Mar 06 2026 7 Easy, At-Home Activities for Time Together

My grandchildren’s visits are a blessing — and sometimes challenging, too. What foods will they say yes to? What will they want to play? What should I clear with their parents? How can I limit screens?

These and other questions are often on my mind when my grandchildren are coming over. Below are two tips and seven simple ideas that I have found helpful for weekend visits, short overnight stays, and school breaks.

Tip #1
Above all, grandchildren want your time and attention — more than toys or video games or anything material. Set aside your phone and just be present.

Tip #2
Follow their interests. Think about what your grandchild enjoys — sports, dolls, fashion, building, math, crafts. Even better, ask them or their parents ahead of time and plan around what excites them.

Below are flexible ideas you can easily personalize.

Round-Robin Games 

Try one activity after another for playful variety.

1. Free Throws Into the Can

Use a soft ball or scrunch paper into a ball and throw it into a low trash can. Keep score. Change distances from the throw line or adjust the height of the can to make it easier or more difficult.
Skills area: Gross motor  

2. Indoor Hopscotch

Use painter’s tape or chalk to draw a hopscotch board on the floor. Hop through the course: one foot in single squares and two feet in side-by-side squares. Make the game more difficult by throwing a beanbag or other soft object onto a square. When hopping, pause before your marker, balance on one foot, and pick it up.

Variation: Hopscotch letter or number recognition game
Write a letter or number on a piece of paper (or on an index card) in each square on the hopscotch board. Have your grandchild pick a card and hop, skip, or jump to that square. Then they pick another card until they have used all ten cards.
Skills area: Gross motor or cognitive

3. Home Scavenger Hunt

Step 1. Print out ten pictures of objects in a home, or cut them out of catalogs or brochures. Examples: shower or tub, book, sofa, lamp, refrigerator, bed, plant.
Step 2. Number the clues.
Step 3. Hide the clues in reverse order, starting with the last clue and working back to the first clue (which you will give to your grandchild).
Step 4. Give the first clue and let the game begin. Have fun!
Give a small prize or treat at the last clue.

Modification: This can be a beginner reading game. Instead of pictures, write the words on clue cards for the children to read.
Skills area: Cognitive

Art Together 

4. Nature Collage

Take a walk outside and collect leaves, sticks, pebbles, and other natural objects. Back indoors, create a collage or use the items to tell a story together.

Supplies: natural objects, paper, and strong glue.
Skills area: STEAM

5. Family Portraits

You and your grandchild can take selfies, then, using everyday household items, create a portrait of each other. Include items that represent the other person’s interests. For example, if your grandchild likes to knit, sew, or weave, use yarn for the hair and thimbles for the eyes. Find more ideas here. 

Skills area: STEAM

Chill Time 

6. Movie Night

Sometimes the sweetest moments are the simplest. Choose a movie (even if it’s not your favorite), make popcorn, and enjoy hanging out together.

7. Classic Games

Boggle, Uno, card games, or dominoes are timeless fun. Try building a domino trail and watch it tumble down!

Capture these and other experiences in photos, then gather them into a digital or printed picture book of your grandchildren’s visit. Your time and attention, and these kinds of shared experiences in your home create the memories that can last a lifetime. 

 Ilene C. Vogelstein is immediate past president of the Jewish Grandparents Network and a loving, engaged grandparent. 

Photographic Credits 
Banner by Terry Kaye 
Ball throw and hopscotch by Ilene Vogelstein 
Planting by Terry Kaye 
Family portrait courtesy of Hanoch Piven 
Watching a movie courtesy of Pexels