Grandparenting
Long-distance grandparenting: ideas to stay close to the grandkids
The grandparents who stay closest from far away keep a regular video call, build small rituals the kids can count on, and do things together on the call instead of just asking questions. Below are ideas sorted by age, plus ways to stay part of their week between calls.
Updated October 26, 2026
You are not alone in this
Far away does not have to mean far apart
Maybe you hear about the first steps a week later. Maybe the little one is shy with you for the first ten minutes of every visit, and by the time she warms up, it is time to fly home. That ache is real, and a lot of grandparents feel it. AARP research found about a third of grandparents live more than 50 miles from their closest grandchild.
Here is the encouraging part. In a 2021 AARP study with university researchers, 82% of grandparents of young children said they enjoy video chats with them "very much," and enjoyment went up the more often they connected. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls video chat with family "relationship time," not screen time, and notes toddlers can learn new words talking with an adult over video.
So the screen is not second best. Used well, it is how you become a familiar, beloved face in their everyday life.
The foundation
How to build a close long-distance grandparent relationship
- 1
Agree on a regular call time
Work it out with the parents: same day, same time, every week. The AAP suggests a consistent time and linking calls to everyday moments like a meal or a bedtime story. Kids thrive on knowing "Sunday is Grandma day."
- 2
Greet them the same warm way
AARP's researchers suggest greeting your grandchild warmly, the way you would at the door, and giving little ones a moment to settle into the call.
- 3
Do something together
Questions like "How was school?" get one-word answers. Reading, singing, games and show-and-tell get kids talking. Ideas by age are below.
- 4
End with a ritual
AARP's researchers also suggest ending calls in a special way each time: a secret handshake against the screen, a goodbye song, blowing a kiss that they "catch."
- 5
Stay part of their week
Send a photo of your breakfast, a 30-second video of the bird at your feeder, a joke. Small, frequent touches make the weekly call feel like a continuation, not a reunion.
- 6
Make the parents' job easy
Ask what time actually works for them and keep calls short when the kids are tired. Busy parents keep up routines that do not add to their load.
Ideas by age
What to do on calls with grandkids of every age
Babies
Peek-a-boo, the same songs every call, making funny noises, saying their name a lot. Keep it short. The AAP notes babies learn the back and forth with repetition and help from their parents.
Toddlers
Show them your house, your pet, your garden, so they learn you live somewhere real. Read a picture book while they follow along with their own copy. Play "find something red" in your rooms.
Preschoolers
Scavenger hunts, puppet shows, cooking the same simple recipe at the same time, a dance party. Let them give you a tour and show you their newest drawing.
School age
A chapter book read a few pages each call. Card games, drawing challenges, teaching them a family recipe. Ask about one specific thing: the science project, the soccer team, the best friend.
Tweens and teens
Ask their opinion and actually listen. Let them teach you something: a game, a song, how to send a video. Watch the same show during the week and talk about it.
The whole family
Sunday dinner with the screen at the end of the table, birthday candles blown out on both ends, holiday decorations compared room to room.
Between calls
Ways to stay close all week
| Idea | How it works | Kids love it because |
|---|---|---|
| A postcard, a sticker, a drawing in the mail | Real mail with their name on it | |
| Photo of the day | You send one photo from your day; they send one back | It becomes a game |
| Short video messages | Record a 1-minute hello, a joke, a goodnight | They can watch it again and again |
| Shared projects | A puzzle, a garden, a story you write together over months | There is always a next step to talk about |
| Countdowns | Count down together to the next visit | The visit feels close and certain |
Make the calls feel like visits
How FamilyView brings the grandkids into your living room
FamilyView turns a Samsung smart TV (2022 models and newer) into a family video phone. A small camera, the Samsung Slim Fit Cam (about $100, and you own it), clips onto the top of the TV and plugs into USB. FamilyView is an app, not a box: nothing to rent, nothing to return.
The family calls your TV from their FamilyView Android app or any web browser at familyviewtv.com. Your TV rings, you press OK on your remote, and there they are, life-size: the whole family on their couch, nobody holding a phone. If their TV has FamilyView too, your living room and theirs can call TV to TV. Every family member has a tile on your TV with a Call button, so you can call them as well.
The between-calls ideas above happen on your TV too. Photos the family shares from their phones land on your TV, and when nobody is calling the TV becomes a slideshow of the grandkids. Video messages up to 2 minutes play full screen.
Only family can call, one-to-one calls are end-to-end encrypted, there are no ads, and nothing about your family is sold. The Family plan is $14.99 a month for the whole family, month to month, cancel anytime. Read FamilyView for grandparents or see plans.
Questions grandparents ask
How do I stay close to my grandkids when I live far away?
Keep a regular video call, build small rituals for hello and goodbye, do activities together on the call, and send little things between calls: photos, short videos, mail.
How often should grandparents video call grandkids?
Whatever rhythm the family can keep. AARP found grandparents enjoyed video chats more the more often they connected, and many calls were short. A regular five-minute call beats an occasional long one.
Is video chatting screen time for babies and toddlers?
The American Academy of Pediatrics says it is OK for infants and young children to video chat with others and calls it "relationship time."
What do I talk about with a toddler on video?
Not much talking needed. Sing, play peek-a-boo, show them your pet or your garden, read a picture book. Their parent can help by pointing and naming things on the screen.
My grandkids get bored on calls. What helps?
Give them something to do: a scavenger hunt, a drawing challenge, a game, a story. Keep calls shorter and more frequent.
How can I make video calls easier on my end?
Use a big screen you already know how to use. With FamilyView on a Samsung TV, you answer with your TV remote and see the whole family at once.
Sources
- AARP Research: AARP Grandparenting Study (2019, updated 2024), about a third of grandparents live more than 50 miles from their closest grandchild
- AARP Research: Frequent Video Chats Help Grandparents Bond With Their Young Grandchildren (2021), 82% enjoy video chats "very much"; greeting, play, show-and-tell and ending-ritual tips
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Tips for Video Chatting with Infants and Toddlers, "relationship time," consistent times, word learning, play ideas
Be part of their week, not just their holidays.
Ask your kids to set up FamilyView on your TV. This Sunday, the grandkids can wave from their couch to yours. Cancel anytime.