Ways to Keep Grandparents & Grandkids Connected

Grandparents Day is coming up this Sunday, September 13th. There are so many fun ways to keep bonds strong between grandparents and grandchildren, whether you're fortunate enough to live close by or you're hundreds of miles apart.

Things That Kids Can Do To Strengthen Their Relationships With Grandparents

(Of course, many of these things will need some help and encouragement from parents, especially for younger children):

• Make a family tree. This activity is a lot more fun if you make it into a craft that looks like an actual tree! You can put either names or photographs on the branches. Depending on how deep into your family roots you are going, this activity may prompt a phone call to Grandpa or Grandma to check on the names or relationships of some family members. Be sure to photograph your finished tree to show to the grandparents when you're done. Who knows what stories about relatives it may prompt them to tell!
• If you don't often get to be together in person, invite your child to ask grandparents to go see a movie or read a book that your child plans to see or read. Alternately, the grandchild might ask the grandparent to try out a hobby that he or she is exploring. Then set up a phone date to talk about what you thought of the activity.
• Ask your children if they'd like to create a skit or song and video it for their grandparents. This makes a great birthday or holiday gift, but can also be a fun surprise on an ordinary day.
• The next time you're together, your child could ask grandparents if there is a special family recipe they can make together. My husband still remembers the magical process of watching his grandmother make orange sweet rolls every Christmas.
• Help your child make a playlist of songs that were popular during the grandparents' school years. Have a dance party with grandparents the next time you're together. 

Things That Grandparents Can Do To Strengthen Their Relationships with Grandkids 

• Make it easy for your grandchildren to start a pen pal relationship with you by writing the first letter, as well as giving your grandchildren pre-addressed, stamped stationary so they can easily communicate whenever the mood strikes them. Make the letters even more fun by including a kid-friendly joke in each one. Ask your grandchildren if they have a joke they'd like to write to you in the next letter.
• If you only get to visit one or two times a year, create a special ritual that you always make time for during your visit. This might be a craft, cooking together, or a special lunch date without parents. When my niece was younger, she knew to always expect that grandma would have a "project" (craft) for them to work on together during each visit.
• For a grandchild who may be disappointed that you can't be there to celebrate their birthday, designate a special day during another visit as their "un-birthday." Make simple decorations and festive treats to show what an un-birthday is all about.
• Invite your grandchildren to document a bit of their lives for you by giving them a disposable camera (yes these still exist) and a pre-paid envelope to send it back to you when they've used all the pictures. 
• Start a book of the month club. Your grandchildren will look forward to receiving a book in the mail every month. You might include a special homemade bookmark that has a family picture or picture of a favorite place you've been together.

Picture Books That Celebrate Relationships with Grandparents

Need a few ideas of a book for your first book of the month selection? Why not start with one of these Barefoot Books that features grandparents?

My Granny Went to Market: Fly away with Granny as she takes a magic carpet ride around the world, collecting a steadily increasing number of souvenirs from each exotic location! This rhyming story will take young readers on an adventure to different countries while teaching them to count along the way.

Emily's Tiger: Watch out – Emily is off and running again! This little girl has a problem with her temper, and every time she gets angry she turns into quite the little tiger. This quirky picture book addresses behavioral issues with humor and an emphasis on intergenerational relationships as her grandmother helps her tame her tiger.

Elephant Dance: Listen along with Ravi to Grandfather's captivating stories about India, where the sun is like a ferocious tiger and monsoon rains cascade like waterfalls. Notes after the story include facts about India's animals, food, culture and religion, and a simple elephant dance music score. 

Grandpa's Garden: This beautifully told story follows Billy from early spring to late summer as he helps his grandpa on his vegetable patch. They dig the hard ground, sow rows of seeds, and keep them watered and safe from slugs. When harvest time arrives they can pick all the vegetables and fruit they have grown. Children will be drawn in by the poetry of the language and the warm illustrations, while also catching the excitement of watching things grow!

The Journey Home from Grandpa's: Hop in the yellow car and look out for all the other forms of transportation on the way home from Grandpa's. This fun singalong includes a CD, and a beautiful, double-page spread at the end features all of the colors and modes of transportation from the story.