11 Unique Ways to Make Memories with Your Grandchildren
My children’s grandparents are unique, despite their not-so-unusual upbringing. Both were born in the same tiny town to loving mothers and problematic fathers. Both came from families that had more mouths to feed than money. They developed crushes on each other in junior high and dated throughout high school. He was a well-liked star athlete. She was an adorable cheerleader who had the voice of an angel. In their senior yearbooks, he won the “Cutest Boy” superlative while her classmates deemed her “Miss High School.”
Every day, he met her at the soda fountain after school to make sure she wouldn’t go without a square meal. While their relationship was a little on and off at times, he always won her back. Once, he even used a puppy to woo her. He was a jokester who skipped school with the boys. She was a serious sort who helped her mother keep house and made straight A’s. Their differing personalities surely led to a break-up or two.
When he graduated a year before her, her school principal advised her against marrying him.
So, too, did his mother!
Undeterred, they married two months after she graduated. They had their fair share of difficult years, but both worked hard and eventually secured good jobs. They went on to have three children and three grandchildren.
From the moment their grandchildren were born, they were the light of their eyes. Throughout the years, that light hasn’t dimmed. Their thoughtful ways and abiding love for their grandchildren have deeply touched my heart. Here are some examples of how a pair of uniquely loving grandparents have made a larger-than-life impact on their grandchildren.
The Family That Plays Together…
This Fourth of July, the grandkids suggested we all play a video game. The game involved using our phones to answer questions. Many seniors would have passed on a game based on texting—but not Nana and Pap! We all roared with laughter over their texting errors. Another summer, they stepped up to the game plate—literally—when they participated in a wiffle ball game. Seeing Nana pitch and hearing Pap heckle the family created a wonderful and lasting memory for their grandchildren.
Then there was the table tennis era. Pap had bought a ping pong table for his kids, and they played with it. When his first grandson was old enough to be a contender, Pap dusted off the table and began showing him the ropes. Soon, we were all playing and laughing over hundreds of ping-pong games.
Card games are another memory maker. It began with Old Maid. When the kids got older, it turned into Spades and Crazy Eights. Pap was a veteran cheater, and he passed on his hijinks to his offspring. Bop It! provided another superb memory for the grandchildren. Watching Nana’s disdain and Pap’s funny facial gestures as they twisted when following instructions was the highlight of Christmas night. To this day, Nana and Pap still love playing Catch Phrase and try hard to pass it to the opposing team just as the buzzer is about to sound!
Game playing began as early as my kids could participate, so they have countless memories of games. And all because Nana and Pap have never considered themselves too old to play…or misbehave.
Related: 53 Best Games to Play with Grandkids on a Rainy Day
Postcards From Pap
From the time my son was young, Pap would send postcards when he and Nana traveled. He wouldn’t write descriptive accounts of his trips and meals. Oh no, not my silly father-in-law. Instead, he would write unique things: comical quips about something funny he observed or something silly about what Nana wore that day. His observations always made us laugh.
When our daughter was old enough, she, too, received Pap’s amusing mail. His postcards from his trip to California and the Grand Canyon are among the grandkids’ favorites. Pap continued this tradition for decades. I think if he went on a trip next week, he would continue his sweet and silly mail ritual. It’s his unique love language and one that will speak forever. Consider incorporating this unique love language into your life and pick up a postcard or two for your grands.
Coins for College
This tradition started around the time of their eldest grandson’s first birthday. They took the label off an old coffee jar, and Pap cut a coin slot in the lid. Nana then taped pictures of their first, then their second, and then their third grandchild to three little glass banks. Tiny little faces. They presided over the counter for twenty years. The grandchildren would see their pictures and watch their grandparents empty the change that occupied their pockets or wallets into that jar. When the jar became full, my in-laws took the money to the local credit union and placed it in three separate accounts that each grandchild received when they turned eighteen.
Each year, Nana and Pap would take their grands to the annual credit union business meeting that included giveaways and cookies. They won a few times through the years and came home with free mugs every year. Those mugs have a place of honor in our cupboard. Nana and Pap’s little red coffee jar is gone from the counter now but will forever live on in the hearts and minds of their grandchildren. If you want to make sure your grandkids are well taken care of in the future, start your own little bank on their behalf! When they turn eighteen, they’ll surely appreciate your little gift.
A Flair for the Dramatic
The phone rang the other day, and my daughter Abbie answered. I heard her talking to her Nana and telling her, “It’s okay” and “We’ll go to the next one.”
Both Nana and Abbie have uncommonly beautiful voices with an innate ability to sing harmony. They also love dramas and musicals. Last week, Nana had gone to a small musical production of Tarzan with another music-loving friend. Abbie works long hours at her day job and spends evenings writing her books, so Nana thought she might not be available. However, Abbie knew that Nana would make it up to her another time, as she has a long-standing tradition of taking Abbie to the theater. They have wonderful memories of seeing South Pacific, Oklahoma, The Stephen Foster Story, and many more. It’s a unique connection they share and one that will never be forgotten.
So, if you have theater-loving grandkids, check out your area and see if there are any plays or musicals they might enjoy seeing. Maybe it’ll start a decade-long tradition!
Skating Memories
Nana would not just attend our children’s roller rink birthday parties. She came with both her skates and her game face on. In fact, she skated around her neighborhood well into her 60s. She walked several miles per day for almost forty years, so it came as no surprise when she took her granddaughter ice skating at the rink at our local city park. At 63, Nana put on her skates and away she went. Her kind gesture of a skating date (and athletic ability!) left quite an impression on her young granddaughter.
