Gift ideas for grandkids, by age
Grandchildren come in sizes, and so do their tastes. A gift that was perfect last year can be too young this year. The ideas below follow the ages, and the last section covers the harder job of keeping all of them straight.
One habit helps at every age: ask the parents first. They know what is already in the toy box, what they are trying to cut back on, and what the child has outgrown since September.
What should I ask the parents?
Keep it to a few questions you can send in a text:
- What size is she in now, and what's the next size up?
- What does he have too much of?
- Is there something they keep saying they want?
- Any rules at your house about screens, sugar or noisy toys?
Babies and toddlers (up to 3)
Parents often want things more than toys: clothes one size up, a good board book, stacking cups, a bath toy that does not hold water inside. Skip newborn sizes, since they are outgrown within weeks.
Toys with small parts are not for children under 3, because they are a choking risk. Balloons are a choking risk for children under 8, especially the pieces of one that has burst. Check the age label on the box.
Ages 3 to 5
Pretend play takes over. Dress-up clothes, a toy kitchen, a doctor kit and building blocks all earn their space. Picture books are still the best value, especially the one you will be asked to read forty times.
Anything for making things is a safe bet: chunky crayons, chalk, play dough, a roll of plain paper.
Ages 6 to 8
Interests show up. One child is all dinosaurs, another is soccer, another is glitter. Follow the interest and you will be right. Board and card games start to work now, and they come with a built-in invitation to play with you.
Bikes and scooters are sized by the child's height and wheel size, not by age, so ask the parents for the right one.
Ages 9 to 12
Collections and projects begin: a model to build, a drawing set, an instrument, sports gear, a telescope. At this age children like to be treated as a bit older, so a real notebook, a proper tool or their own alarm clock can feel like a promotion.
Teens
Ask them, or ask the parents. A teenager will tell a text what they would not tell your face. If they have no answer, an outing with you or money toward something they are saving for usually beats a guess.
Gifts you do not wrap
A morning at the zoo, a baking afternoon, a movie night at your house, a yearly membership somewhere they love. Put a date on it, because "sometime soon" tends to slide.
A letter is a cheap gift that gets kept. So is a voice recording of you reading their favorite book.
How do I keep all the grandchildren straight?
Write down each one's age, sizes, interests and what they got last year. Wishmark holds that for you. Each grandchild is a person with dates, and you send their ask link to a parent, who types in wishes, sizes and anything the child can't have. Next year you send the same link again.
If the parents keep a wishlist, the "I'll get this" button tells you what is already spoken for. You see "Someone's getting this" on anything another relative has picked, so there is only one train set.