A video call isn't the only way to spend time with grandkids online. Some of the best things happen live, side by side on the same screen, and some happen on your own time, so you're part of their week even when there's no call.
Here's what works, and what each one needs from you.
Together, live
Draw or color on the same page
This is the one I'd start with, because it works from about age 3 up and needs no explaining. You and your grandkid draw on the same page at the same time, each on your own device, and see every line appear as it's drawn.
That's what PaintPal is for. A parent can start a room and text you the link. You open it in a web browser on your laptop or tablet (or the app on an iPhone or iPad), pick a coloring page or a blank one, and you can see each other on the built-in video while you work. Rooms are private, so only people with the link can get in. Draw with your grandkids online, or read more about how drawing online together works.
Play chess or checkers
For kids who are learning (usually from about 6), an online board game is a lovely standing date. Lichess, for example, is free and lets you send a "play with a friend" link, so nobody needs to find each other in a lobby of strangers. Run a call alongside so you can talk through the moves.
Watch the animals
Zoos and aquariums run live webcams (the San Diego Zoo and the Monterey Bay Aquarium both do). Open the same one on a call and watch together. Kids will happily narrate a napping sea otter for a surprisingly long time.
Minecraft, for older kids
If your grandkid is 8 or older and loves Minecraft, let them teach you. A private world (a Minecraft Realm, set up by a parent) means only invited family can join. You will be terrible at it, which is the point. Being the expert is a big deal to a kid.
On your own time
Read the same book
Borrow the same e-book or audiobook from the library (the Libby app makes this free with a library card), each read a chapter during the week, and talk about it on your next call. For younger kids, record yourself reading a picture book aloud so they can play it at bedtime. Parents tend to love this one too.
Share a photo album
A shared album (iCloud and Google Photos both do this) where you add photos from your week and the parents add drawings and photos from theirs. It gives you something to ask about ("was that a new bike?") and gives the kids a peek at your life too.
Send video messages
A 20-second video of your garden or your dog, sent to a parent's phone, takes no scheduling at all. Kids love replying, and it keeps you in their week between calls.
A riddle of the week
Send a riddle or a joke every Monday. The answer comes on the next call. It's tiny, it costs nothing, and kids will start waiting for it.
Keep the tech simple
Pick one or two of these, not six. Tools that run in a web browser save you from installing apps and making accounts, and it's completely fine to let the parents do the setup and just send you a link. Ask them to keep the links you use in one text thread so you can always find them.
And stick to private tools. Anything with open chat or public lobbies isn't worth it with kids.
For live call ideas, there's a list of things to do with grandkids over FaceTime, and tips on making the calls themselves more fun. If you're the parent, I also wrote about helping kids stay close to grandparents who live far away.
If drawing together sounds good, send your grandkids a coloring room. I'd love to hear what you make together.
Try PaintPal free on iPhone
Draw together with friends in real time, on iPad, iPhone, or the web.
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