Most every grandparent wants the chance to bond with their grandkids, and in the rush of today’s modern world, it can sometimes feel like those moments are few and far between.
But when moments do come, you want to make the most of them!
So, to help you out, I compiled a list of some of the best games for grandparents to play with their grandkids. I have personally tried many of them, and the rest I’ve vetted carefully with research.
Some are free, some cost a little money, some are great for long-distances, and all are very fun!
So, here’s to quality time with family. I hope you find some great ideas to help you bond with your grandchildren!
Peekaboo (Ages 0 to 3)
It’s a classic. Every kid enjoys it, and you can start doing it from a young age. Right now, it’s one of the few games my family and I can play with my 4-month-old, and he loves it.
So, don’t discount this one. It’s an oldie but a goodie!
Stacking Cups (Ages 1 to 3)
This is less of a game and more of toy, but you can use it as a game with your tiny grandkids.
Show them how to stack the cups, and see if they can get all of them on top of each other!
Bonus points for you as a grandparent because you’re helping them develop their motor and cognitive skills.
Also, I will add that I like this set because of its affordability and quality non-toxic materials.
The Fishing Game (Ages 1 to 6)
![Title: California fish and game Identifier: californiafishga74_4cali (find matches) Year: [1] (s) Authors: California. Dept. of Fish and Ga…](https://www.becomingmommabear.com/wp-content/uploads/the-fishing-game-ages-1-to-6.jpg)
If you never played some sort of fishing game as a kid, you didn’t have childhood.
This is a fun and simple game that any grandparent can make and play with their grandkids. Instructions can be found at the link on the heading up above.
However, if you don’t want to make your own fishing game you can purchase this set on amazon.
The Happy Marshmallow Toddler Game (Ages 2 to 4)
This game comes from a company called Peaceable Kingdom (I have several of their games, and they are all so cute!!).
Basically, you just draw cards with colored marshmallows on them, match the cards to foam marshmallows that go on sticks, and then “roast” your marshmallows when all the sticks are full.
Simple, easy for little hands and minds, and frustration-free because it’s designed so everyone wins together!
Scavenger Hunt (Ages 2 to adult)
We’ve all done scavenger hunts, but have you done one with your grandchildren?
This is a fun one because it can be adapted to almost any age, including adults. Here are some that I’d recommend for different ages:
- For 2 to 8: Check out this household scavenger hunt activity on amazon.
- For 4 to 12: Try this deck of family scavenger hunt cards.
- For 6ish to adult: Take a look at this deck of mini scratch-off scavenger hunt cards (Lots of positive comments from Grandparents in the reviews!)
- For Teens and Adults: Try something like this bookstore scavenger hunt (this seriously sounds so fun) or just google “Scavenger hunts for adults” and see what you can come up with!
Monkey Around (Ages 2 to 4)
This game is all about movement, which is perfect for toddlers. I don’t own it, but I’m thinking it might be a good Christmas gift for my *very* active 2-year-old son.
Basically, players draw monkey cards and perform the action on them. Then, once the action is successfully performed, the monkey card goes on the tree playing board. Once the board is full, everyone wins!
Super engaging, and great for grandparents who want to have a good time with littles who can’t play complex games yet!
Zingo (Ages 3 to 8)
I remember my younger siblings playing this with our grandma (and now my kids play it with their grandma!).
It’s basically bingo with pictures, and it has a simple little tile dispenser that’s easy and fun for little hands to use.
The original version has pictures and words, but you can also get a sight words version and an early reading version to help with school!
Hoot Owl Hoot (Ages 3 to 8)
This is another peaceable kingdom game with rave reviews on Amazon.
It’s also happens to be one of the games that my kids love to play at their grandma’s house.
The premise of the game is that you draw cards to help baby owls reach home before the sun comes up.
There’s some basic strategy involved (which is great for teaching the grandkids to think critically), and you can make it easier or harder so that it works for younger or slightly older kids.
I Spy (Ages 4 to Adult)
This is the simplest game, but I love that it can be played anywhere!
Just take turns saying “I spy, with my little eye, something . . . ” and then name the color or first letter of something you see (depending on the age of the grandchild). Then let the other person guess what it is!
I think this could be a good game for while you’re on a walk outside or even on a Zoom call (just look for things in the other person’s screen).
Freeze Dance (Ages 5 to 11)
This is an active, no-prep game that only requires a group of grandchildren and a phone (or a CD player for more old-fashioned folk).
Basically, you play some fun music and everyone dances until the music gets randomly paused by a controller.
When the music pauses, everyone freezes. And if you get caught moving by the controller, you’re out!
Play continues until only one player is left standing. They’re the winner!
Trouble (Ages 5 to 13)
This is such a fun game! I played it a ton with my siblings and grandma growing up, and now I play it with my 5-year-old (though, she has a short attention span and can’t quite make it through a full game yet :))
It’s basically “Sorry,” with a little bit of variation and a very fun popper thing that you push in the middle to roll the die (And of course the popper is usually a hit with kids).
Charades (Ages 5 to Adult)
This is a classic for a reason! It’s fun for all ages, and perfect for if you’re entertaining a large group of grandkids.
If you want some help picking things to act out, check out this awesome Charades Generator (It has an adult’s tab and a kid’s tab with different categories!)
Connect 4 (Ages 6 to Adult)
What game list would be complete without connect 4? I remember playing it with various family members at a young age.
