Home Care Powered By AUAF
Welcome to the Home Care Powered By AUAF podcast — your go-to resource for expert insights and practical guidance on senior care and in-home support services across Illinois. Whether you're caring for a loved one or exploring care options for yourself, this podcast is here to inform, inspire, and support you every step of the way.
Each episode covers essential topics like how to become a paid family caregiver, understanding Medicaid-based home care, tips for seniors aging at home, caregiver wellness, and more. Hosted by our compassionate care experts, we bring real conversations and trusted advice to help families make confident care decisions.
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Home Care Powered By AUAF
Best Games to Play with Grandchildren at Home, Online, or Over FaceTime
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In this episode, we explore fun and meaningful ways grandparents can connect with their grandchildren through games and activities at home, outdoors, online, and over FaceTime.
You’ll learn:
- What card and board games help build family bonding and communication
- Why dress-up, pretend play, and tea parties encourage creativity and confidence
- How sensory activities support learning and development for younger children
- Easy outdoor games that promote movement, laughter, and quality time
- Popular video games and mobile apps that grandparents can enjoy with older grandchildren
- Fun FaceTime games that help families stay connected across long distances
- How caregiver support can give grandparents more time and energy for family activities
Whether you see your grandchildren every day or connect from miles away, this episode shares simple and enjoyable ways to create lasting memories and strengthen family relationships.
Blog Link: Best Games to Play with Grandchildren at Home, Online, or Over FaceTime
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Welcome to the Home Care Podcast.
SPEAKER_01It is great to be here.
SPEAKER_00So watching your grandchildren grow is just, you know, an absolute joy. But if you've been through it, you know there's this very specific, sometimes kind of jarring transition that happens.
SPEAKER_01Oh, for sure. It really sneaks up on you.
SPEAKER_00Right. Like they graduate from those baby and toddler activities, the peekaboo, the stacking blocks, and suddenly finding things that you both genuinely enjoy can feel like a puzzle.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, a massive puzzle.
SPEAKER_00You want to connect. But the age gap, and let's be honest, the energy gap can sometimes make it a bit tricky.
SPEAKER_01It is a profound shift. I mean, you go from being the literal center of their universe, where just your face is entertaining, to trying to figure out how you fit into their rapidly expanding complex world.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. So our mission for this deep dive is to explore a tactical playbook of the best games to play with your grandchildren, whether you're hanging out at home, playing outdoors, or you know, trying to connect over Facebook.
SPEAKER_01Which is so common nowadays.
SPEAKER_00Right. But we're also looking at the hidden cost of play. We want to discover how getting a little bit of help around the house can actually free up your energy for those unforgettable family moments.
SPEAKER_01That is the key right there, energy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And to do this, we've got a great stack of sources today. First, a really insightful article titled Connecting Generations: Fun Games for Grandparents and Grandchildren. And second, we have background information on home care powered by AUAF, which is a leading non-medical in-home care agency in Chicago.
SPEAKER_01And um, as we go through these sources, we really need to look past the surface. The ultimate goal here isn't just like figuring out how to pass the time on a Tuesday afternoon. We're looking at how play operates as a mechanism to build cognitive skills, spark cross-generational conversation, and forge bonds that outlast any specific game. Play is essentially the work of childhood.
SPEAKER_00I love that. So let's start with the youngest grandchildren, because physical presence and tactile exploration plus imagination, those are really the primary ways they map out their reality.
SPEAKER_01Aaron Powell Right. They need to touch everything.
SPEAKER_00Yes. We're talking about sensory play and pretend play. The article gives some hands-on ideas like finger painting, making slime, planting flowers, or just sorting big beads by color, or even just blowing bubbles and using sidewalk chalk.
SPEAKER_01Classic kids, really.
SPEAKER_00Totally. But there is one specific idea in the source that I found just brilliantly simple sound tubes.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I love the sound tube.
SPEAKER_00You literally just take an empty paper towel tube, fill it with some rice or beans, seal the ends, and boom, you have a homemade instrument.
SPEAKER_01And you know, the sound tube is actually a perfect example of an auditory feedback loop. For a toddler, cause and effect is a brand new concept. Right. So when they shake that tube, they are linking their physical motor movement to an immediate sensory result. It seems like simple noise making, but developmentally they're mapping out their ability to manipulate the world around them.
SPEAKER_00That is so cool. But I'm looking at this list slime, finger painting, beans, and my immediate thought is you know, this is a recipe for a ruined living room rug.
SPEAKER_01Oh, absolute nightmare for a rug.
SPEAKER_00Right. And if I'm stressed about a mess, I'm just not going to be a fun playmate.
SPEAKER_01Aaron Powell, which is exactly why the source emphasizes containment strategies. If the environment makes you anxious, the child picks up on that anxiety immediately.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they have a radar for that.
SPEAKER_01They really do. So the solution is structural. Take the play outside if the weather permits, or use a deep tray to contain the chaos and keep towels, wipes, and a trash bag right there. It's about engineering the environment so that you can actually be present rather than acting as a nervous security guard.
