Grandparents have history. Sure, family history that you just never got all the details to, but also their own personal life history. What they did and when, how they felt about the changing times back then. Their immediate children have not even heard, and yet those stories will only be there so long.
One way I've found is to find a medium which supports wide discussions around things they might like to talk about. Before a few more years slip by I would like my kids to get to know more about my parents, and their grandparents. I would think these seniors would love to share these tales of life and humor. But on on our family visits the conversations just seem to not "go there", like they are a little superficial for the times we are in.
Sounds funny to say about my parents, as it's usually said about kids, but "How do I get quality time with my parents?"
I want my kids to get a little of the flavor of the lives their elders lived. What were the details of their lives when they were young, what did they do for fun back then? I am now a thirty-something mother of two and asking this question for myself, not my kids: “How do I get more quality time with my parents?”
This linked article does go into a little depth about that, and how this game "Do Tell" can be the medium which bridges the communications gaps between the generations.