Plus, it’s so simple that if anyone doesn’t know it, they can learn it in just a couple minutes.
Carcassonne (Ages 6 to adult)
This is a tile-placement game that’s essentially a simplified version of settlers of Catan. I haven’t gotten to try it, but it’s on my list now!
Lots of grandparents in the reviews recommend it for playing with grandkids, and there are even expansion packs to buy for adding additional variation and challenges!
Minute to Win-It (Ages 7 to Adult)
This is a great game (or set of games) for if you want to get moving. I think it would be really fun to do with a group of grandkids at grandma or grandpa’s house.
If you’re not familiar with minute-to-win-it, it’s basically where you play a series of games that last only 1 minute and whoever wins the most mini games wins overall.
Some examples of games include cookie face (where you put an Oreo on your forehead and attempt to move it down to your mouth using only your face), keepy uppy with your elbows (keeping a balloon in the air using only your elbows until you reach the full minute mark), and trying to say the alphabet backwards (fastest wins).
If you want more ideas for minute-to-win-it games, check out this article from Homemade Gifts Made Easy.
Skyjo (Ages 7 to Adult)
I don’t typically re-buy things on Amazon, but this is a game that I’ve purchased 3 times because we bought it for ourselves and then gave it as a gift twice!
It’s a very basic game where you lay cards out in a grid and then slowly flip them over and replace them to try and minimize your total score at the end.
It’s a great game for when you want to have fun but don’t want to strategize too much.
Skull King (Ages 8 to adult)
This is an amazing card game that my family has enjoyed at many gatherings in the past few years. It’s fast-paced, simple, very fun, and it has 4.9 stars on Amazon (An impressive feat!).
The cool part? It was designed by a Grandpa.
Mahjong Online (Ages 8 to Adult)
This one is a classic, and even kids who don’t really understand strategy can at least help match the shapes (though I’d recommend 8 and up for full gameplay).
The link up above is to a 100% free website where you can play together, even if you’re not physically in the same location.
But if digital isn’t your thing, you can always buy a real set (though they run from $70-80)
Five Crowns (Ages 8 to Adult)
This one has been around for a while; I remember my grandparents playing it when I was young!
It’s basically a rummy-style game that’s done in rounds. It’s quick to learn and fun to play!
Shifting Stones (Ages 9 to Adult)
This is another game designed by Grandpa Beck (the grandparent who designed Skull King up above). It’s also amazingly rated on Amazon (4.8 Stars).
I will say that I actually haven’t played this one (Though it’s on my list!), but the premise seems to be that you arrange tiles to match patterns that give you points.
Lots of the reviews mention that it’s easy to figure out, very entertaining, and great for adults and children alike!
Cashflow (Age 9 to Adult)
This is a highly acclaimed financial education game that I played all growing up with my grandma.
The whole point of the game is to manage your money so that you can get out of the “rat race” (analogous to the endless work-pay-eat-sleep grind that many of us endure).
It’s pretty easy to learn, and the lessons stay with you for the rest of your life!
Thirty-One (Ages 10 to Adult)
Technically, this is a gambling game, but I always played it with pennies. It was a favorite for my grandma and I when I was a child because it’s incredibly simple, fast, and fun.
All you need is a basic deck of face cards and you’re set to go! Rules are at the link above.
Crambo (Ages 10 to Adult)
I grew up calling this “The Rhyming Game,” and only found out while writing this article that its proper name is Crambo. And apparently, it’s been around since the 14th century!
Kind-of crazy.
The nice thing about this one is that no equipment is required; you just need time and your brain.
The full rules are here, but the basic premise is that someone (I’ll call them the “thinker”) thinks of a single syllable word (no names or proper nouns) to be their key word and says, “I’m thinking of a word that rhymes with . . . ” Then they say a word that rhymes with the key word they’re thinking of.
So, if their key word were “tall” they might say “I’m thinking of a word that rhymes with hall.”
Then, everyone guesses words that rhyme with that by using definitions (e.g. “Is it a sphere that you throw?”).
The thinker responds by figuring out the definitions and responding (e.g. “No, it is not a ball,” in response to the sphere definition up above). The game goes until someone gets the key word, everyone gives up, or the person thinking of the key word can’t guess a definition thrown at them.
It sounds hard, but once you get going it’s tons of fun.
Forbidden Island (Ages 12 to Adult)
This is one that’s been around for a while, and it was one of my favorite games to play with my grandma as a teen.
It’s a cooperative game, so it’s all the players vs. the game. But no fear—it won’t leave anyone bored. You’re all working together to find ancient treasure and escape before the forbidden island sinks down into the sea forever!
One thing that makes this game great it that it has adjustable difficulty levels, so as your grandchild ages (or you both get better at the game) you can make it harder.
Words With Friends (Ages 14 to Adult)
Ah, the classic phone game. It’s slower paced, so it might not be as exciting for teenage grandkids, but I think it can be a great way to connect with adult grandchildren (even if it’s just briefly).
And if you aren’t familiar with it, it’s basically scrabble, but in an app that allows you to chat back and forth while you play and also take breaks and come back to take your turn when the other player has gone (something you can’t do with the online, multi-player sites).
The one downside to this is the chatting aspect could technically be a safety concern, which is why I rated it for 14+.
Here’s a link for it in the Apple store, and here’s a link to it in the Google Play store.
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Whew! That was a lot of games. I hope you found some good ideas!
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And may you have many fun times with your grandchildren now and in the future 🙂
