If you’re a senior with grandchildren, you were probably thrilled when you found about the first one. As more came into the picture, any chance to spend time with them likely became a high priority for you. Your own kids probably cherished any chance for your to spend time with the grandkids, too, since it meant they got a break or at least some badly needed help along the way. Admit it, spending time with grandchildren is just plain fun and one of the better parts of the golden years.
How long does the fun last, though? They eventually grow into tweens and then actual teenagers? What activities can you do with them that they don’t get bored with, turn their nose up at, or just consider too juvenile?
Games to Enjoy With Your Grandchildren
If this is a challenge for you currently, then keep reading to learn some fun games you can play as a grandparent with your tween/teen grandchildren!
1) Play Monopoly
The names of the properties and even the pieces might change, but the game really doesn’t. Nearly everyone knows how to play this, and even younger grandchildren that don’t can pick up on it. It’s certainly a bit more sophisticated than the simpler board games of their younger years.
You don’t have to use it as a means of teaching finance, money, and math, but it does have educational value. As a grandparent, though, it’s a great chance for you to teach your descendants other valuable skills like negotiations, setting financial goals, and how to handle money in a competitive environment.
One of the best things about monopoly is that there are so many versions available. You can surely find one that interests your teen grandchild. Here are just a few examples:
2) Free-Throw Shooting Competition
Decide on a number each player will shoot and then see who nails the most of them. It’s a gentle enough exercise for most seniors and something nearly everyone can do if you have a hoop set up.
3) Lawn Bowling
This one doesn’t have to take you far outside, but it does help kids stretch their legs and get some sunlight and fresh air.
4) Marco Polo
Nearly everyone loves swimming, and it’s a great way for you to be social with your grandkids and get exercise at the same time. Tweens and teens still love this game since they can better use the skills they are developing.
5) Alphabet
Traveling a long distance with the grandchildren in tow? Start up this classic game. Decide in advance if you’re skipping X or if it just has to be a letter in the word. Each person calls out words from other vehicles, signs, billboards, and bumper stickers starting with the next letter of the alphabet. Towards the end, whoever is ahead of everyone else can sweat it out waiting for the Construction Zone sign or something else with a Z while everyone else slowly catches up.
6) Competing Viral Videos
YouTube has a famous serious of videos where a grandson and his grandmother play various pongball tricks, and they’ve gathered millions of fans. Why not set up a family challenge? Film your own entertaining video on your smartphone, and have your kids do the same. Post the videos on the same date and then see who has the most views after a month to win a prize.
7) Photo Scavenger Hunt
Your tween and teen grandkids are likely to have smartphones. They’re even more likely to be glued to them all the time. Rather than compete with the technology, put it to play. Come up with a list of things you want the grandkids to photograph, and then have them do it as a photo scavenger hunt. Whoever is done first can be the winner, or just whoever gets the most done within a certain time limit.
8) Hold A Talent Show
Even teens love showing off what they can do or what they’ve recently learned. That doesn’t change much from childhood. Sometimes, it’s even more prevalent as they struggle to develop self-confidence or look attractive to other boys and girls. Why not set up a talent or variety show where every member of the family can spend a few minutes entertaining everyone else with something that they love to do and are good at? Anyone that doesn’t want to participate can be a part of the judging panel, scoring every talent and then determining the winner.
9) Play Poker
Poker hasn’t completely faded as an on-trend card game just yet, and many young people are curious about it. If you’re all waiting on a batch of grandma’s cookies to bake, why not gather around the kitchen table and teach them how to play? Your grandkids might think you’re just the sweetest thing and love you lots, but this is your chance to show off your serious side and use some of the poker face you’ve developed throughout your adult years. If grandma’s cookies are done, why not use them as chips for actual wagers?
10) Start Up Your Own Movie Club
Hollywood is in a dearth of creativity right now. 2019 was especially bad, as it appeared that only two single films throughout the whole year hit blockbuster status without being reboots, sequels, or franchise installments. Given how many remakes are happening, why not start up a movie club?
There might already be debates in your family whether or not the original version of a movie was better than the most recent or modern version. Why not sit down with the kids and watch both? Then, everyone has seen both, and you can have the ultimate cinema critique and film debate. It’s a great way to kill a rainy day.
Have everyone rate the movies once watched, and then tally the scores. That way, you can settle for once and for all which versions are best.
ALSO READ: Things to Do With Your Grandchildren in Winter
11) Video Games
It is a safe bet that your teen grandchild plays video games. Why not join them?
