity Ideas for Grandparents

Our family is blessed to have all four grandparents living close by and active in our life. When our first daughter was born and I went back to work part-time, both sets of grandparents took turns watching her. When our second child was born 20 months later, the grandparents were instrumental in helping out with watching our toddler as I fed and got the baby to sleep. And in reverse, when our toddler needed some alone time with mom, the grandparents read, sang to, and played with our baby. As a result, both our kids, now 3.5 and almost 2, have a special relationship with each of their grandparents.

While we all spend time together, we’ve tried to continue creating space for each of the kids to have special one-on-one time with each set of grandparents. Whether it’s special sleepovers or shorter amounts of time during the day, everyone loves the attention and cuddles that one-on-one time provides.

When all members of our family are together, activities usually tend to be very active - running around, playing outside, and playing goofy games together in the family room. But when our kids have one-on-one time with their grandparents, it’s a great opportunity to slow down and do activities that require more assistance or are geared toward their ability levels.

Below are some ideas for great one-on-one activities for intentional grandparents to do with their littles. As we live in the upper Midwest, I’ve selected indoor activities to starve off boredom during the long cold months. Also, as people have different physical abilities, I focused on activities that can be done seated together at the table.

Reading – Our kids both adore books and love reading their favorites with grandparents. Though there are many books we can read together, our 3-year-old is into reading picture books on all subjects while our almost 2-year-old favors board books mainly about trucks and farm animals. One-on-one reading time with grandparents allows everyone to slow down and focus on their favorite parts of reading. Whether that is asking endless questions sparked from a good book or reading the same page about construction vehicles on repeat.

Art – Kids love creating and trying new techniques with their art. One-on-one art time allows grandparents to provide more supervision, instruction and support during craft time based on each child’s ability and interest - whether that is painting and scissor use, or working on the basics of crayons and stickers.

Bonus idea – turn their art into cards/mail to send to other relatives! Kids LOVE sending mail and what a nice way to connect with and talk about other family members they may not see as often.

Cooking – Cooking is one of our favorites. It’s a fun sensory activity that teaches so many skills like math, science, reading, patience, and teamwork. Plus at the end, you have a yummy treat to eat! Pro tips: For younger kids, measure and set out all the ingredients ahead of time – your mise en place. This way you’re not running around the kitchen and can keep your eyes on eager helpers.

What to make: While sweets are always a fun favorite, try mixing them up with something savory. Lasagna is great to do with kids. They love layering all the ingredients and even if it gets a bit messy, it is still going to taste great!

Dishes: Chefs need to clean up their mess! Pull up a stool or chair and let your grandkids help with the dishes. They’ll love playing in the water and you won’t have to do the dishes later!

Puzzles: Our kids love sitting at the table doing puzzles with their grandparents. It has been amazing to see their tenacity and patience grow from their doing puzzles together.

Pro tip: did you know most libraries lend out puzzles?! Check out a few new ones before your grandchild’s next visit!