Apps can help grandparents to engage with grandchildren in entertaining ways and help build a strong relationship.
If you have a grandchild who lives far away or suddenly seems impossible to interact with, the secret to connecting (both physically and emotionally) may lie in some quality screen time together.
These apps for grandparents and grandchildren bring immense benefits and help build a strong bond and strengthen your relationships.
- Interact/ Communicate with Grandchildren: Technology has played a huge role in keeping the bond between families. Remote interaction and video chat apps enable grandparents to stay in touch with grandkids without waiting to see them in person.
- Read to Grandchildren Remotely: The reading apps have the potential to help you cross the physical divide. Enjoy quality reading time together. Read bedtime stories or choose from thousands of interactive books for kids.
- Engage in Fun Activities: The apps in this list allow grandparents to engage in several fun activities with their grandkids. You can play games, solve puzzles, color, read and draw together. These fun activities convert your time together into playdates that kids are excited about and look forward to.
- Play a Role in Grandkids’ Growth: Kids grow quickly and it is important to cherish every moment. Apps like Keepy, Family Album, and 23 Snaps allow you to keep updated with what is going on in your kid’s life. Never miss an event, from tooth grains to birth parties and graduation ceremonies. Grandchildren can share their artwork, projects, and schoolwork with their grandparents. Encourage and help the kids along the way.
- Create and Share Memories: The scrapbooking apps in this list serve as memorabilia for families. Kids can build their own memory timeline and family members can celebrate the child’s journey together. Share important moments and achievements and create photo and video journals.
Make grandparenting fun and turn your time with grandkids into the happiest moments of your life through these apps.
More: Check out 15 Apps for Seniors Living Alone and 15 Free iPad Games for Seniors articles.
12 Apps for Grandparents and Grandchildren
These apps are divided into Reading, Games, Scrapbooking, and Video Calling Apps categories.
The idea is to facilitate closer interactions between kids and grandparents through storytelling, games, and other fun activities.
Do not miss a surprise “honorable mention” app at the end.
Reading Apps for Grandparents and Grandchildren
Reading apps bring your reading voice to your grandkids, no matter how far apart you might be. Help them practice reading skills and comfort them with some story time.
1: Caribu
Caribu is an award-winning app and one-stop shop for connecting grandparents and grandkids. This interactive video-calling app helps grandparents read, draw and play with their grandchildren.
You have access to thousands of books, bedtime stories, coloring books, activities, and games to keep children entertained for hours.
No matter how far apart you are, you can read, draw, solve puzzles, and play games with children. The key features of Caribu include:
- Read books with your grandchildren, from a collection of thousands of award-winning children’s books
- Paint, color, and draw together in engaging video calls
- Wide variety of coloring sheets from different categories
- Play games such as Tic Tac Toe and Word Search, and solve Puzzles
- Thousands of stories to read together including Daniel Tiger, Barbie, Wheels on the Bus, Thomas and Friends, Peter Rabbit, and many more
Caribu turns video calls into family activities. It is one of the best apps for grandparents to read to grandchildren with thousands of amazing books.
Video chats are a vital way to stay connected and Caribu makes them fun with amazing activities. Your grandchildren will look forward to the entertaining and interactive virtual playdates.
Download Caribu for Android | iPhone | iPad
2: Readeo
Readeo is another great app to read books to grandchildren. Grandparents can read a story on video chat where kids can actually see the pages of books and even turn them for their grandparents.
Whether you are in the same room or thousands of miles apart, you can read the same books together.
There are more than 1500 interactive and digitized children’s books to choose from.
Readeo is an ideal app for grandparents and traveling parents. It shrinks distance and facilitates meaningful connections and deeper relations between families.
- 1500+ digital kids’ books with new books added weekly
- Bookmark feature to pick up from where you left off
- Customize and share bookshelves
- Enlarge the video screen when you just want to video chat
Readeo is a great app for virtual story times. The award-winning picture books augment the human connection and bring families together.
Download Readeo for Android | iPhone | iPad
3: Zoog
Zoog allows grandparents to share fun stories where they actually star as the character.
Children have a short attention span and Zoog makes it possible to keep them entertained and engaged.
Zoog brings generations closer. Children love watching their grandparents in different characters. Seniors can easily create fun and interactive videos with the push of a button. Kids can watch your magical creations and the animated stories from the ever-growing library.
