Image: Jeanine Thurston/Fototails
It’s been said that a grandparent is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher and a little bit best friend. The grandparent and grandchild relationship can be one of the most important in our lives. But, for many us, the question, sometimes, is what should we do together? We have some answers! One hundred and one of them! In partnership with Disney Parks, we scoured the Internet and asked some of our favorite bloggers about boredom-busting, bridge-building activities for grandparents and grandchildren.
1. Create a pop-up art exhibit with your grandchild’s artwork. Serve pink lemonade.
2. Send and decode secret messages.
3. Make “elephant toothpaste.”
4. Build a marble run.
5. Grow magic crystals.
6. Whip up super-soft playdough.
7. Construct a pan flute out of straws.
8. Make an erupting volcano.
9. Suck an egg into a bottle using magic (and air pressure).
10. Solve brainteasers, puzzles and riddles together.
11. Read a book together. Have a two-person book club.
12. Impress your grandchild with card tricks.
13. Lead an outdoor color hunt.
14. Turn your window into an art easel with both tissue and contact papers.
15. Play the find-it game with a bottle, rice and small household objects.
Image: Virginia Greuloch/The Good Life Photography
16. Float homemade water-bottle boats.
17. Create a popsicle-stick puzzle.
18. Conduct an egg-drop experiment.
19. Write letters to family members. Address, stamp and mail them.
20. Create a fairy garden.
21. Hunt for treasure in an ice block.
22. Play glow-in-the-dark ring toss.
23. Make glasses sing.
24. Turn a cardboard box into a pirate ship.
25. Interview each other. You can use your iPhone to record it. Send copies to family.
26. Draw -- and discuss -- your family tree.
27. Share photos from when you were a child.
28. Print with stamps made from fruit and vegetables.
29. Go on an imaginary hot-air balloon ride.
30. Make rain sticks.
31. Create colorful magic wands.
32. Walk on tin-can stilts.
33. Construct paper hats.
34. Build a bird feeder.
35. Make slime.
36. Play empty bottle music.
37. Pretend to be mummies by wrapping each other head to toe in toilet paper.
38. Design a giant chalk maze.
39. Make take-along ice skaters.
40. Plant a vegetable garden in the backyard.
Image: Virginia Greuloch/The Good Life Photography
41. Whip up smoothies.
42. Create a backyard scavenger hunt.
43. Throw a tea party for two. (Remember to dress up. Don’t forget hats!)
44. Wrap painter’s tape around wooden blocks. Draw on the tape. Build an “art tower.”
45. Turn a paper plate into a banjo.
46. Use coffee filters to make ballerina art.
47. Move paper clips through water.
48. See a play at the local children’s theater.
49. Write with invisible ink.
50. Create edible art with graham crackers, frosting, raisins, crackers, peanut butter, pretzel sticks, bananas or almost anything tasty at all.
51. Sketch portraits of one another.
52. Make shaving-cream clouds rain.
53. Take a nature hike.
54. Play a card game together. (Here are 40 to choose from.)
55. Get raisins to dance.
56. … And corn to hop.
57. Watch an old movie together. (The ’80s counts!)
58. Bake and decorate cupcakes; deliver them to neighbors.
59. Make sunburst paintings.
60. Fly a trash-bag kite.
Image: Virginia Greuloch/The Good Life Photography
61. Set up a domino rally.
62. Conduct candy-cane experiments.
63. Create a ball pit by filling an inflatable pool with plastic balls or balloons.
64. Put a “jellyfish” in a bottle.
65. Go out for a coffee and hot-cocoa date.
66. Play tin-can indoor golf.
67. Construct paper lanterns.
68. Hide treasure. Have your grandchild seek it.
69. Grab your toolbox and special helper. Fix things around the house.
70. Put on a paper-bag puppet show.
71. Build toothpick-and-marshmallow sculptures.
72. Pick up ice only using string.
73. Paint rock monsters.
74. Dream up a new superhero, complete with superpowers and a costume.
75. Make pipe-cleaner sculptures.
76. Take turns being blindfolded and play “guess the flavor” with jelly beans.
77. Attend a sporting event at the local high school.
78. Decorate frames.
79. Go living-room camping.
80. Build a spiderweb out of masking tape. Throw paper at it. See who can score the most points.
81. Make your own bean-bag toss.
82. Talk to each other on DIY tin-can phones.
83. Play flick football.
84. Catch paper frogs.
85. Create your own “Memory” game using family photos.
86. Wash your car together.
Image: Virginia Greuloch/The Good Life Photography
87. Make footprint cows.
88. … And handprint lions.
89. … Or thumbprint chicks.
90. Throw a homemade flying disc.
91. Turn a cereal box into a crown for a king or queen.
92. Construct a zip line for toys.
93. Blow bubbles out of pipe cleaners.
94. Try fork printing.
95. Create sensory boxes for your little ones.
96. Play with a homemade boomerang.
97. Sing karaoke. (There’s an app for that. Actually, there are dozens.)
98. Launch plastic-bottle rockets.
99. Tell stories about what you did for fun when you were a child.
100. Turn a jar into a lava lamp.
101. Create a mobile out of old CDs.
And here’s one more way to bond with your grandkids: Take them to a Disney Park! From the youngest member of your family to the grandest, Disney Parks & Resorts offer something for everyone.