About two years ago, I wrote a blog post about the joys of becoming a grandparent, and the longings we feel when our grandchildren live far away. The response was limited but enthusiastic; many of us are searching for ways to create a lasting connection with our young descendants; we must all create our own paths to make this happen.

My grandkids are now four-and-a-half, and almost three years old. My granddaughter, the older one, is very talkative and delights in telling me the latest news from the west coast. When I visit, we often play I Spy- type games, and recently discovered we can play a telephone version by asking and answering yes-or-no questions as clues.

Having grandchildren has added a different and personal dimension to my work as a children's librarian. I have become more attuned to great resources—literary, musical, artistic—to enrich the lives of all children. We have always shared songs and stories and, though we seriously limit screen time, online resources can provide inspiration for shared activities. 

For example, I like Scholastic Teachables' writing prompts; but with a young child, I use these as story prompts instead. For school-age children, there are math, science, and social studies activities to share. For those of us long out of school, online sources can give you instant refreshers in fractions or the Spanish Armada.  

If, as I hope, your kids use their local library, you can check out the same book and read to each other over the phone, or via your favorite visual media (Skype, FaceTime). Or, why not use your own creativity and write, and even illustrate, your own storybook?  

This past Mother's day, I received a handwritten, illustrated card from my granddaughter. When I called to thank her, I cannot describe how proudly she told me she had written all the letters herself (though Mommy told her what letters to write.) 

"Did you really like it? she asked excitedly. What a priceless moment. I plan to send a handwritten thank you letter back to her. What better way to spend your time than creating something your grandkids can treasure over and over, made especially for them.