The key features of Zoog include:
- Read children’s books with augmented reality masks, filters, music, and effects
- New books are added every week (Check the complete library here)
- Easy to read large font text
- Top titles include Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella, Hailey the Hippo, Pickle berry, Animals of the Ark, Winnie the Pooh and many more
Zoog is one of the best apps for grandparents to read to grandchildren in a fun and magical way. Children will look forward to the jokes, nursery rhymes, and creations from you.
The storytelling and book reading will never be the same again.
Download Zoog for iPhone | iPad
Note: Zoog is currently only available for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod). Zoog Website suggests it is coming soon for Android.
Game Apps for Grandparents and Grandchildren
Kids love games and puzzles. The apps in this section have games that are loved by seniors and kids alike. Have fun and improve your cognitive skills with some game time and solving tricky puzzles.
4: Words with Friends 2
Words with Friends is one of the most popular word games among people of all ages. It is a virtual modified version of Scrabble where players take turns adding words to the app’s Scrabble board.
The best thing about Words with Friends is that it can be played as an ongoing and multi-day game. Ideal for older grandchildren and working grandparents with a busy schedule.
Other key features of Words with Friends 2 include:
- Connect with loved ones as you search for the highest-scoring word
- Train your brain, expand your vocabulary, and show off your spelling bee skills
- Daily, weekend and weekly goals to earn keys and unlock rewards
- Exchange messages and fun stickers using the chat feature
Words with Friends 2 is an educational and intuitive multiplayer game, perfect for pleasant grandparenting interactive playdates.
Download Words with Friends 2 for Android | iPhone | iPad
5: Snakes and Ladders
Snakes and Ladders (or Chutes and Ladders) is a high-tech update to the classic game that kids and adults love.
Grandparents and children can play against each other in a variety of themed worlds. Can you survive when chased by snakes in the jungle, pyramids, snow, and mountains?
- Multiplayer: 4 different modes. Play with up to 4 players at a time
- Ideal for Kids: An easy-to-play game so younger grandkids can learn fast
- Play offline: No need for WiFi. Play anywhere anytime
- Customize the avatars with your favorite colors
The 3D effect makes it the perfect Snakes and Ladders game app. One of the must-have game apps for grandparents and grandchildren to have hours of fun together.
Download Snakes and Ladders for Android | iPhone | iPad
6: Tic Tac Toe Glow
Everybody knows and loves Tic Tac Toe. You do not need a pen and paper to play the classic game. Tic Tac Toe Glow, with cool neon graphics and funny sounds, is one of the most popular smartphone game apps.
- Single and 2 players modes
- 3 difficulty levels to choose from
- Cool glow design
This game’s AI is unpredictable and adapts to your play style. This app has a total of 7 games which makes it a must-have app for grandparents and grandkids to have hours of fun. Choose X or O and start playing.
Download Tic Tac Toe Glow for Android | iPhone | iPad
7: Psych! Outwit Your Friends
Psych! Is a fun guessing game by Ellen DeGeneres. It is a perfect app for family game nights, Zoom calls, road trips, and playing with your grandkids.
Choose from a variety of hilarious categories like “The Truth Comes Out” in which grandparents and grandkids become the game. Have fun asking ridiculous questions like “what’s the last thing Tom googled?” and “What is grandpa’s hidden talent”.
Other categories include:
- Is that a fact?
- Movie Bluff
- Word Up
Psych! Is a perfect app to have fun on Zoom/ Facetime calls, family gatherings, and house parties. It blends trivia and bluffing and is perfect for almost any crowd.
Download Psych! Outwit Your Friends for Android | iPhone | iPad
Scrapbooking Apps for Grandparents and Grandchildren
The apps in this category help you to collect and keep track of memorable events. Grandkids can share their growth and journey with grandparents and create memorabilia together.
Never miss any important event in your grandkids’ lives. Display memories in form of photos, videos, and stories and share them through scrapbooking apps.
8: Keepy
Keepy allows grandparents to stay in touch with grandkids and enjoy the children’s art projects, schoolwork, family photos, and videos in one place.
This app serves as memorabilia for the family where children can share memories with loved ones.
Each child has their own memory timeline.
