Parental Arts
How to Celebrate the Holidays With Grandparents During Covid-19
Festive mainstays like gathering around a crowded table and piling up on the couch to watch holiday movies are out of the picture for many of us this year. But staying connected to and celebrating with family near and far is still possible… it just requires a little creativity, flexibility and planning.
- Written By
- Marnie Schwartz
Take It Outside
If your family is local, there is a safer way to celebrate in-person, according to the CDC, which recommends keeping the outdoor gathering small and limited to members of your community. While the weather can be a limiting factor depending on where you live, blankets, warm drinks, and appropriate clothing can go a long way towards making an outdoor get-together comfortable. If serving a holiday meal outside seems unwieldy, meet up for a socially-distanced walk or hike, and then get together for a meal on zoom later in the day.
Dine Together, Virtually
A zoom dinner will never truly replace the experience of gathering around a table in person, but taking a few extra steps can help you increase feelings of togetherness. If grandparents live close enough, consider preparing a meal large enough for everyone and dropping off their portion earlier in the day so you can all be eating the same food. Include decorations so that the tables can be set similarly, too, which can help increase the feeling of a shared experience. And encourage everyone to dress up a little to make it feel more festive!
Cook and Bake Together
Help your kids prepare a special holiday recipe with their grandparents. Ask grandma for an ingredients list in advance so you'll have everything on hand, and then set up an iPad on a cookbook stand in the kitchen so she can walk your little one through the steps for her famous apple pie.
Share the Magic of Holiday Movies
Help kids video chat from your phone or tablet while they simultaneously enjoy family favorites with their grandparents—and discuss in real-time as they watch. Or use a program like Teleparty which can sync up videos and also enable chats.
Open Gifts Over Video Chat
Enlist your kids to help brainstorm thoughtful gifts for grandma and grandpa, and take extra care wrapping them up nicely before putting in a box to ship. (Don't forget a handmade card!) Ask grandparents to do the same, and then video chat while you open gifts so everyone can see each others' reactions to their presents.