But how can a grandparent bond with his or her grandchild and what are some activities that can help reach this bond?

There are lots of ways.

But according to the AARP (www.aarp.org), how to entertain grandchildren really isn’t the most important question to ask.

It isn’t necessary to make elaborate, drawn-out plans to entertain them, particularly at an early age. Really, it’s all about following their lead, the association’s Web site states:

“All (grandparents) have to do is go along for the ride. When they get older, they may need more direction or enjoy more structured play. In the early years, however, they can show us more about play than we could ever show them.”

Although many activities are good options for all ages, sometimes it is important to keep in mind the age of the grandchild when planning an activity with them. For example, playing with Play-Doh may not be as interesting to a school-age child as it is to a preschooler.

Whether the grandparent is able to be physically active or not, there are all sorts of activities out there that will help foster the bond between grandparents and grandchildren.

According to Grandparents Magazine (www.grandparentsmagazine.net), the top five activities grandparents engage in with their grandchildren are eating together (either in or out), watching a television comedy, staying overnight, shopping for clothes and engaging in exercise/sports.

The following are some more age-specific ideas that may help get the ball rolling, according to local grandparents, www.aarp.com and www.parenthood.com and Milevsky:

Activities that require little to no physical exertion:

Chess, checkers, cards or board games (age varies, depending on the type of game).

Arts and crafts (age varies, depending on the craft).

Tell stories, either true or made-up (preschool and school-age).

Have one-on-one conversations with one another, sharing experiences, hopes and aspirations (teens).

Just listen to them. According to Milevsky, the grandparent can serve an important role of mediating the parent-child relationship (teens).

“Very often, grandparents can be like an outlet for a teenager,” said Milevsky.

Bake and/or cook (all ages).

Teach them things you’ve learned in your life: how to tie a fly on a fishing rod, how to bake the perfect pie crust, how to build a model airplane (school-age and teens).

Start a collection that grandchildren can add to during each visit (preschool).

Go out to eat (all ages).

Go see a movie or a play (all ages check the rating of the movie or play beforehand). Or, stay in, make some popcorn and rent a movie.

Look at photographs/create a scrapbook (school-age and teens).

Read to them, or have them read to you if they are old enough. Take a trip to the local public library (preschool and school-age). Extensive research shows reading to children is very beneficial, said Milevsky.

Encourage them to write their thoughts down and help them if necessary, whether it be in the form of a story, poem or in a journal.

Go to a baseball game or another type of sporting event (school-age and teens).

Share your hobbies with grandchildren and in turn, have them teach you things, as well. For example, they may know things about computers that they can teach you and you may be able to teach them about bird-watching.

Take them to events with you, such as church or senior center events (all ages).

More physical activities:

Play sports, such as catch, tennis or whatever sport interests the grandchild (all ages).

Go for a bike ride, walk or a hike on a nature trail (all ages). For preschoolers and younger school-age children, collect objects along the walk, such as rocks, leaves or shells.

Go to the local park or playground (preschool and school-age).

Have a picnic (all ages).

Have them help with household chores. According to parenting.com, they’ll enjoy helping out (school-age and teens).

Go to the zoo (school-age).

Take an antique car out for a drive (school-age and teens).

Go to a museum or art gallery (school-age and teens).

Catch fireflies (and then release them) (preschool and school-age).

Skip stones (school-age and teens).

Take a trip to an amusement park (all ages).

Go fishing (school-age and teens).

Go swimming (all ages).

Plant flowers; have grandchildren help with gardening (all ages).

Take a tour of a local establishment, such as a fire station, newspaper or factory (school-age).

Go horseback riding (school-age and teens).

Fly a kite (preschool and school-age).

Volunteer at local organizations, such as an animal shelter or a food bank (school-age and teens).

(Local grandparents who contributed to this list: Jeanette Hunsberger, 67, of Reading, two grandchildren, seven step-grandchildren, four step-great-grandchildren; Patricia Lerch, North Fifth Street, 69, one granddaughter; Ted Zaorski, 83, South Eighth Street, 12 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; Carolyn Wilson, North 11th Street, 54, three grandchildren; Mary Ann Bandemer, North Ninth Street, 84; and Harold Ringler, North Ninth Street, 88, six grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, two step-great-grandchildren.)