Reading to grandkids on video can be fun for both Grandmas and grandkids.

We all know that reading to kids is essential on many levels.  It stimulates the child's imagination, introduces new words, creates a love for books, and helps develop creative thought.  It can also help build a bond between the reader and the child.

Tips for Reading to Grandkids on Video

When my boys were growing up, reading time was our favorite time of day.  They loved it and I loved it.  We never had any trouble getting them in bed because reading time was always part of the sleep time preparation.  Even as teenagers they were allowed reading time before lights out.

As a grandma, I was reading time to be a special bonding time with my granddaughters.  When I'm with them I usually find an opportunity to read a book.  I can't always be with them and some of you may be separated by thousands of miles.  Thankfully we have video.

Here are some winter-themed books you will have fun reading to your grandkids.

You can make reading time on videos a fun time for everyone.  Here are some tips.

Preparing to Read on Video

Reading on video is really no different than reading in person.  I do like to prepare in advance.

1. Choose a book with colorful, easy to see pictures.
2. Read through the story in advance so you know what you want to point out in the pictures and any lessons you want to reinforce.
3. Be sure to pause before turning the page to give your grandchild enough time to look at and enjoy the picture.
4. Use sound effects as appropriate.
5. Laugh and show emotion as appropriate.

Have fun!

Using Your Windows 10 Laptop

You can record a video from your Windows 10 laptop.  Here's how you get started.

1. Launch the Camera app from your start menu. Click on the Windows icon in the bottom left corner of your screen to launch your apps list.  Find the "camera app" in the list and click on it. Another way is to type "camera" in the search bar found at the bottom left of your screen. Click on the "Camera App" button.

2. To record a video, Switch to Video Mode by clicking the video camera icon. Click again to begin recording. You'll see the time stamp in the bottom middle of the screen start to time your video

3. Record the Video. To stop recording click the red box.  You can also pause the video at any point using the pause icon. When you are reading a book it will look to you as if the video is recording backward.  When you play the video back, you will see it recorded the words are as they should be,

4. Save the video to share.

Using Your Smart Phone

I prefer to use my Android cell phone when making my videos because the camera quality on my phone is better than on my laptop. I purchased a stand to hold the phone while I read the book.  The steps will be the same on your iPhone or iPad.

1. Place the phone is the stand to record the video over your shoulder while you read the book.  In this position, the video will be as if your grandchild is sitting next to you. Here is a shot that shows you the angle set up I like best.

2. Record the video.

3.  Use the editing app as needed and save your video to share.

How to Share Your Video

My recommendation is to share your videos to an account where you can share links to the video.

1. If you have a Google account set up a Google Photos album to house all the videos.  Share the album with family members to access the videos as desired.

2.  Dropbox is also an easy to use storage option.  It is easy to links with family members there as well.

For both of these recommendations, you need to be aware of the "free" storage limits.  Google just announced they will be charging for exceeding storage limits in June 2021.  Dropbox has a paid level of storage as well.

It's time to get reading, Grandmas!

10 Fun Christmas Questions to Get Grandkids Talking

Do you sometimes have trouble getting your grandkids to engage when talking to them by video or the telephone?

You are not alone.

We've talked before about your Grandma's Bag of Tricks.  Well, one of the things you want to have stashed away in your bag of tricks is pages and pages of questions you can use as conversation starters.

Here are ten fun questions for the Christmas holiday season.

Ten Conversation Starters for Christmas 

Print Ten Fun Christmas Conversation Starters for Grandkids

Think of your favorite Christmas food. Don't tell me. Let's see if I can guess what it is.
-What is one word to describe how it looks?
-What is one word to describe how it smells?
-What is one word to describe how it tastes?



What is your favorite Christmas Christmas decoration in your house? Describe it to see if I can guess what it is.

-(If on video) Will you show it to me?


What are the colors that make you think about Christmas?


Did you make any Christmas decorations this year?
-What did you make them with?
-Where are they displayed?


What Christmas gift can you give that doesn’t cost money?

-Who would you give that gift to?


What is your favorite Christmas song? Will you sing it for me?

-Would you like to hear me sing my favorite Christmas song?


Do you think it is better to get a gift in a big box or a little box? 

 -What would be some good gifts to get in that box?

