There are countless ways to spend quality time with the grandchildren, and most require little cost or effort. By choosing activities that promote learning, grandparents can help engage their grandchildren's minds, and also contribute to their social and emotional growth.

Try the tested and true

Recite classic nursery rhymes with toddlers who are beginning to use language. Don't forget to add songs and fingerplays for motor and memory development.

"Having children fill in the last word in a rhyme builds confidence and language skills. Children learn to act out some of the behaviors in the rhymes, and this ensures their participation and interest," said Dr. Trish Vandiver, associate professor of psychology at the University of St. Thomas. Vandiver teaches early childhood education at the university.

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At any age, grandparents can begin reading to their grandchildren, although some like having adults read books to them more than others.

"Engaging children in the story by asking them questions and showing them pictures as you read is a good strategy with young children," Vandiver said. "Some older children, even after they have learned to read, sometimes like to be read to. Books that stimulate imagination and the sense of fantasy that all children have probably are the best."

Vandiver recommends Dr. Seuss for younger children, and adventure stories like "Harry Potter" for older children. Taking children to the library or the bookstore and letting them explore books they like will also help them be a participant in the reading experience, she said.

Get back to nature

For those who prefer the outdoors, a walk in the park or even the around the block holds all sorts of learning activties. During a nature walk, a grandparent could ask a toddler to pick up sticks and arrange them in order from shortest to longest. Or, observing flowers can easily become a lesson in colors.

Time outdoors is mutually beneficial, as the grandparent can get some low impact exercise, and maybe even a new outlook.

Taking a child for a walk and having him point out what he sees may not only be fun for the child, but also refocuses adults on everyday objects they generally ignore, Vandiver said.

Older children may enjoy learning the names of plants and insects, and nature walks can be taken to a different level.

"Getting a nature book appropriate for the area and looking for the plants and animals in the book would certainly be a learning experience," Vandiver said.

Those who enjoy gardening can help their grandchildren sprout green thumbs, too.

"Planting something and watching it grow either in a pot indoors or in a small garden plot outside is a stimulating activity for children," Vandiver said. "Where there is time and resources, having children plant a small vegetable garden, take care of it, and then harvest the vegetables for dinner is life-altering."

When that is not possible, Vandiver suggests a trip to a community garden, which can be stimulating physically and also to the senses.

Discover the fun indoors

What's found inside the home can provide unlimited potential for learning. An observant adult can turn everyday activities and objects into games.

"All sorts of math games can be played by having young children count objects, see what fits inside of what, and learn basic shapes," Vandiver said. "What happens when you add two pennies to three pennies and then what happens if you take three pennies away? If I break a cookie in two, do you have the same number of cookies?"

Grandparents also can use beads, modeling clay, or other small objects to learn size, classification, reversibility and other conservation concepts that can be fun activities for older preschool-age and young school-age children, she said.

Even simple conversations like asking a child how many days there are until his birthday, or counting the number of seconds until dinner time are ways to keep a child's mind active.

Use the Internet

Many grandparents enjoy mobile technology just as much as their grandchildren. Put those tablets, smartphones or laptops to use by exploring the Web with the grandkids.

Vandiver recommends "Neuroscience for Kids" at The website, which provides a fun way to learn about how the brain works, is ideal for children from the preschool to high school level.

Grandparents can use this website to print brain-themed coloring pages for toddlers, solve brain riddles with their elementary school grandkids, and discuss Hollywood and the brain with high-school aged grandchildren.

Because each grandchild and each grandparent has a different set of interests, learning about the brain may not be the first activty on the list. However, grandparents can use "Neuroscience for Kids" as an example of a website that provides brain-building activties.

The key is to visit websites that provide interaction. Children don't learn nearly as well if the game or activity is passive, such as watching a video.

Make time for the older ones

Grandparents who are interested in their older grandkids' activities can provide them an invaluable cache of fond memories they can take into adulthood.

"Going to sports events, learning about the music, movies, and games the grandchildren enjoy, and not acting as if the teenager is an alien from outer space probably provides the best opportunity for bonding," Vandiver said.

Adolescents who enjoy time with their grandparents are most likely to join them in their social activties, such as volunteering.

"That would provide a way for the child and grandparent to spend time together, demonstrate positive role model behavior to the child, and expand the child's world a bit," Vandiver said. "Socialization has more to do with spending quality time together than it does with engaging in a specific activities, however."

For teenagers, grandparents also can be a sounding board to parental conflicts that come with that stage in life. It's important to listen to the concern of the grandchild, but also to that of the parents, and not to take sides. A grandparent's role could be to suggest a compromise, or to try to have the parties focus on a common ground.

"It is probably about trivial matters and is a natural part of the child and adolescent asserting his/her independence, in most cases," Vandiver said.

Emotional development

Grandparents have different degrees of involvement with their grandchildren.

Some have limited interaction due to distance or family circumstances, and others act as surrogate parents. As well, everyone is different so activities and personalities can vary greatly among sets of grandparents and grandchildren.

No matter the frequency or type of one's time with the grandchildren, make sure to nurture their emotional development by showing affection, respect, listening and taking them seriously.

"Grandparents can provide additional adult models for children, and it is helpful to children to have multiple positive role models and attachment figures," Vandiver said.

"Grandparents probably will not have the same burden of disciplining the child as do the parents, so grandparents are often freer to provide unconditional positive regard and acceptance."

Furthermore, reliable attachments provide a safe base for children to explore the environment and to help build confidence, Vandiver said.

"Feeling that one is listened to is critical at any age," Vandiver said.

"Children who have attachment figures and people who listen to them are likely to be more self-confident and more emotionally secure than those who don't have these things."