Maybe it's the treats - that mum and dad often deny - that sweeten their hearts, or perhaps, it's the wisdom, fun adventures and stories they share with enthusiasm.

Of course, that's not everyone's experience. Families are complicated.

But it's the joy of grandparenting that is celebrated in new ABC Kids show The Nannas & The Poppas. Think The Wiggles, but with grandparents, and you're fairly close.

John Field, who wrote more than 450 of The Wiggles' tunes, is behind the songs, which include Doodle the Cavoodle.

The Nannas & The Poppas features five real-life grandparents in Kokil Parikh, Tony Williams, Patti Gilbert, Calvin Welch and Lake Macquarie's Maggie Scott.

Scott was relaxing on her 40-acre property at Martinsville, which backs onto the Watagans National Park and is home to wallabies and wombats, when pre-school entertainment producer Maree Kirkland-Morris came ringing.

Kirkland-Morris was looking for a "Nanna Maggie" and Scott fit the bill.

"A few of us had spoken about the concept before, but then she rang and asked could I come down tomorrow?" Scott says.

"I had such faith in her. She got the concept from her father who spoke about the whole idea that nannas and poppas should be given more value, based on the concept that grandparents are looking after the grand kids more and more."

Scott has five step-grandsons aged under 11, who live in Tasmania. COVID-19 has kept the family apart this year, but it's had the benefit of forcing the 65-year-old Scott to learn new technologies.

"COVID made the Zoom thing happen, using the technology that a lot of the people my age have resisted for a long time," she says.

"It opened up a world that you could actually speak to them on Zoom.

"It's brought me much closer to them again and the whole family."

The role of the grandparent has drastically changed in recent decades. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 66 per cent of couples with children both work.

The high cost of childcare has meant many grandparents have become part-time carers. The ABS also found 61 per cent of grandparents mind their grandchildren weekly.

Scott views the trend as largely positive, believing children can gain various invaluable lessons and experiences from forming tight bonds with grandparents.

"Wisdom is a thing and story-telling, which everybody loves," she says.

"Grandparents can tell stories about when they were growing up and cultural things and get the kids to understand their culture and understand other people's culture, and trying to get them to problem solve.

"For my own grandchildren, the biggest thing for me is for them not to feel fear.

"For them to feel like they can handle any situation and have the tools to handle those situations.

"I think grandparents don't have the pressure parents have of trying to earn a living, so we can be a lot easier."

The Nannas & The Poppas' initial run on ABC Kids began on October 25, National Grandparents Day, and will return in January. There's also plans for longer-form episodes in 2021.

For Scott, The Nannas & The Poppas has provided an unexpected late-career renaissance.

Scott worked in theatre and variety shows for decades and won multiple Mo Awards in the late '90s for most Versatile Variety Performance.

She's also starred in London West End productions Chicago and Destry Rides Again, wrote her own play Life's A Lemon which was staged at Sydney's Seymour Centre and appeared on TV shows Beauty & The Beast and Midday with Ray Martin.

"The Nannas & The Poppas wasn't on my vision board," she says.

"But it's a great project and I feel like doing something for the kids is fantastic and it brings out the kid in me.

"When I'm there on the television getting excited about the elephants and the tigers, it's like I'm a kid again.

"It's really therapeutic for me as well."