What does your favorite Christmas tree ornament look like?

-(When on video) Will you show it to me?


What is your favorite Christmas dessert?

-What do you like about it?


What are some things that should be in a Christmas picture?

-Will you draw me a picture with those things in it?

Why Grandmas Matter

As a grandma, you are in good company. In a 2019 University Of Michigan poll, fifty-four percent of adults age 50–80 identified themselves as grandparents and most said they had grandchildren under the age of 18.

Sixty-four percent of the grandparents said they care for their grandchildren at least monthly. Are you one of them?

Intuitively you know that you are important to the well-being of your grandchildren. A 2008 Oxford study scientifically confirmed it. This study, conducted in England and Wales, analyzed the responses of 1596 eleven to sixteen-year-olds and in-depth interviews with forty children.

The Oxford Study Findings

Grandparents have more time than working parents to support children in their activities.

Grandparents are available to talk with children about problems they may be having and were important in weathering negative life events like parents separating.

Maternal grandmothers often provide significant levels of child care.

The children welcomed the involvement of their grandparents. They did not view physical proximity as important because technology made access easier. The frequency of contact and the health of the grandparents were important influencing factors.

What Does It Mean for Grandmas?

To me, the most important finding is that we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our grandchildren.  Grandmas matter. I’m sad to say, I only had the opportunity to know one of my grandmothers and while she passed away when I was in my late teens, I still hold the warmth of her memory in my heart. She grounded me and showed me my roots.

In contrast, my sons grew up with all four of their grandparents. We have lost three of them in the past few years, but it gives me great comfort to know my sons have many memories of them.

Secondly, I take comfort in the finding that children from ages eleven to sixteen welcomed their grandparents in their lives. Those can be challenging years for children and their parents.

Finally, kids said the frequency of contact was more important than proximity. Thankfully, we do have technology that makes it easy for us to engage meaningfully with our grandkids, even across the miles.

Hopefully, this will give some comfort to all of us who are temporarily distanced from our grandkids due to the pandemic and to the many grandmas who are separated from their grandchildren by geography. Let’s not let this distance get in our way of connecting. Remember, the frequency of contact is more important than the distance in determining our effectiveness.

Here at Grandmas Making Memories, we encourage frequent contact with grandkids, starting when your grandchildren are babies. Video calls are your friend. Sing a song. Tell a story. Make funny faces and sounds.

As grandkids grow your opportunity to engage will grow, too. You’ll have more chances to teach, share values, and to share your personal story.

This holiday season will be a challenge for many of us. With a little creativity, you can still make it memorable. We may find it hard to change things up a bit, but we can do it.

Let's start with a little silliness for Thanksgiving.

We've been posting Thanksgiving jokes on our Facebook page. Share those with your grandkids.

• Tell a joke when they don't expect it during a video call.
• Print the joke from our Facebook page. Write a little note on it and put it in the mail. Kids love to get snail mail.
• Print all of the jokes and staple them together into a little booklet. Mail or give it to your grandkids with a little note written inside and a memento of Thanksgiving 2020.

By now you probably know we love books at Grandmas Making Memories. We also love that Amazon ships great books quickly to our grandkids. Here are some Thanksgiving books you can send now. (affiliate links)

For One to Three-Year-Olds

A fun counting book.



For Three to Five-Year-Olds

An introduction to Thanksgiving.

 

For Five to Seven-Year-Olds

A turkey in disguise?

For Eight to Ten-Year-Olds

(A chapter book)

A trip back in time to 1691.

For Ten to Twelve-Year-Olds

A book of myths, lies, and secrets.

However you choose to connect with your grandkids for Thanksgiving, remember you matter.

Sources:
University of Oxford. "Grandma And Grandpa Are Good For Children." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 June 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080605091358.htm>.

Singer D, Solway E, Kirch M, Kullgren J, Malani P. Safely Storing Medication Around Grandchildren. University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. July/August 2019. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/149650

Connecting with Grandkids from a Distance

It’s hard to be temporarily separated from your grandchildren.  Some of us are experiencing this separation for the first time during 2020 due to social distancing.  Other grandparents live far away from their grandchildren and only see them once or twice a year.  

