A special feature provided by Leslie Zinberg and Kay Ziplow of Grandparentslink.com
If your holiday celebration with your grandchildren is limited to a single day or even two, you are missing out on a lot of fun. To get closer to your grandchildren (with that holiday spirit of course), we suggest some fun activities complete with suggestions for long-distance grandparents.
1. Share holiday storybooks.
Here’s a gift that’s better given before the holidays: storybooks. Family’s favorites are Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree and Santa Mouse. Of course, you can’t go wrong with a special edition of Twas the Night Before Christmas.
For long-distance grandparents, these books can be shipped directly to the grandchildren. A Hallmark Recordable Book is another option. (All The Ways I Love You Recordable Book). Record the book before sending it off, or let your grandchild record it. A lasting record of those childish voices is a great gift for all.
2. Send a special family photograph.
Sharing vintage holiday photographs is another way to bring family members closer together. Try and periodically send your grandchildren pictures chosen from the family archives. Of course, you won’t want to part with your last copy of a photograph, but it’s easy to scan a photo and print a copy. Grandchildren especially like seeing photos of their own parents enjoying their childhood and special times!
You don’t have to be a long-distance grandparent to use this hint. Grandchildren love getting things in the mail, even if they live only blocks away.
3. Make a gingerbread mansion.
Making gingerbread houses with the grandkids is great fun, and it’s really easy now that there are kits. If you’re sending one to a grandchild who doesn’t live nearby, we recommend the pre-baked ones, as sending a kit that requires baking right before a holiday might send a stressed-out parent over the edge.
If you’d like to create something more lasting, there are gingerbread housecraft kits that use materials such as cardboard or clay. They are not as yummy, but they are a bit more durable.
4. Send cozy pajamas.
It’s a shame to wait to give children a gift of holiday pajamas. Give them early in the holiday season, and they will be able to enjoy them all winter. Also, they will be suitably garbed for those morning photographs. Footed pajamas are extra cozy.
If your grandchildren aren’t nearby, order the pajamas online and have them sent directly to the grandkids. That creates another pleasurable experience–the delivery of a package!
5. Help out our fine-feathered friends.
The holidays are also a wonderful time to remember the other creatures that share our planet. Children will enjoy decorating a tree to serve as a feeding station for wild birds.
If your grandchildren don’t live nearby, the Wild Birds Unlimited nature shops have bird feeders and bird food items for shipping. The knowledgeable workers will be able to advise you about what type of feeders and food are appropriate for your grandchildren’s location.
6. Write a holiday poem.
A poem written especially for someone is one of the best 
gifts for giving and getting. If you’ve had experience writing poetry, you won’t need much help. If you’re a novice, you can still write special poems for your grandchildren. What’s even more fun is to write poems with your grandchildren. Create a tribute to a grandchild or create a poem with the “Holiday” theme in mind.
If you’re a long-distance grandparent, you can mail or email your poem to faraway family members.
GrandparentsLink.com is all about you, the grandparent, and your journey. The co-owners, Leslie Zinberg and Kay Ziplow want you to be mindful of this adventure, taking in all that life can bring for you to enjoy and be informed. This is a distinctive platform that engages readers into an ever-changing environment, and best of all… they offer a free weekly subscription.
Leslie comments, “I love the pure joy of being a grandparent. My grandchildren have taught me to be mindful…to enjoy every little moment. There is nothing better than the giggles, the words, and the time we spend together.”
“Being a grandparent means that you get to experience another life adventure in a deeper dimension. As you see your own children have children and become parents, it takes your breath away. This is truly the circle of life and an opportunity to participate in an unscripted chapter of living. GrandparentsLink.com provides a palate of information and keeps grandparents informed and connected,” adds Kay Ziplow, co-founder.
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