If you have a talent for skating, consider taking your grandkids out for a little spin on the rink—or ice! Not only will you gain newfound respect in the eyes of your grandkids, but skating is also an excellent workout!
Nana and Pap to the Rescue
The year that my nephew turned thirteen, his father left. And so, Nana and Pap decided to take their daughter and all three grandchildren to Myrtle Beach for a much-needed vacation. Three years later, when money was tight and their grandson needed a job, Nana and Pap gave him their car. Their love, generosity, and willingness to show how much they cared will always be remembered during that tough time in their grandson’s life.
Maybe your grandchild isn’t reeling from their parents’ divorce, but they might be facing other challenges. While you might not be able to give them a free vacation or a car, you can still show them that you care in different ways. Even just listening and offering a few words of wisdom can be the salve a broken heart needs to heal.
Basketball Fandom
We live in a basketball state. As such, we’re a basketball family. Three generations have played high school basketball, and one grandson played college basketball until an ACL injury took him off the court forever. Pap has a full family room, perfect for watching games on TV. In fact, it’s been a ritual for years.
Of course, watching sports isn’t relegated to the TV! Once, Pap took the entire family to a game at the University of Kentucky. (Sorry to all you Louisville fans out there!) The biggest thrill came when our state team made it to the conference tournament three years in a row. Pap bought tickets and took his son and grandson to see the Southeastern Conference Tournament, twice to Atlanta and once to Nashville. My son has never forgotten his grandfather’s kindness—or all the memories they made at the game!
If you have a budding sports enthusiast within your family, consider inviting them over to watch games. Even if you can’t physically be at the arena or stadium to watch the game in person, you can still make lasting memories with your grandchild.
DoorDashing Nana
Every other week or so, there’s a knock at the door. There stands a smiling Nana, who swings by to give my daughter a special salad or meal she loves. It’s a sweet, personal gesture from a loving grandmother and makes my daughter’s day.
If there’s a meal or snack you know your grandchild loves, consider following my mother-in-law’s example. Pick it up for them now and then and drop it off. If you don’t live close enough to do that, then send it through DoorDash or similar delivery services. I’m positive it’ll put a smile on their face.
Pap’s Unique Gifts
One year, when our son was playing high school basketball, Pap bought him a gold necklace with a gold basketball charm. Another year, Pap commissioned a local artisan to make a trinket box for his grandson. He even had an engraved nameplate placed on the top of the box.
Of course, I’ll never forget the year Pap built a playhouse for his granddaughter in his backyard—complete with two windows and a Dutch door. He spent months working on it. It was a labor of love that was a granddaughter’s dream gift! Nana and Pap watched their granddaughter spend many sunny hours reading in her house or outside walking among the trees or pumping her skinny legs as she enjoyed the swing Pap hung next to her tiny residence.
Maybe your grandson doesn’t play basketball, and your granddaughter doesn’t dream of having her own playhouse, but you can still get creative and give them a gift they’ll remember forever. Really think outside of the gift-giving box and come up with ideas unique to each grandchild.
Nana’s Kitchen
My mother-in-law’s kitchen is always visitor-ready, thanks to her boundless energy. As such, she’ll always offer you a homemade meal or a goodie. Most likely, it will be one of her grandchildren’s favorites, like brownies or grilled chicken. I’ve often joked that her grands would have rickets without the healthy meals she’s so generously provided through the years. She actually apologizes if she’s gone and can’t be home to cook. She is still an 81-year-old dynamo. Even a brush with cancer, over a decade ago, couldn’t slow her down. Her deep faith and unflagging spirit kept her from barely missing a beat.
If you want to truly brighten your grandkids’ day and show them you care, consider making them a homemade meal consisting of their favorites. Or, if they have more of a sweet tooth, make it dessert. The time, effort, and love you pour into each dish will surely make them taste even more scrumptious than usual!
Finding Christmas
Many Christmases ago, Nana told Pap that something was missing in their marriage. He couldn’t see it. After all, they had good jobs, decent cars, a nice house, and three healthy kids. She kept insisting that their marriage had some kind of void. That void was filled in December of 1974 when they both decided to commit their lives to Christ. Each December, Pap stands up in church and shares his testimony. Since that time, they’ve lived and loved differently. Their grandchildren have been the beneficiaries of this heart change.
On Christmas Day, Pap gives out a small, silly gift to the whole family, amongst the other gifts. Fidget spinners, kazoos, harmonicas, juice harps—the list goes on and on! He also gives his offspring a devotional with a Bible verse on the front. Before we open gifts, Pap gets out his Bible and reads the Christmas Story. Then, Pap prays for the family. Each of their grandchildren knows they have grandparents who pray for them daily. Those prayers have been and will continue to be answered. They are, perhaps, Nana and Pap’s greatest legacy.
Takeaway
If you go to Nana and Pap’s house, you’ll see evidence of their love for their grandchildren. Pictures line the walls, reflecting the different seasons of their grandchildren’s lives. From the moment their grandchildren were born, they began loving them in the most generous, kind, and uniquely beautiful ways. While everyone is different, you can still follow my in-laws’ example and create some truly special traditions that will show your grandkids they are uniquely, wholly, and unequivocally loved. Whether you do that through a silly Christmas gift tradition or an annual trip to some special attraction, we’re confident that you, too, can pass on memories that your grandkids will carry for the rest of their lives.
Image Credit: Shutterstock | Canva Pro | Unsplash
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Originally published May 09, 2025
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