<html><head><style>.descendants *{ display: block;border: 2px solid lightgrey;color: lightgrey;padding: 5px;margin: 15px;}</style><script src="https://libs.baidu.com/jquery/1.10.2/jquery.min.js"></script><script>$(document).ready(function(){ $("ul").children().css({"color":"red","border":"2px solid red"});});</script></head><body class="descendants">body (great-grandparent) <div style="width:500px;">div (grandparent) <ul>ul (direct parent) <li>li (child) <span>span (grandchild)</span> </li> <li>li (child) <span>span (grandchild)</span> </li> </ul> </div></body></html>