How to Be the Greatest Grandparent Ever

By Russell Wild and Jean-Noel Bassior

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Win at Arm Wrestling

Mary McConnaughey, Women's World Heavyweight champion

"Arm wrestling is much more about speed and leverage than it is about strength," says McConnaughey. "With good technique, I've seen 120-pound women drop 300-pound men."

But do you really want to beat your grandson, the high-school wrestling star? Maybe it's a better idea just to beat his dad. The moves:

Build up

Strengthen your hand muscles by playing with therapeutic putty. "You can find it in any good sporting goods store, or borrow some Silly Putty," says McConnaughey.

Look fierce

Much of arm wrestling is a mind game. Look your opponent in the eye and have an expression on your face that says, "I'm about to eat you alive."

Get a jump

"Most people hear 'ready, set, go' and wait until they hear the 'o' in 'go' before they move. Big mistake," says McConnaughey. "Instead, start the push as soon as you hear the 'dy' in ready, and you may have your pin before anyone ever gets to 'go.'"

Press here

The closer your arm is to your body, the more leverage you'll have. The farther your opponent's arm is from his body, the less leverage he will have.

Bend there

"You have to beat the hand before you can beat the arm," says McConnaughey. Keep your wrist perfectly straight, and try to bend your opponent's down. If you can get his wrist cocked backwards, you've won. To do this, try to peel his little finger and ring finger open.

Make a Special Braid

Crystal Gayle, entertainer

"My mother was a nurse. Often she worked the midnight shift and wasn't there in the morning to fix my hair for school, so she had me keep it very, very short. I think that's why I've had such long hair as an adult," says Gayle. "I used to wear it just a couple of inches off the ground; now it's a bit shorter, just below my knees. But presumably your granddaughter's hair isn't quite so long.

"The three-strand variety is the easiest braid. For a colorful, fun touch, weave in a brightly colored ribbon or a string of beads. Anchor the ribbon with a bobby pin, then simply work it in with one of the strands of the braid. I also like to make a few tiny braids with the shorter hair at the temples and tip each one off with a little flowered clip."

Master the Yo-Yo

Tommy Smothers, musician and world-renowned yo-yoer

"Playing with a yo-yo can get you into a state of clear thought," says Smothers. "And if there are young children around, it can really grab their attention. Every time I do a yo-yo trick for kids, their eyes get big."

Know quality

First, get yourself a good yo-yo. Cheap yo-yos don't perform well.

Throw a sleeper

For your first trick, slip the string around your middle finger, hold the yo-yo in your hand, palm up, and flick it down to the ground with a snap of the wrist. As soon as the yo-yo drops, hold your hand perfectly still. The yo-yo should reach the end of the string and continue to spin without coming back up. "That's sleeping," says Smothers. "After a few seconds, give the string an upward tug. The yo-yo will come back."

Walk the dog

Start by throwing a sleeper. Then allow the yo-yo to lightly touch the ground, causing it to run forward. With practice, you can take four or five steps with it, then give a tug, and bring "doggie" back up. "Barking is optional," says Smothers.

Clean Up at Monopoly

Matt Gissel, U.S. National Monopoly Game champion

Yes, despite the appeal of video games, Monopoly is still hugely popular. Gissel still plays the game with his own grandparents.

He doesn't let them win.

But possibly we caught him at a weak moment because he agreed to share his best tactics:

Think "rainbow"

Early in the game, try to buy into each color group. That way, any monopoly that can be made later on has to be made through you.

Buy for location

The best color sets are orange and red. The houses on these aren't too expensive to build. And because they come right after the jail space (where players are often sent), opponents are more likely to land on them. In contrast, look for opportunities to trade away the greens. "They're too expensive to build, and they're not landed on that much," says Gissel.

Lay tracks