Activities Children Can Do with Grandparents Who Have Limited Mobility -

Spending time with grandparents should always be enjoyable for little ones and because grandparents don’t have the main parenting responsibilities, they can treat children in a way they might not have treated their own children. I can hear parents sighing here – worrying about unhealthy eating and too much screen time. But it is a great joy for older people to spend time with their grandchildren without having to worry about whether they are feeding them the healthiest food or entertaining them in the most educational way. They can just have fun!

The only proviso here is when grandparents look after their grandchildren on a regular basis and are effectively taking some parental responsibility. In that case parents need to set the right expectations – but that’s a topic for another time.

So, assuming the aim is simply for the older generation to have fun with the children and vice versa, there are all sorts of activities to do. But a problem arises when a grandparent has limited mobility – maybe because of age or an underlying health condition. What then?

Well, luckily there is still plenty to do even if grandparents have mobility problems and can’t run around the garden or play sports. Here are just a few ideas for home-based activities to enjoy – some of them can also be done in the garden if the weather is fine.

Craft Activities

Crafts can provide endless hours of fun whatever your age. Some of my favourites are:

Paper Plate Animals: Turning paper plates into animals using paint, googly eyes, felt for feet and ears and pipe cleaners for tails.
Tissue Paper Flowers: Create colourful flowers by crinkling and gluing tissue paper onto cardboard or paper stems.
Sock Puppets: Use old socks to make puppets. Add buttons for eyes, felt for mouths, and wool for hair.
Homemade Playdough: Mix flour, salt, water, and food colouring to create homemade playdough. Let the children mould it into various shapes.
Collage Creations: Collect leaves, flowers, and other small items from the garden to make a collage on paper. If grandparents can’t manage collecting things from the garden, then cut out pictures from magazines and newspapers instead to create collages on paper or cardboard.
Pasta Art: Glue various shapes of pasta onto paper to make interesting and textured pictures. The 3-coloured pasta is a good idea here but if you don’t have that then just paint the shapes to make the artwork more interesting.
Jewellery: Use old buttons, beads or even pasta and string to create colourful and unique jewellery.

Remember to have a variety of materials available, encourage creativity, and most importantly, have fun! Adjust the complexity of the crafts based on the age and skill level of the children.

Watching a Film

Enjoy a film or TV series together. You can even create a mini cinema experience by closing the curtains or blinds and eating popcorn. Watching films together can be a delightful way for children to bond with grandparents. Here are some of my favourite timeless and family-friendly films that can be enjoyed by both kids and grandparents:

E.T. the Extra–Terrestrial (1982): Directed by Steven Spielberg, this heartwarming tale of a boy and his alien friend is a timeless family classic.
Toy Story (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019): Follow the adventures of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and their toy friends in this animated series of films.
Finding Nemo (2003) / Finding Dory (2016): Heartwarming animated adventures set in the ocean, these films are visually stunning and tell engaging stories.
The Incredibles (2004) / Incredibles 2 (2018): Animated superhero films that are fun for both kids and adults, exploring themes of family and identity.
Paddington (2014) / Paddington 2 (2017): Follow the adventures of the lovable bear from Peru as he navigates life in London. These films are heartwarming and full of charm.
Winnie the Pooh (2011): A sweet and gentle film based on A.A. Milne’s classic characters, perfect for younger children and nostalgic for grandparents.

These films offer a mix of entertainment, positive messages, and often a touch of nostalgia for grandparents. Depending on the interests and age of the children, you can choose films that provide a shared experience for the whole family.

Puzzles and Games

Play board games or card games that are not physically demanding.
Work on jigsaw puzzles together.
Play memory games to stimulate cognitive function for young and old.
Create a family trivia game to test each other’s knowledge.

Music and Singing

Listen to music or play musical instruments.
Print out the lyrics to favourite songs and sing along. Even very young children who aren’t yet confident readers can quickly pick up simple lyrics.

Reading Together

Take turns reading out loud – using different voices for different characters. Remember to have fun – it doesn’t matter if you can’t do perfect voices just give it a go!

Adapt activities based on the physical abilities of the grandparent, and always prioritise comfort and enjoyment. The key is to have a positive experience while accommodating limited mobility.