The day we became grandparents was one of the happiest days of our lives.
Like so many grandparents, we imagined reading bedtime stories, playing games, celebrating birthdays, and being part of our grandchildren’s everyday lives.
But then life happened.
Suddenly, we were separated by thousands of miles. We worried about missing first words, milestones, and all the small moments that make early childhood so special.
Like many families, we turned to video calls, only to discover that a two-year-old is not especially interested in asking Grandma how her day was. Before long, their attention drifts toward something more exciting.
There had to be a better way to stay connected. One thing we knew for certain: our grandchildren loved stories.
And that is how the idea for PlayStoryTime was born.
Technology That Connects Families
PlayStoryTime was not created in a boardroom.
We were two grandparents, with backgrounds in primary education and electronic engineering, who decided to combine our experience to solve a deeply personal problem: how to stay close to our grandchildren when distance kept us apart.
From the outset, we were wary of how technology can affect young children during their formative years, and we certainly did not want to add to the scourge of “toxic” screen time.
We wanted to create something different.
Something that encouraged conversation, sparked imagination, and strengthened family relationships.
Turning Stories into Shared Experiences
PlayStoryTime is not simply an online storybook.
It is an interactive storytelling platform created especially for children aged 2 to 9, designed to help grandparents and grandchildren connect in a meaningful way.
Children are invited to answer questions, solve small challenges, and interact with characters and objects on the screen by clicking, touching, and dragging. Instead of staring passively at a screen, they are talking, thinking, laughing, practising fine motor skills, and sharing the experience with someone who loves them.
With our own grandchildren, we quickly saw how interactive storytelling opened a natural doorway into their world.
Through each session, we could listen to them talk about their day, celebrate their growing confidence, discover what they were learning, and watch their personalities develop.
The fear of missing those special moments began to fade.
A Gift for Parents Too
Every parent deserves a little breathing space: a chance to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, finish some work, prepare dinner, or simply take a well-earned break.
Many parents turn to digital media for a few quiet minutes, often with mixed feelings.
PlayStoryTime offers a healthier alternative: children enjoy meaningful time with grandparents, while parents get a moment to themselves knowing their child is engaged, interacting, and being cared for by family.
Getting Started Is Easy
Using PlayStoryTime is as simple as making a video call.
To become a PlayStoryTime “presenter,” a grandparent needs a computer or tablet with an internet connection. The grandchild joins as a “player” using a mobile phone, tablet, or a computer.
Parents or grandparents create an account, choose a story from our growing library of interactive adventures, and arrange a convenient time to begin an online session.
Then the story — and the connection — begins.
Grand Magazine readers can make PlayStoryTime part of their super-grandparent toolkit with a special reader promotion of up to 25% off selected items.
Click here to learn more: The-PlayStoryTime-Grand-Magazine-Offer
“The greatest gift to our grandchildren is our time.”
