Live longer—play with your grandchildren!

 It’s not enough to have lived.  We should be determined to live for something.   —Dr. Leo Buscaglia 

Recently, a friend sent me an article that appeared in The Washington Post last summer, “Want to live longer? Play with your grandkids. It’s good for them, too.” The article discusses research that suggests that having playtime with grandchildren keeps grandparents active and healthy longer and can extend their lives.  What great news!  Not only is playing with our grandchildren joyful and beneficial from a relationship perspective, it is also good for our overall health.   

This rings true to me. Young children typically enjoy physical activity in any form. Their curiosity is sparked just by going on a walk around the block or out on a trail. Walking is healthy for all of us, providing exercise and exposure to nature. Walking and other types of activities such as throwing a ball around outside, playing basketball or kicking a soccer ball, or pushing our grands on the swings can keep us grandparents moving, active, and physically fit. And, according to a 2018 University of Glasgow study, the physical activity of grandparents can play a key role in shaping an overall family culture of physical activity. 

Of course, knowing our limits and being sure to avoid injury is essential. No falling allowed! 

There are benefits to less-physical play together as well. Learning new board games or even playing old favorites can challenge grandparents as well as grandchildren. My grandchildren like to teach me how to play games that I haven’t played before. This is wonderful because when the roles are reversed and they are the teacher, they are learning how to explain a step-by-step process and then demonstrate how to play the game, building their communication skills and self-confidence. And, learning something new is good for my brain—my challenge, of course, is to remember how to play the game next time!! 

There is much discussion and research around seniors staying socially connected to help avoid dementia or Alzheimer’s.  I recently began reading Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.  The book includes a twelve-week, five-goal list to develop lifestyle practices for working towards staying healthy physically and mentally.  Of the five goals,  I believe three of them can be supported by spending time playing with our grandchildren:  

• Move more throughout your day 
• Discover new ways to stimulate and strengthen your brain through learning and challenging your mind 
• Connect authentically with others and maintain a vibrant social life 

So you see, playing with our grands is good for them...and also good for us in so many ways! 

“The Power of Play,” a 2018 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, discusses research on the benefits of play for both children and their adult caregivers.  The report says that for adults, reawakening the joy of childhood through play can have a rejuvenating effect.  Dr. Michael W. Yogman, lead author of the report and a grandparent himself, says in the Washington Post article, “Grandparents make wonderful playmates, and have so many opportunities to play a huge role. I say, 'Go for it!'” 

(Dr. Yogman, a pediatrician and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, presented “The Power of Play: How to Buffer Stress and Help Children Become More Resilient,” through the Discovery Museum Speaker Series last year. You can watch the recording of that event on the Museum’s YouTube channel.) 

How do you feel about playing with your grands? Do you agree it can help you stay active and fit? Have you taught them favorite games from your childhood? Do they like to teach you games as well? I’d love to hear your thoughts.