Is it possible to have strong relationships with grandkids when separated by distance?  Yes, but it takes planning and effort.

Connecting with Grandkids Across the Miles

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases using links in this post.

Here are some great ideas to keep you connected to grandchildren from a distance.

Video Calls 

Video calling is my communication method of choice.  It is so much fun to see the faces of grandchildren. I love that we can be silly and laugh together. Video calling is easy as can be with your smartphone.  If you use Facebook, be sure to download the Messenger app, too.  You can connect to anyone on your friends list by video with just a tap on the camera icon. You can even do a group video call the same way.  How great is that!

You can do almost anything on a video call that you can do in person.  Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking:

 

Sing together.  Singing is fun for all but is especially good with babies and toddlers.  Choose fun songs that include sounds and motion.

Reading with your grandkids during video calls will help sharpen their reading skills and provide an opportunity for fun and silliness. As a bonus, you get quality time with the grandkids by having story time via video call. You can build anticipation by sending the book in advance through the mail.

For the little ones, you can read a short storybook to them over video.  Depending on your grandchild’s age and education level, you can ask them to read you a short storybook.   If your child is older, they can call you regularly to read chapters of a novel together.

Arts and crafts take a little more planning but can be fun, too. Paint rocks. Carve pumpkins. Color pictures. See more ideas below.

Use Video

Smartphones make it easy to shoot video.  Make a video of you baking cookies then send some to your grandkids in the mail. Take a walk and point out local sights or things of interest in nature in a video. Make a video of your pet.

Older grandchildren may have great fun making a video for grandparents. Ask your grandchild to create a video that they can share with you. It could be filming a “Day in the Life,” where they record activities throughout the day for grandparents to enjoy. 

Older grandchildren may have fun writing a script, making costumes, directing, and even editing their video on the phone or computer. Apps make video editing easy these days. Videos can be uploaded to Facebook or YouTube for easy sharing and viewing.

Cookie Decorating

If you live near your grandchildren you can make up a cookie decorating kit and deliver it to their doorstep.  Make your favorite sugar cookie or use my sugar cookie recipe. Add some containers of colored buttercream frosting and some sprinkles.  Save some cookies to decorate yourself and you can have a cookie decorating party over a video call.

Sugar Cookies to Decorate

Share Your Life

Take the time to share your memories and wisdom. Ask your grandchildren what questions they would like to ask Grandma or Grandpa about what life was like when they were a kid. 

Choose a way to answer their questions.  You might find photos you can show them and use them to answer a question.  

You might write a letter and send it to them, enclosing pictures or other memorabilia.  

You might film a video where you record a few answers and post to Facebook or YouTube.  

Think about creating a scrapbook you can share with them the next time you see them in person.

Your options are endless.  It will just take some imagination and time to execute on your idea.

Arts and Crafts by Video

Do your grandkids like art and crafts? You can suggest doing some painting, drawing, popsicle-sticking, or other arts and crafts together over video. You can get ideas for crafts by following this blog and our Facebook page.

If you have a specific arts and craft skill you can share that will your grandkids.  Prepare by sending you grandchild some special supplies.  They will be excited to receive a new set of markers, some watercolors, or a craft kit in the mail.  Tell them to save it for your video call.

Be sure to choose an age-appropriate activity so it will be fun for all.

Send Some Mail

What’s more exciting for your grandchild than opening the mailbox to find a hand-written note or handmade card from you? In this time when everything is digital, actual cards and letters delivered by mail will be remembered.

Keep your letters short.  Use them as a way to reinforce how much you love your grandchild or how proud you are of him/her.  Remind them of a fun time you had together. 

You might also send pictures of a place you have recently gone to or tell a funny story about your dog or cat.  Include a picture with your letter.

Sending a small gift as a surprise in the mail will certainly delight any child. You can send gifts directly from an online retailer making it quick and easy for you.

Stay In Touch

Remember, whether you try out one of these suggestions or simply pick up the phone and make a call or send a text, it’s the thought that counts. Regularly keeping in touch is what counts.

Holidays

Here are four great ideas for connecting to your grandkids from a distance for Halloween.

Thank You

You have just read the first post for this very new blog dedicated to grandmas wanting to create lasting relationships and memories with their grandchildren. You can get more by liking and following our Facebook page.