The building process has always fascinated me. Whether it’s a home, a finished product, or a wonderfully executed event, I am always pondering the details of what went into the process to bring it to fruition.
In construction, a blueprint provides guidance, structure, and vision. It ensures that each step contributes to something solid and lasting. Building relationships with our grandkids is similar! Whether through shared traditions, spontaneous fun, or deep conversations, every moment spent together adds another ‘brick’ to the foundation of love and trust that is also solid and lasting
We want to share some practical, fun activities designed to help you lay a strong relational foundation with your grandkids—no matter their age. Whether near or far, these ideas will help you build a bond that stands the test of time.
In This Post
1. Foundation Matters
Activity for Younger Kids: Build a Tower Together
- Use blocks, LEGO bricks, or a stack of books. Have fun seeing how tall you can build your tower. Does changing the base of the tower affect how tall it can be?
- As you build together, talk about how a strong foundation keeps things from falling—just like love and trust keep relationships strong.
- Conversation starter: What helps you feel loved and safe?
Activity for Older Kids: The Trust Jar
- Decorate a jar and fill it with slips of paper listing ways to build trust. Here are some ideas: tell the truth, keep your promises, be a good listener, say you are sorry when you make mistakes, be kind with your words, help others, do the right thing even when no one is watching, ask before using something that isn’t yours, stick up for others, be on time and ready.
- You could take turns pulling out a slip of paper, (once a week? Once a month?) practice what it says, and then later share with each other some times you have demonstrated being trustworthy.
- Conversation starter: Why is trust important in relationships?
2. Planning & Vision
Activity for Younger Kids: Design a Dream House
- Draw on paper, or build a house out of cardboard, legos or your building material of choice.
- Talk about how planning makes building easier, just like planning time together makes relationships stronger.
- Ask: What’s one fun thing we should plan to do together?
Activity for Older Kids: Create a Vision Board
- Make a collage of activities and goals for your time spent together (trips, skills to learn, games to play).
- Keep adding to it over time.
- Conversation starter: What’s something new you’d like to do together this year?
3. Using the Right Tools
Activity for Younger Kids: Scavenger Hunt for Tools
- Hide items (tape measure, screw driver, a toy hammer) and let them find them. If you are a long distance grandparent, you can hide tools in your home, and send them ‘hidden pictures’. They’ll love seeing that familiar background! If you don’t have actual tools, you could substitue craft tools like scissors, markers etc…
- Explain how different tools help us build things—just like activities help us build relationships.
- Ask: What are some activities you would like us to do together?
Activity for Older Kids: Teach & Learn Together
- Have them teach you something they love (a game, a skill, a hobby).
- Teach them a skill in return (a family recipe, a craft, or a life lesson).
- Discuss: What’s something we can learn from each other?
4. Adapting to Unexpected Changes
Activity for Younger & Older Kids: Switch-it-up storytelling
- Start a story and let them add plot twists. You can completely make up this story, or use a dice game like Tell a Story that will give you visual prompts. (buy two sets so you can each roll and tell stories!)
- Conversation starter – all ages
- Talk about how unexpected moments can make things exciting—just like in life. Sometimes plans change, but we can do our best to make something good come out of the changes.
- Ask: How do you handle changes in plans?
- Ask: What’s a time when a change turned out to be fun?
5. Skilled Hands Build Strong Structures
Activity for Younger Kids: Follow Step-by-Step Crafting
- Use a simple craft project, and follow each step together. Look for something that can be repeated again and still hold interest. Pipe cleaner people, cupcake liner flowers, simple origami shapes…
- Conversation starter: Talk about how practice helps us get better—just like in relationships.
- Ask: What’s something you want to get better at?
Activity for Older Kids: Try a New Challenge Together
- Pick a project neither of you has done before and work through it together.
- Reflect on how effort and patience make things stronger—just like relationships.
- Conversation starter: What’s a time you kept trying until you succeeded?
6. Building Something That Lasts
Activity for Younger Kids: Memory Book
- Create a scrapbook with pictures or drawings of favorite moments together. I have also used Chatbooks to create both year long photo books, and simple story books of time spend together.
Activity for Older Kids: Write a Letter to the Future
- Write letters to each other about what you appreciate and have learned from each other.
- Seal them in an envelope and agree to open them on a certain date in the futre.
- Conversation starter – for all ages: What’s one of your favorite memories of us together?
I can’t wait to implement these ideas with my grandkids. I’ll consider their ages and current schedules and pick one idea to begin. While there’s no one-size-fits-all design, the time, love, and intention we put into our connections creates something more enduring than any structure—memories that last, character that’s shaped, and love that spans generations.
So keep building, even when plans change or progress feels slow. The blueprint of grandparenting is one of grace, presence, and purpose—and the legacy you’re creating is more amazing than any finished project!
Optional: Print this blog post to use as a guide and keep it handy for future inspiration!