How to Connect With Your Grandparents: 6 Conversation Starters

It’s great that you want to build stronger relationships with your grandparents, but how do you even begin? You don’t want to say the wrong thing and scare them off, after all! This guide to conversation starters and activities with your grandparents will help you connect and bond with them over anything from the news to their opinions on current events. Whether you’re just starting to get to know them or if you’ve already been talking to them for years, these conversation starters will have you connecting in no time!

1) Ask about their most memorable trip

The best way to engage someone in a conversation is by asking them questions about their travels. If you’re talking to an older individual, ask them about their most memorable trip. People love talking about places they’ve been and usually have great stories.   For example, What was your favorite place that you visited? or What was one of your funniest travel experiences? Can be great ways to start a conversation.

2) Watch a historical movie together

Do you have a favorite historical movie? If so, watch it together (if you’re visiting in person) or send it to them as a special treat. It’s an opportunity for some nostalgia and a good conversation piece. Your grandparents likely remember when some of these films were released in theaters—and they might even share their own childhood stories! Once upon a time, that trip down memory lane could end up being one of your best conversations.

3) Give them an article to read

There are few better ways of starting a conversation than by giving someone an interesting article to read. Maybe it’s about an aspect of their life that interests them, or about a current event that they’re interested in. If you don’t know what they enjoy or what's going on, ask! It might seem uncomfortable at first, but people love talking about their interests and answering questions. Just be polite and engage them during conversations.

4) Try new foods together

If you and Grandma have always eaten a particular way, try something new together. Your grandmother is probably more open-minded than you think, so be her tour guide for all things edible! You’ll get some great food and entertainment in one shot. And if you don’t like it, there are plenty of other foods for you both to try. Either way, it will give you something to talk about.

5) Take up a new hobby together

To start a lively discussion, take up a new hobby together. Maybe it’s fishing, hiking, or building birdhouses. Once you have something in common, you’ll see that grandfather and grandson have more in common than ever before. It's possible you might acquire some cooking and craftsmanship skills in the process, too!

6) Ask about their life before you were born

This gives you a chance to find out about things like how they met, how they were during their first years of marriage, etc. What made them decide on their career path? What did they want to be when they grew up? It’s also a good way for you to show off what you’ve learned over time as well. What is it that intrigues them? Is there something specific they enjoy talking about? You can use these interests and topics to help start conversations and to preserve the family´s history.

Storii can truly help you in this process through an innovative solution. If you can’t think of questions, Storii can be of assistance. When using our platform, over 200 questions are at your disposal to use and guide your conversation. You can capture your grandparent's answers and upload them to their Storii profile using text, photos, videos, and audio recordings. Also, being able to easily share it with other family members. Alternatively, you can sign them up for Life Story automated calls that will record and share answers to life story questions. Learn more here.