SPEAKER_00That makes total sense.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Now, as you get just a little bit older, the play evolves. The source suggests moving into pretend play, like digging through your closets for old hats, scarves, and jewelry to put on a fashion show.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Kids love diving into a real closet.
SPEAKER_00They really do.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Or there's the absolute classic, the restaurant or tea party game. But the article suggests upgrading it from those tiny plastic toy cups to like real napkins, having older kids prep caffeine-free tea and sandwiches.
SPEAKER_01Making it more real.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. Have the child create a physical menu, serve the food, and even collect pretend payment at the end. Okay, let's unpack this. This restaurant game seems less like play and more like a stealthy boot camp.
SPEAKER_01A boot camp, that's one way to put it.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it's disguised as a fun afternoon, but they're doing math when they calculate the bill, they're practicing manners and learning customer service.
SPEAKER_01Aaron Powell What's fascinating here is the psychological scaffolding you're providing. In a pretend scenario like the restaurant, you are building their confidence and their executive function without the pressure of, you know, winning or losing.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's a good point. There's no loser in a pretend restaurant.
SPEAKER_01Right. The child dictates the rules, the menu, the prices. For a small child who spends 99% of their day being told what to do by adults, giving them complete agency in a play setting is incredibly empowering.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell I hear that, but let me play devil's advocate for a second. I have tried giving a four-year-old complete agency before, and it usually ends in a meltdown over a blue cup versus a red cup.
SPEAKER_01Oh, completely. We've all been there.
SPEAKER_00So how do we structure this so being the boss doesn't just equal absolute chaos?
SPEAKER_01Aaron Powell Well, that is the crucial difference between unstructured freedom and structured autonomy. You don't just say, do whatever you want, you give them a framework, a restaurant, and within that framework, they make the choices. Ah. You're the customer, so you still provide boundaries through your reactions, but they get to drive the narrative. It's guided independence.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Guided independence. I really like that. But of course, they don't stay in that pretend phase forever. Grandchildren grow and they start craving structure, strategy, and sometimes a screen. Inevitably. Yeah, we have to evolve our games to match their developmental stage. The source outlines a shift toward analog strategy games. So things like GoFish, Uno, Checkers, Chess, Monopoly Connect 4, even Scrabble Jr., and guess who?
SPEAKER_01This is a major cognitive leap. Moving from pretend play to analog strategy means a child is now capable of understanding that rules exist outside of their own imagination.
SPEAKER_00And the physical setup of these games is so important, right? You are sitting face to face.
SPEAKER_01Precisely. Face-to-face analog games require joint attention. You're both looking at the same board, but more importantly, you're reading each other's facial expressions.
SPEAKER_00Oh, interesting.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, a child playing checkers isn't just learning how the pieces move. They're watching your face when they capture your piece. They're learning emotional regulation by experiencing winning and losing in real time, right across from a safe adult. It builds memory and focus and activates mirror neurons in a way that solitary play simply cannot.
SPEAKER_00The article also highlights outdoor classics that don't require intense physical strain for the grandparents. Which is great. Things like hide and seek, red light, green light, mother may I, sly fox, or even just a simple game of catch with a softball or frisbee.
SPEAKER_01Right, you get the fresh air without running a marathon.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. But eventually we have to talk about the elephant in the room, the digital leap. The source specifically mentions games like Mario Kart, Pokemon Go, Draw Something, Words with Friends, and online chess.
SPEAKER_01Ah, the screens.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And here's where it gets really interesting. I want to push back on the common assumption that video games isolate generations. The stereotype is the kids staring blankly at the screen while the grandparents sits silently on the couch.
SPEAKER_01We see that image a lot in the media.
SPEAKER_00Right. But the source compares learning something like Mario Kart or Pokemon Go to visiting a foreign country where your grandchild is the native tour guide.
SPEAKER_01That is exactly the dynamic shift I was referring to earlier. Think about the psychological impact of role reversal. For their entire lives, you have been the teacher, the guide, the authority figure. When you pick up a controller or a phone and ask a teenager to teach you the rules, you're empowering them. You're doing something revolutionary for their self-esteem.
SPEAKER_00Because suddenly they are the undisputed expert in the room.
SPEAKER_01Yes. You're validating their interests and more importantly, their competence. It sparks an entirely new, deeply engaging dynamic where they get to be the mentor. It requires some vulnerability from the older generation, but the payoff is massive.
SPEAKER_00I have to push back a little on the logistics of this, though. All of this, the board games, the outdoor games, the video games, assumes you are in the same physical space.
SPEAKER_01Which isn't always the case.
SPEAKER_00Right. The reality for many families is that they're separated by state lines. The living room and backyards are great, but what happens when you have to transition from physical presence to maintaining that bond over FaceTime?
SPEAKER_01It is the defining challenge of modern grandparenting. The lack of physical proximity means you lose the natural environmental prompts for conversation. You have to manufacture the shared environment.
SPEAKER_00And the source offers a very clear strategy for this. First, keep the call short, especially for younger kids. But the golden rule is you must pick the activity before the call starts.
