Moms and Dads

8 Games For Grandparents and Younger Kids To Play According to Granny Qingyang

by Kevyn Gohu
June 23, 2025

Granny Qingyang shares a reel on Instagram featuring several games that she and her grandchildren to bond over

While most grandparents prefer watching their grandchildren play, Granny Qingyang is quite different. Her Instagram is filled with activities that grandparents and children can bond over, also sharing how big a role grandparents have in shaping a child’s early education. It doesn’t even require much physical exertion! Here are some of the games she’s shared that we know grandparents would love to play with younger kids:

Catch the pencils!

A game that encourages kids to develop concentration, Granny Qingyang takes a table and rolls pencils down for her grandchild to catch in a box. While she lifts the table in the reel, it’s okay also to just keep the table flat on the floor and roll the pencils. The point is, the child has to catch the pencils before they hit the floor. It’s kind of like those endless games that they play on the tablet, too!

Crossing the ocean ball

For this game, grandparents can roll the ball while the kids jump with their legs apart to let the balls pass. It’s a game of coordination, motor skills, and also strengthens their leg muscles. Most kids when they enter school, often run out of energy because their legs get tired, lacking the muscular strength to run around. So, this game helps them build it up!

Passing the ball with the head

The game’s pretty simple: just pass the ball between each other using the head. In the reel, Granny Qingyang bumps and passes the ball with her head to her grandchild, and they’re prompted to pass it back. It’s a simple game that encourages responsibility and teamwork; things that kids need to learn before they head to school.

Catching tissues

Unlike a ball or a toy, tissues float down which means it’ll require more effort to catch. But it does teach hand-to-eye coordination and body control, according to Granny Qingyang. In her reel, she stands up on a chair and drops tissues while her grandchild catches them. But if tissues are a little too messy to clean up, the other variant is to pop the bubbles. Add a bit of twist and make it fast by using a fan to blow the bubbles and the child just has to clap their hands over the bubbles to score.

Swap the stick

For this game, all they need is two long sticks. Grandparents hold one stick and the child holds the other. Someone has to say “switch,” which will prompt both grandparent and grandchild to let go of their sticks and catch the other one before it hits the floor. For Granny Qingyang and her grandchild, they usually do the switch in a circular motion. It’s another game that encourages focus.

Dodge the stick

Instead of using a jump rope, which usually needs two people to use, Granny Qingyang improvises with a stick. Using the same circular motion applied, she rotates the stick and her grandchild jumps over it. Sure, it’ll take some language prompting, but over time, they’ll learn how to watch the incoming stick and dodge it. This is especially helpful when teaching kids how to avoid getting hit by certain things.

Crossover run

Lay a jump rope on the floor and together, run with the kids in a criss-cross motion while dodging the rope. Start out by just criss-crossing, no need to make it for a race. In fact, the way Granny Qingyang and her grandchild do it on the reel is that they do it together. They start out by matching each other’s pace and then increasing the speed as they go.

Tightrope walking with a blindfold

Not with a real tightrope! Instead, lay the skipping rope on the floor and blindfold the child. All they have to do is make sure they’re stepping on the “tightrope.” This is also a way to teach them how to see with their feet and trust their other senses, allowing them to develop a sense of spatial awareness. Doing so makes them more courageous to try more physical activities and go out.

Stories are not the only way grandparents can bond with kids

The best part about Granny Qingyang’s games is that they’re so simple. There’s no need for special equipment, and it doesn’t have complex instructions!

Most grandparents feel disconnected and limited by their physical ability to bond and play with their grandchildren. But, with these games, they can keep most problems that plague seniors at bay. Since a lot of the games require coordination and motor skills, it encourages their minds to stay lucid and strong. With more happy memories, their immune system is stronger, and the games help them remain coordinated. These games also protect them from further accidents, especially since they’re more prone to breaking their bones.

While stories are fun, we’re sure both grandparents and kids will enjoy some active playtime too!