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There was a time when a trip to the playground and a packet of crackers made Grandma the most exciting person in the world.
Then that little grandchild became a teenager.
Now they have headphones, opinions, and a schedule that apparently requires negotiations three weeks in advance. And we grandmas sometimes find ourselves wondering, what can we do together that they’ll actually enjoy?
I don’t think we need to become experts in teenage slang. In fact, I suspect some of our grandchildren would pay us to stop trying. 😄
But we can make room for the people they’re becoming. We can try something they love, share something we enjoy, and let time together feel easy.
Here are 15 ways to start.
1. Go on a snack taste-testing mission
Pick a few unfamiliar snacks, different flavors of popcorn, or treats from a local bakery. Then give each one a score.
You can judge taste, crunch, and whether you’d spend your own money on it again. That last category tends to inspire strong opinions.
Keep it simple and inexpensive. Three snacks are plenty for a serious judging panel of two.
Live far apart? Choose the same treats and compare your verdicts over a video call.
2. Let them introduce you to their favorite music
Ask your grandchild to choose three songs they’d like you to hear. Then share three of yours.
Try asking, “What do you like about this one?” instead of immediately announcing that music was better in your day.
You don’t have to love every song. Neither do they.
You might discover a shared favorite or learn that the song they thought was brand-new is a remake of something you danced to decades ago. Grandma still has a few surprises.
3. Cook something neither of you has made before
Family recipes are wonderful, but there’s something fun about being beginners together.
Let them help choose a manageable recipe. You could make dumplings, homemade pretzels, or a dessert that looks far easier in the photograph than it turns out to be.
Share the jobs and resist taking over every time they do something differently.
If the result is delicious, you’ve found a new favorite. If it’s a disaster, you’ve acquired a story that may outlive both the recipe and the baking tray.
4. Browse a thrift store with a tiny challenge
Give yourselves a small budget, or agree that you’re only looking, and choose a mission.
Find the strangest mug. Pick out something the other person would genuinely wear. Search for an item that looks as though it belongs in a mystery movie.
Let your grandchild explore their own style without turning every choice into a discussion about what young people wear these days.
You’re there to enjoy their company. The lime-green jacket can simply be a lime-green jacket.
5. Follow one show together
Choose something you both enjoy and make it your shared show.
It could be a baking competition, a mystery, a nature series, or a comedy. Agree on whether you’ll watch together or separately, then discuss it afterward.
Having something ongoing gives you an easy reason to get in touch.
“Have you watched the next episode?” can open a conversation much more naturally than another round of questions about school.
Just establish the most important rule early: no spoilers, even from Grandma.
6. Take a walk with a small destination
“Let’s go for a walk and have a long talk” may sound suspiciously like an appointment.
“Want to walk over and get a hot chocolate?” is a different invitation altogether.
Choose a comfortable route and a destination you’ll both enjoy. A park bench, bookstore, or little café will do.
You can chat, notice things, or walk quietly for a while. There’s no need to fill every pause. Sometimes being together without a list of questions is the nicest part.
7. Learn one game they enjoy
Ask them to show you a video game, card game, or board game they genuinely like.
Give yourself permission to be a beginner. Ask questions, make mistakes, and let them enjoy knowing more than you for a change.
You might say, “Choose something you think I could learn in twenty minutes.”
That gives the activity a manageable starting point. And if you accidentally spend the entire game walking into a wall, your grandchild may enjoy the afternoon even more than expected.
8. Make something useful for their space
Some teenagers won’t leap at the word “craft,” but they may enjoy making something they actually want.
Try decorating a picture frame, painting a small plant pot, customizing a tote bag, or putting together a photo display.
Let them choose the colors and style. Their project doesn’t need to match your curtains or your taste.
You can work on separate pieces side by side, with music playing and snacks nearby. There’s no age limit on enjoying a table covered in possibilities.
9. Let them teach you one specific thing
Instead of asking them to fix every mysterious problem on your phone, invite them to share something they enjoy knowing.
Perhaps they could show you how they edit a photo, draw a character, perform a football trick, or build something in a game.
Try, “Would you show me how you did that?”
Pay attention and give it a proper try. It feels good to have your knowledge taken seriously, especially by someone who once had to teach you how to hold a spoon.
10. Have a photo challenge
Choose a few things to photograph: something yellow, an interesting shadow, something tiny, and something that makes you laugh.
Then head outside or look around the house and see what each of you notices.
Compare your pictures afterward. The fun is in discovering how differently you see the same surroundings.
This works beautifully from a distance, too. You can exchange one photo each week.
And ask before sharing their pictures or posting photos of them. A lovely afternoon doesn’t need a public audience.
11. Browse somewhere that interests them
A bookstore, garden center, sports shop, record store, or art supply shop can make a surprisingly enjoyable outing.
Let their interests help choose the destination, and make it clear that browsing doesn’t have to mean buying.
Ask them to show you what they like and explain what makes it interesting.
You may know very little about the subject when you walk in. By the time you leave, you’ll know a little more about something that matters to your grandchild.
12. Do one small, helpful job together
Choose a useful task with a clear ending: plant a few flowers for a neighbor, prepare a meal for someone you know, or sort donations together.
Offer a couple of choices so your grandchild has a say.
Keep the job
