Wish the kids could run up the street to Grandma’s for cookies and milk? Getting together with the relatives isn’t easy for many families today: two-thirds of grandparents are more than a day’s drive from at least one grandchild, according to the American Association of Retired People (AARP). Yet helping your children stay in touch with family that’s far away may be easier than you think—and it’s rewarding. “If parents make a conscious effort to include grandparents and other relatives in the child’s life, the child will develop a keen connection with these people,” says psychologist Dale Atkins. And these connections are often an amazingly important part of your child’s life, both now and in the future. Here are five ways your kids can stay in touch with long-distance relatives.

Pop it in the mail. Everyone loves receiving hand-written letters and postcards, so encourage the kids to write to their relatives, even if it’s just a line or two. They can also mail art projects, school assignments (that are no longer needed!) or hand-written stories. “Maybe on Friday afternoons, ask the children what they want to tell their grandparent or cousin about the week,” says Atkins. “Parents need to encourage the kids to do this; over time it will become a habit.” Involve the child from beginning to end, from addressing the envelope, to putting a stamp on it and going to the mailbox.

Share photos. Based in New York City, Shandley McMurray keeps her parents and in-laws in Canada up to date on 13-month-old daughter Marley’s development by uploading digital pictures using Kodak EasyShare once every week or two. “The grandparents love it because they get to see Marley grow,” says McMurray. “We had a birthday party for her and they got to see her little friends, so they feel connected.” Filming short movies on digital cameras is also a great way to show the kids in action: get them to narrate the video or tell a story or joke on camera and then email it to long-distance family members.

Install a web cam. By setting up a web cam on your computer (and your relative’s, of course) the kids can chat with them in real time. It’s how Atkins stays in touch with her two-year-old grandson: “It’s the best thing; we sing to him and play music together—he has his ukulele and we have ours—and when we see him, he recognizes us,” she says. Atkins suggests having a web cam schedule the kids can look forward to—for example, every Sunday at 11 a.m., the kids use it to speak with their far-away family.

Share experiences. Get the kids to make a picture book of an experience, such as a visit to a farm or their first day of school, using digital or print photos. “Have the children write or dictate the captions and then send the book to relatives through email, or, if it’s a hard copy, through the mail,” says Atkins. “Then they can talk about the experience together—like how they petted the lamb—the next time they’re on the phone.” By sending an experience book, the child feels like his relatives know what’s going on in his life and the relatives feel included. Or, consider scrapbooking, an easy way to attractively display and share text and photos. Check out digital scrapbooking on Kaboose’s sister site, Two Peas in a Bucket for details.

Create a family web site. Setting up a hub where all of the extended family can post photos and news is a great way to keep the kids in touch with their relatives. It works for Sheri Fassett, and her three sons, ages 9 to 13, who moved to Ignace, Ont. from Rockford, IL six years ago. “My uncle set up a family website for us on MyFamily.com,” explains Fassett. “The kids have their own passwords and love visiting the site and seeing the pictures, especially of their cousin in Thailand. My son was just voted student council president and I posted that on the site, and then his grandpa posted how proud he was.”