The best Christmas gift ideas for grandparents usually come from the grandkids. Grandparents already have a sweater drawer and a cupboard full of mugs. What they want is proof that the little ones thought of them. These seven picks are things grandkids can make, choose or help with, from toddlers with finger paint to teenagers with phones. Each one gets an honest catch, including the one we make.
Christmas gift ideas for grandparents, picked by the grandkids
We sorted these by effort, from an afternoon at the kitchen table to a project that takes a few weekends. Mix and match. A small handmade thing plus one bigger gift covers both the tears and the laughs.
1. A handprint ornament
Salt dough, a rolling pin and one small hand pressed into the middle. Paint it, add a ribbon and write the child's name and age on the back.
Good for: grandparents with a tree full of family ornaments. The catch: salt dough cracks if you rush the baking. Make two, just in case.
2. A memory game of the whole family
This is the one we make. Matchy Matchy Memory prints your real photos as a matching card game, from $19.99. Let the grandkids choose the photos. They'll pick the funny ones: Grandpa asleep in his chair, the dog in a Santa hat, the cousin with the bowl haircut.
Good for: grandparents who host, babysit or love a game after dinner. The catch: it's a game, so it shines when there's someone to play with. For grandparents who see the kids once a year, pair it with idea 4.
3. A year of drawings
Have the kids draw one picture for every month of the coming year. Bind them into a simple homemade calendar. Grandma gets fresh art twelve times.
Good for: kids who love to draw. The catch: twelve drawings is a lot for a five-year-old. Spread the work over a few weekends.
4. A video message or a recorded carol
The grandkids sing a carol, read a poem or tell their best joke on camera. Load it onto a simple device so it plays with one button.
Good for: grandparents who live far away. The catch: a link in a text message can get lost. Make playback as easy as possible.
5. A grandkids' cookbook
Collect the family recipes the kids love, with their own notes in the margins. Grandma's pancakes, best with too much syrup. Grandpa's chili, too spicy for anyone under ten.
Good for: grandparents who cook for everyone. The catch: chasing recipes from relatives takes time. Start with five and add more next year.
6. A drawing of their house, framed
Ask a grandchild to draw the grandparents' house, garden and all. Frame it properly. Suddenly it's art.
Good for: grandparents who have lived in the same house for decades. The catch: kid art is honest. The house might lean. Grandpa might have six fingers. That's the charm.
7. A promise of time
A handwritten card from the kids promising one real afternoon together. Raking leaves, a movie on the couch, or teaching Grandma a new phone trick.
Good for: grandparents who live close. The catch: it only counts if the kids follow through. Put it on the family calendar right away.
Let the grandkids do the choosing
The gift lands harder when the kids clearly had a hand in it. Here's how to involve them at every age.
- Toddlers. Handprints, footprints, scribbles. Anything with their actual hand on it.
- Ages 4 to 8. Let them pick between two or three options you've chosen. They'll feel in charge.
- Ages 9 and up. Give them a real job. Writing the card, choosing the photos, wrapping the gift.
- Teenagers. Hand them the old family albums and a phone. They're often the best photo editors in the house.
When the gift is opened, have the kids explain what they made. That part often matters more than the gift itself.
Why a photo game works on Christmas afternoon
Christmas afternoon has a slump. The paper is cleared, dinner is hours away and the kids are restless. A deck of family faces fills that gap. Grandparents and grandkids end up at the same table, and every pair sparks a story.
Grandpa explains the bowl haircut. Grandma insists the beach trip was her idea. The kids learn which aunt fell in the lake. Those stories may end up being the real gift.
The deck also outlasts the day. It goes home with the grandparents and comes out at the next visit, the next sleepover and the next rainy afternoon. A sweater gets worn. A game gets played, and the grandkids are in every round.
For extra laughs, Matchy Matchy Magic re-draws your photos in 3D Film, Watercolor or Anime, from $29.99. Seeing the whole family as movie characters tends to bring the house down.
Gathering photos from every household
- Make one shared album. Send the link to every parent and teenager in the family.
- Give a deadline. One week is plenty. Without a deadline, the album stays empty.
- Ask for old photos too. A grandparent's own wedding photo next to a grandchild's school photo makes a great pair.
- Pick faces over scenery. Grandparents want the people.
- Choose bright, sharp shots. They print best.
You upload from your phone, so the teenager who collected everything can finish the job in one sitting.
Make one from all the grandkids
Let the grandkids pick the photos. Choose real photos or re-drawn ones. Choose 12, 24 or 48 cards. Check your first card before you pay. Shipping is $5, and free when you order 2 or more decks. US only, ships in 3 to 5 business days. Order early for Christmas.
Start with Matchy Matchy Memory for your real photos, or Matchy Matchy Magic to see the whole family re-drawn. Questions? Write to us at hello@matchygame.com.