- Upload photos, videos, artwork, and notes
- Add voice/ videos stories to enrich your family memories
- Grandparents and other family members can leave voice/video and text comments
- Each member of the family has their own memory timeline
From tooth grins and birthday parties to holidays, vacations, and graduation, preserve your kids’ memories forever.
Keepy is the perfect app for grandparents and grandchildren to save and organize your family’s enriched memories. An easy way to update grandparents and loved ones on what’s going on with a kid’s life.
Do not miss the kid’s first day at school or the fun they had on vacations.
Download Keepy for iPhone
9: Family Album
Family Album allows grandparents to follow the growth and development of grandchildren through photos and videos. You can organize the media when more than one kid is involved. You can add comments to photos, respond to reactions, and communicate with the family.
Family Album brings families closer by uploading memories in one place.
- Free unlimited storage to put your memories on display
- 1s Movies: The app pieces together 1-second clips to convert your memories into short touching movies
- Visibility control to share media with certain family members
- Share, save, and celebrate your child’s journey together
My favorite feature of this app for grandparents and grandchildren is the 1s Movie. I love how it provides a brief review of child development during each season of growth.
Download Family Album for Android | iPhone | iPad
10: 23 Snaps
23 Snaps is another highly-rated app to share photos, videos, and stories of children with loved ones.
Millions of families use this app for archiving family photos and tracking the development of kids through the years.
It is an ideal app for grandparents who want to save family events and celebrations online. You can use 23 snaps on a phone, tablet, or computer and invite family members to receive updates by email.
- Upload photos, videos, height, and weight measurements for kids
- Family can follow updates via smartphones, online(23 Snaps website) or by email
- Completely secured. Invite only
Children grow up quickly, 23 Snaps let you cherish every precious moment.
Create a “digital journal” of your grandkids’ lives.
Download 23 Snaps for Android | iPhone | iPad
Video Calling Apps for Grandparents and Grandchildren
Do not wait to see your grandkids in person. Stay connected with them through the video calling apps and have a fun time together on regular basis.
These apps allow you to be a part of grandkids’ lives and help build a strong bond.
11: Together
Together is specifically designed for grandparents and family members to connect with grandkids. It makes video calls so much fun with games, stories, and other activities.
Grandparents can virtually read bedtime stories, draw or play games with grandkids regardless of where you are.
- Read stories while video chatting from a library of interactive books
- Play popular video games while video chatting
- Make learning fun by exploring the topics the kids love including planets, dinosaurs, airplanes
Together is made to strengthen your relationship with your grandkids regardless of where you are.
It keeps little ones excited and engaged and provides a common ground for you and your grandkids to grow your relationship. Check Kinzoo Together’s website for more.
Download Together for Android | iPhone | iPad
12: Marco Polo
Marco Polo is an award-winning and one of the most popular video chat apps. It brings you closer to the people who matter most. You can talk one to one or in groups, in an ad-free space with no interruption.
Marco Polo does not compromise on security and trust. There are no “Likes” or gimmicks to keep you on the app for longer than you wish. If grandkids are on a trip, they can use it to share photos and videos with family members.
Marco Polo can be a very useful app for grandparents and grandchildren to remain connected and share photos and videos.
Download Marco Polo for Android | iPhone | iPad
Honorable Mention: Ancestry
Use: Explore the family history and build family trees
Every family has a story and Ancestry lets you explore yours; through photos, stories, historical records, and much more.
One of the best apps for grandparents and grandchildren who want to discover the family history.
- Build a family tree, scan and upload family pictures and share stories
- Activate the DNA kit and view your ethnicity results
- See your DNA matches. Access billions of records, photos, and more
- Discover records of your ancestors, discover new relatives
If you are curious about family trees, Ancestry is the best place to explore. You may get a family photo of the grandmother as a little girl. Discover the town where your great-grandfather grew up or see the signature of your grandfather’s draft card.
With Ancestry, you have access to the world’s largest collection of online family history records. A must-have app for grandparents and grandchildren who are curious and want to explore their family history.
Download Ancestry for Android | iPhone | iPad
There you have it. 12 best apps for grandparents and grandchildren to help you with grandparenting duties. Stay connected and involved in your grandkids’ lives and make your time with them fun and exciting.