Ask most grandparents what they want for Christmas and you'll probably hear some version of "Nothing, I don't need anything." Or our favorite, "Nothing that takes up any space." But the moment their grandchild hands them something handmade, with that perfectly imperfect look, they juuuust can't resist. Who can blame them? There is truly nothing as charming and timeless as something handmade by a little loved one. When the grandkids are still very young, though, all the shopping, gluing, and clean up usually falls to you. These ideas are built for that situation. Each one comes from the grandchild in a way that feels real, even if your toddler's main contribution was merely an adorable sticky handprint.
The best gifts for grandparents from their grand-littles tend to have two things in common: they feature the grandchild in some way, and they give the grandparent something to come back to after the holidays are over. That second part matters most for grandparents who live far away. AARP Research found that three in four grandparents (76%) say technology like texting and video calls is one of the main ways they stay connected with their grandchildren (AARP, The Essential Role of Grandparents). Screens help, but a gift they can hold or read with the grandkids during a visit fills a different need.
Grand is a personalized rhyming story told from a grandparent's point of view, filled with your photos of the two of them together. It's designed to be shared between grandparents and their grandchildren ages 2 to 6, which makes it the kind of gift grandma or grandpa will pull out every time the little ones visit.
Tip: Shopping for a couple? Grand (Plural) tells the story from both grandparents' perspectives.
Salt dough or a plain ceramic ornament plus a little paint is all you need. Write the year and your child's name on the back. Grandparents tend to bring these out every December for decades, so it's worth doing one each year.
Record a short clip of your child waving or attempting "Jingle Bells." Load it onto a digital frame or simply text it on Christmas morning. It costs nothing and might be the gift they replay most.
A calendar with a new grandkid photo every month gives grandparents a reason to smile twelve separate times. Add family birthdays to the dates so it doubles as a practical gift.
Even scribbles look intentional in a nice frame. Let your toddler go wild with washable paint, then pick the best section and frame it with their name and age written on the mat. You can also display a collection of artwork from your tiny Picasso. Pro tip: everything looks elevated and nice in a white frame with white matting. This would look great in any room in the house!
Dig out an old photo of grandma or grandpa holding your child’s parent as a baby. Then recreate it with the grandchild in the same spot and the same pose, as close as you can manage. Frame the two pictures side by side. It's inexpensive, takes very little time to put together, and it’s the kind of gift that tends to stay on the mantel for years.
Make a few homemade coupons the grandparents can redeem: a sleepover, a trip to the park, a baking afternoon, a movie night on the couch. For grandparents who value time over things (and have made it abundantly clear they do NOT want anything that "takes up space"), this is a clear winner.
Did the grandparents join you on a vacation or a beach weekend this year? Turn those photos into a book. Our Memory Albums like Little Adventures and Little Moments make great coffee table books that everyone can enjoy. Alternatively, a storybook like Away We Went is written as a rhyming adventure, and it can work for a trip to grandma's house as well as a trip to the coast. Order one for your family and a second copy for the grandparents' coffee table.
Sit down with the grandparents over the holidays and ask a few questions about their own childhood, like what Christmas looked like when they were little or how they met. Let the grandkids help ask, even it's just a giggle and a "Grandma, tell me!" Record it on your phone or digital camera and save it somewhere safe. Years from now, hearing those stories in their own voices will mean more than almost anything you could buy.
Gifts that feature the toddler are the safest bet. Handprint ornaments and framed artwork are easy to make at home, and a personalized photo book like Grand gives grandparents something to read with the grandchild on every visit.
Personal, sentimental gifts tend to land best with grandparents who don't want more stuff. Photo gifts and keepsakes made by the grandkids are popular, and so is the gift of planned time together.
Photo books and short videos of the grandkids both travel well. A storybook they can read aloud on video calls helps them share something with the grandchildren between visits.
Want to find the right keepsake for your family? Browse our books for parents and grandparents to find one that fits your family.
