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Select a favorite Playdatebox theme below. Each month, we create a themed "Playdate-in-a-box" for our own grandchildren and then share our ideas here! You can create your own Playdate by choosing one children's book, one activity, and by adding one story from your own life. The result is a fun new way to build a relationship with a grandchild, no matter how far away they live!

Gardens

Let's Plant a Garden! If you love gardening with grandchildren, our updated and improved Gardens Playdatebox newsletter is ready, just in time for spring planting. Gardening is a form of [...]

Birdwatching

Get Ready For Birdwatching! The purpose of the Birdwatching Playdatebox is to help create a "Spark Moment" for you and a grandchild. A spark moment is known by birders as [...]

Thanksgiving Activities: Gratitude Playdate With Nonna

Here are four Thanksgiving activities you can pull together into a wonderful afternoon Playdate with your preschool and school-aged grandchildren. This playdate was created by Tina Day, known to her […]

Pancakes

Let's Have a Pancake Playdate! Celebrate National Pancake Day with a fun playdate! Officially, there are two each year, February 21 and September 26. You might want to celebrate both! [...]

Snow Crystals

Snow Crystals: Freezing and Melting and Winter Fun! Even if you live where it never snows, you are going to have fun learning about what causes it! This Playdatebox is [...]

Gingerbread Christmas

Happy Holidays! Let's Celebrate with Gingerbread! The Gingerbread Christmas Playdatebox is a themed box of fun designed to get you and a child you love playing together. At Christmastime, we [...]

Polar Express Christmas – Holiday Fun For Families

Create your own magical Polar Express Hot Chocolate and Cookies Shop with a preschooler! Enjoy lots of hands-on dramatic play and fun this holiday season. Bake train-shaped gingerbread cookies, read [...]

Grateful For Grandparents

A Playdate All About Gratitude and Grandparents! The Grateful for Grandparents Playdatebox is a themed box of fun designed to get you and a child you love playing together. The [...]

Spiders and Spiderwebs

Get Ready to Learn about Spiderwebs and Spiders! You’ll never look at spiders or spiderwebs in quite the same way again after you've tested out these Playdate ideas and read [...]

Seashells

Let's Explore Seashells and Mollusks! The purpose of a Playdatebox is to connect generations through play!   Here's how it works: Choose one picture book (we'll supply some suggestions) Choose one recipe [...]

Volcanoes

Activate Your Grandchild's Imagination with 5 fun Volcano-themed Playdates! Learning about volcanoes is a great way to take a deep dive into STEAM learning as you enjoy some really fun [...]

Popcorn

Let's Have a Popcorn Playdate! This Popcorn Playdatebox might be just the thing you need if: You can nuke a pretty mean batch of microwave popcorn You are a grandparent [...]

Penguins

Let's learn all about Penguins this month! You can create a fun in-person or virtual playdate with a preschool-aged grandchild using some of the resources we included in our own [...]

Grateful for Grandparents

The best gift you can give your grandparents this holiday season is access to some of the technological tools that will allow them to stay connected with family when family [...]

Cookies

Let’s Learn About Cookies and Measuring National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day is Coming! It’s almost time to celebrate National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! This special day is coming August 4th, […]

Space Explorers

3, 2, 1, Blast off! This is a Space Explorer’s box of fun! The Space Explorer’s Playdatebox includes 5 playdate activities for you to share with a family member, grandparent, […]

More Fun Grandparenting Ideas

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Our Story

Playdateboxes were created by two grandmothers with an “irrational emotional relationship” with our grandchildren.

Our goal is to help you significantly increase the frequency of  playful interactions with your children or grandchildren by helping you build a supply of age-appropriate games and activities you can enjoy together — even if you live miles apart!

stories
The cookie Playdatebox was lots of fun and the grandkids keep pulling the book out at storytime to hear it again. —Jennie C.
The boxes are so nicely put together, with such high quality, lovely materials. We both had a “Wow!” moment when we first opened the box. - Lisa Q.
The Playdatebox is helping me develop a relationship with each of my grandchildren. -Tina
Super fast shipping! My little guy is in love with his bug box!! He’s been carrying it around every time he goes outside!! Such a neat little project box with loads of fun!!! 😍 Thank you so much!! - Meranda