If you are living in a different country to grandparents, chances are your kids haven’t seen them in quite a while. Here’s how to maintain the bond despite the distance. 

With all the current travel restrictions, if you are living apart from grandparents, your kiddos probably haven’t seen them in a while. And who knows when they will see them in person next? It’s as important a time as any to keep your kiddos in touch with their grandparents. Fortunately thanks to video chat, it’s easier than ever to maintain face-to-face contact, despite distance and time differences. Here are 7 ways to keep bonding with grandparents in the age of Covid!

Let Grandparents Do Bedtime Stories

If your kiddo has a favorite bedtime book or is currently obsessed with a particular picture or chapter book series, why not let grandparents get in on the fun (while hopefully buying you some peace and quiet)? We know some parents who email or WhatsApp photos or PDFs of picture books for grandparents to read along, or they (or you) can order a copy from Amazon.

Looking for some story book inspo? Click here for heaps of options!

Share & Cook a Recipe

Zoom cooking is actually pretty fun. What better way for Grandma or Grandpa to start passing down your most cherished family recipes than when we’re all stuck at home with plenty of time on our hands? Just make sure you have all the ingredients on hand and off you go. Need some inspiration? Check out these easy bread recipes or these healthy snack recipes for kids!

Sing-a-longs / Teach them a Song

A great thing to do with babies or toddlers is to sing songs together. Grandparents can get animated with classics like “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” or “Old McDonald Had a Farm,” or perhaps teach older kids some of their favorites. If your kiddo plays an instrument, they might try a duet or musical accompaniment.

Cards or Board Games

In addition to fun apps like Houseparty and Words With Friends, you could also break out classic board games like Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit, or even try playing Chess or cards. You can also find heaps of board games online; check out the website Tabletopia for over 900 games that can be played online.

Read more: The Best Family Board Games and Games for Young Kids

Send Emails or Letters

Keeping a daily journal is one way for kids to both practice writing and keep a record of their thoughts during this extraordinary moment in history. Alternatively, they could strike up an email correspondence with their grandparents, letting them know what they’re up to on a daily basis, and asking questions in return. And although they lack the instant gratification, handwritten cards, letters and drawings about the experience are sure to delight grandparents as well.

Help with Studying/Homework

We are so jealous of our friends whose parents are former teachers that are helping out remotely with home-based learning. Even if Grandma or Grandpa didn’t teach Algebra, they may very well be keen to help talk to your primary schooler about a story they’re writing, or to discuss a book that they’re reading. If you’re really lucky maybe they can help your kiddo practice another language. Anything to help lighten your load, right mama?

Do a Zoom Fitness Class Together

We have become huge fans of the energetic fitness trainer Joe Wicks. If the grandparents aren’t up for his peppy kid-friendly “PE with Joe” videos, we love that he also has a series of Home Workouts for Seniors. Why not queue it up on YouTube and have the kiddos move right along with them? And if Gran and Gramps prefer Pilates, Yoga or HIIT, check out our huge roundup of online streaming fitness classes!

While the Coronavirus crisis presents all sorts of unprecedented challenges, one of the few upsides is the opportunity to slow down and spend more time with our families, whether in person or virtually. We hope this helps you find new ways to help your kiddos connect with their grandparents, and hopefully brighten everyone’s day in the process, mamas!