SPEAKER_01That is crucial. Prep is everything.
SPEAKER_00Right. They suggest games like 20 questions, Ice Buy, charades, or Pictionary, just using paper and markers on camera, show and tell, and would you rather? Even storybuilding, where you take turns adding one sentence at a time to create a silly narrative.
SPEAKER_01Those are fantastic for engaging the imagination.
SPEAKER_00But my absolute favorite recommendation is the FaceTime Scavenger Hunt. You give them a mission around their house, find something fuzzy, or find something blue.
SPEAKER_01The scavenger hunt is brilliant.
SPEAKER_00So what does this all mean? Well, if you compare a typical unstructured FaceTime call, where you end up staring at the ceiling fan while the toddler runs around with the iPad to a structured scavenger hunt, it completely shifts the call. Having a game plan moves it from chaotic observation to active participation.
SPEAKER_01This raises an important question about intentionality and digital communication. Technology isn't just a window to watch them grow. We need to distinguish between passive consumption and intentional connection. With these games, the device ceases to be just a screen and becomes a bridge to actively participate in their daily joy.
SPEAKER_00That makes perfect sense. But let's ground this conversation in some physical reality. To execute all these amazing activities, cleaning up slime, learning Pokemon Go, structuring FaceTime hunts, takes immense time and energy.
SPEAKER_01A huge amount.
SPEAKER_00How do you find that energy if you are overwhelmed by daily household chores?
SPEAKER_01You're hitting on the fundamental constraint here. We often talk about time, but time is irrelevant if you don't have the physical or cognitive energy to use it well. Play requires vitality.
SPEAKER_00Right. If you're handling a massive pile of laundry, scrubbing floors, and running errands, your battery is already drained before your grandkids even call or visit.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. The maintenance tasks of living independently can completely drain the battery required for relationship building.
SPEAKER_00And that brings us to our second source, and the role of home care. Specifically, home care powers by AUAF. They're a leading non-medical in-home care agency serving the Chicagoland area for over 30 years. And they're licensed by the Illinois Department on Aging.
SPEAKER_01And when we look at the services provided by agencies like AUAF personal care, meal prep, medication reminders, light housekeeping, laundry errands, we shouldn't view them just as chores. We should view them as energy preservation.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's a great way to frame it. I look at this as strategically delegating the daily grind. You aren't giving up your independence. You're strategically outsourcing the laundry and errands so you can spend your peak energy being the fun, engaged grandparent.
SPEAKER_01It's a smart reallocation of resources, and what stands out regarding AUAF is their accessibility. They partner with major Medicaid and Medicare health plans like Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Humana, Molina, County Care, and others.
SPEAKER_00Which takes a lot of the financial stress out of the equation.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. But even more importantly, their staff is fluent in an incredible array of languages: English, Assyrian, Arabic, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Persian.
SPEAKER_00Wow, that's extensive. And they have offices in Lincolnwood, Schaumburg, and Chicago, right? Serving areas from Evanston all the way out to Arlington Heights.
SPEAKER_01Yes. And listeners in the area can reach them at 773-274-9262 or toll-free at 877-721-4491.
SPEAKER_00I'll repeat those just in case. 773-274-9262 or 877-721-4491.
SPEAKER_01And you know, language concordance in home care is a huge deal. If a senior is dealing with fatigue, forcing them to communicate in a second language adds unnecessary cognitive load. Being able to explain your needs in your native tongue immediately lowers stress.
SPEAKER_00It really transforms the caregiver from a stranger into a companion. And there's another option mentioned in the source that I think is incredible: the paid caregiver option. Family members in Illinois can learn how to become compensated caregivers through the community care program.
SPEAKER_01If we connect this to the bigger picture, this policy is revolutionary for family dynamics. Often, adult children provide informal care, which puts immense strain on everyone. The adult child is exhausted, the senior feels like a burden, and the grandkids lose out.
SPEAKER_00Right. But by utilizing a program where a family member is trained and compensated, it stabilizes the family situation. It keeps the care rooted in existing trust.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Prioritizing your well-being and asking for help with daily routines is exactly what creates the necessary space for high-quality family bonding.
SPEAKER_00We have covered so much critical ground today. We started by looking at organizing sensory playtrace and how upgrading to a pretend restaurant builds executive function.
SPEAKER_01We challenged the myth of video games, seeing how learning Pokemon Go builds immense confidence through role reversal.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and we learned how structuring FaceTime with scavenger hunts transforms technology into an active bridge. All of this made possible by preserving your energy through trusted home care services like AUAF, right here in Chicago.
SPEAKER_01You know, I'd like to leave everyone with one final thought. We often think of play as something children eventually grow out of. But if play is the first language we use to understand the world, maybe it remains the most powerful language we have to truly understand someone from an entirely different generation.
SPEAKER_00What a beautiful perspective. Play as a lifelong language. To everyone listening, I encourage you to pick just one of these games to try before your next family visit or video call. See how it changes the dynamic. Thank you so much for joining us on this deep dive.