Have them bring their game system of choice over and hook it up to your TV. They can show you how to play their favorite game. They might even think it’s cool their grandparent plays video games with them! Just tell them to go easy on you first!
Activities To Enjoy With Your Grandson
There are many ways for you to engage in different activities with your teenage grandchildren while keeping them entertained and genuinely having the best time.
1. Ride Bicycles on a Trail
Riding bicycles is a great way to spend that extra quality time with your teenage grandsons. It is something that they might like to do in general.
You can join in on the fun by riding your bicycle alongside your grandsons. Check out some trails and enjoy the scenery while you are taking a leisurely ride.
Make sure to wear a helmet as well as elbow pads and knee pads for extra protection. Try a 3 wheeled bicycle if riding a regular bike seems risky.
2. Rent Electric Scooters and Ride Them Around Town
Have your grandsons ever had the opportunity to ride on an electric scooter? If it is not something they have done before, you can rent electric scooters for your grandsons and yourself and then ride them around town.
It is fun to go sightseeing while making memories with your grandsons. It is the kind of activity they are going to remember for the rest of their lives because of how much fun you all can have while riding on those electric scooters. You can easily rent the electric scooters at an affordable rate and use them for the entire day.
3. Go On a Fishing Adventure
If your grandsons like fishing, go on a fishing adventure with them. You can drive over to a lake, stand by the water, and hold onto your fishing rods while conversing and attempting to catch what you can.
You might want to hop on a boat and go deep-sea fishing with your grandsons to see what you can catch. Fishing is more of a relaxing activity that you can enjoy.
If you bring home enough fish, you can even prepare the fish with your grandsons while showing them how to season it and cook it on the grill or in the oven.
4. Play Assorted Card Games
You can easily have some indoor fun with your grandsons by bringing out a deck of cards and sitting down at a table with them. There are plenty of great card games that will keep you all busy for hours, including Speed, Poker, and even War. Ensure your grandsons know each card game’s rules before getting started.
5. Request a Tech Lesson
Do you have a tough time getting the hang of using certain electronic devices, such as your new smartphone or laptop computer? You can always spend some quality time with the kids while requesting a tech lesson from them.
They can show you how to access the internet, send photos, upload photos to social media, and more. It is a fun way to learn more about technologywhile still spending some much-needed time with your grandsons. They can teach you everything they know about technology.
6. Make a Scrapbook Together
Your grandchildren may thoroughly enjoy putting a scrapbook together with you. When creating a scrapbook, you can pull out all kinds of pictures from back in the day, including pictures that you have of yourself with your grandsons when they were much younger.
It is a trip down memory lane for everyone, but it is also a great way to keep your grandsons busy as they help you create a keepsake scrapbook.
7. Visit a Roller Skating Rink
You are never too old to visit the skating rink. If you always loved roller skating with friends when you were younger, why not take your teenage grandsons to a local skating rink, rent the skates, and get back in the rink?
It may feel nostalgic for you to spend time at the roller skating rink, but it sure will be a lot of fun for you and your grandsons. You might even want to show them some of your roller skating moves.
8. Play a Game of Frisbee
Playing frisbee outside is an easy and affordable way to have some fun. All you need to do is purchase a frisbee and throw it around outside while attempting to catch it.
Even if you are not the best at catching the frisbee because your grandsons have great aim, you can still share a lot of laughs while playing this game outside. Frisbee not your thing? Here are some other games you can play with your grandchildren.
9. Go to the Gym Together to Exercise
If your grandkidss are into fitness, bring them to the gym, where you can all exercise together. You might want to jump on an exercise bike, lift weights, run on the treadmill, use the ellipticals, or even go for a swim with your grandsons by your side. It is a bonding experience like no other because you are doing something they enjoy while staying active and having fun.
10. Bake a Tasty Dinner
Show your teenage grandkids around the kitchen and teach them how to cook a tasty and delicious meal. If you know what their favorite meals are, you can purchase the necessary ingredients and have them help you make the meal while in the kitchen.
After cutting, chopping, peeling, boiling, baking, and simmering, the food will be ready to eat. You can sit at the dining table with your grandsons, eat a delicious meal, and have some great conversations with one another. They might love the meal so much that they request to make it with you again in the future.
Summary and Final Recommendations
You deserve to enjoy your retirement or golden years, and games are supposed to be fun. Tweens and teens also love games, so play all the ones you can with them in order to not only spend time with them but have so much fun that they keep begging to spend more time with you.
