Originally Published September 7, 2025. Updated August 31, 2026
“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” — Alex Haley
Why Grandparent-Grandchild Play is So Special
Grandparents have a wonderful way of making ordinary moments feel special. A game at the kitchen table, an afternoon building with blocks, a walk through the garden, or a silly story made up together can become the memories children carry with them for years.
At HABA, we believe play is one of the best ways to bring generations together. Grandparents bring their own stories, traditions, humor, and experiences to playtime, while grandchildren bring endless curiosity and imagination. Put the two together, and something pretty wonderful happens.
Meaningful play doesn’t have to be complicated. It might mean building the tallest tower you can, teaching a grandchild a game you loved growing up, putting on a puppet show, or simply sitting together and letting a child decide where the story goes next.
In honor of Grandparents Day, we’ve gathered ten simple ways for grandparents and grandchildren to play, create, laugh, and make memories together. Many require little more than time and imagination, while a few can be made even more playful with a favorite HABA toy or game.
Our Top Ten Fun and Creative Ideas for Grandparents Day
“The simplest toy, one which even the youngest child can operate, is called a grandparent.” — Sam Levenson
Host a Family Puzzle Night
Bond over brain teasers! Puzzles are perfect for quiet evenings filled with shared laughter and a sense of accomplishment. Grandparents and grandchildren can take turns finding pieces, talk through possible solutions, and celebrate every small success along the way. Choose a puzzle that offers just the right level of challenge and settle in for a quiet evening of problem-solving and conversation. Wooden puzzles are especially fun for younger children because the sturdy pieces are easy to handle and can encourage hand-eye coordination, visual thinking, and number or shape recognition.
The goal doesn’t have to be finishing as quickly as possible. Sometimes the best part is simply sitting side by side and figuring it out together. Choose a parrot or elephant puzzle from our new wooden puzzle collection. These puzzles promote problem-solving, hand-eye coordination, and number learning while being just the right challenge for all.
Create Art Projects Together
Art is a universal language, and kids love seeing their grandparents draw, paint, or create side by side with them. Set up a simple art station with paper, markers, and stickers. To take art making to another level, bring the Little Friends out to play. Children can draw scenes around their figures, creating farms, cities, or schools for their dolls to "live" in. This is a lovely way to initiate storytelling and helps kids build empathy and narrative thinking, while sharing stories of “what if” and “all of a sudden!”
Ask Grandma or Grandpa: What Did You Play?
Turn playtime into a little family history lesson by asking grandparents what they loved to do when they were children. Did they build forts? Play cards? Make mud pies? Ride bikes around the neighborhood? Build with blocks? Invent games outside with friends? Choose one favorite and recreate it together. Then switch roles and let grandchildren teach their grandparents one of their favorite games or activities. You can even write down the answers or add drawings and photos to a family memory book. Someday, those stories may be just as treasured as the games themselves. This back-and-forth can be extended with open-ended play tools like our soft dolls and puppets. Puppets allow kids and grandparents to create plays together, building confidence and expression, while dolls help children explore emotions and scenarios through pretend play.
Build a Marble Run Together
Everyone loves a good old fashioned marble run! This collaborative activity encourages engineering thinking, spatial awareness, and loads of giggles when marbles go flying. Best of all, it’s a toy that can grow with kids as every marble track construction session races into a brand new adventure. HABA’s wooden marble run systems as well as Kullerbü or Hubelino sets let children and grandparents build and race marbles and balls while learning about gravity, cause and effect, and perseverance.
Make a Memory Book
Creating a scrapbook or memory journal together is a meaningful way to preserve family stories. Let kids decorate the pages while grandparents share their favorite memories or life lessons. You can even add in the stories that you created together while playing or the amazing art projects that you created.
Set Up a Pretend Play Café
Turn your kitchen into a pretend play café and invite kids to be chefs while grandparents “order” their favorite foods. This kind of role-play supports language development, sequencing, and social-emotional skills. HABA’s pretend play food sets and 3 in 1 Creative Play Set offer open-ended possibilities for this kind of creative play. Whether whipping up a spaghetti dinner or sushi, this kind of delicious pretend play builds bridges between generations because everyone loves a good meal!
Build Some Classic Play Structures
Building Blocks never go out of style. Together, grandparents and grandchildren can build towers, bridges, or even replicate famous landmarks. At HABA, we’ve been making beautiful and sustainably sourced building blocks for generations so that play can cross generations. These heirloom-quality wooden building toys often get passed down, creating not just structures but traditions.
Take Play Outside
When the weather is right, outdoor toys can offer hours of active play. From digging in the sandbox to setting up a backyard obstacle course, nature becomes the playroom. Our garden tools encourage a love of gardening, something that will definitely unite the generations and are perfect for tactile play that strengthens motor skills.
Play Together From Afar
Grandparents Day can still feel special when miles separate you. Set up a video call and turn it into playtime instead of simply a conversation. Grandparents and grandchildren can play “I Spy,” read the same book together, draw pictures for each other, tell a silly story one sentence at a time, or each build something and reveal their creations at the end. You could even start a tradition that continues beyond Grandparents Day, such as a monthly virtual story time, game night, or drawing date. A little consistency can turn distance into another opportunity for connection.
If you’re celebrating Grandparents Day on the go, don’t worry. HABA has a full collection of travel games that fit easily in a bag and are perfect for car rides, restaurants, or waiting spaces. These games help improve focus, turn-taking, and memory and they’re just as fun for adults as for kids.
Build a Family Tradition
Make Grandparents Day an annual event. Whether it’s a specific game you always play together, a shared storybook, or a craft tradition, these rituals help children feel secure and valued. Perhaps you will choose a game like Animal Upon Animal, our bestselling stacking game challenge that’s fun for all ages for your yearly go-to? Or perhaps every Grandparents Day you will create a new puppet show or have a block stacking challenge!
At HABA, we believe play is for every generation. Our toys are designed to entertain, engage, and educate, but most importantly, to connect families through meaningful moments. This Grandparents Day, we invite you to celebrate with play that brings joy, learning, and love to both young and old. We hope you make the most of your time together with some of these creative ideas for Grandparents Day, because every giggle, story, and game shared becomes a memory cherished for generations.
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