Gift ideas for grandparents

Whether you’re a child or fully-grown adult, your grandmother and grandfather deserve a thoughtful gift. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend, as long as your care and love go into whatever you buy or create. These ideas will start you on the road to gift-giving success – especially if you have no idea of what to get these members of your family.

First, it’s important to know what sorts of things your grandparents like and dislike. You can figure this out by talking to them or, better yet, visiting their house(s). You’ll quickly learn favorite colors, animals, shapes, and decorations if you pay a little attention the next time you go over for dinner or visit for the holidays. If this isn’t feasible, talk to your mother or father. Whichever parent grew up in their house is most likely to know exactly what will please them on this gift-giving occasion.

Now that you know your grandmother likes pink rabbits and your grandfather is in love with fishing tackle, you can start looking for something that will fit them perfectly. These gifts can be found just about anywhere: department stores, the Internet, flea markets, and even the mall. Once you have your eye on something that seems like a perfect fit, add it to your list of possibilities; you’ll want a few to choose from before you make a decision. If there’s any chance that you can wait and return to the first item later (i.e. it’s not on sale and it’s in a regular store that will have it in stock a few days from today), wait until you have a few other selections. This will help make sure that you get the ideal gift versus rushing to buy whatever looks good.

Nothing says that you MUST buy it from a store, so why not make it yourself? Better yet, customize it with your unique talents. Turn the flea-market fishing reel into a wall hanging with your woodworking skills. Gardeners can use old record players to make planters. Use your creative energies on this project; your grandparents will appreciate it.

What if you don’t have any discernible artistic or creative talents? You can still do something special. Find a family member who’s willing to help, and then put both your names on the card. Your grandparents will appreciate the group effort, and both you and your relative will gain a great memory for future generations.

Sometimes there is the advantage of having grandparents nearby. If that’s the case, you can create or buy a gift AND take them out for a nice meal or other outing. They’ll probably appreciate a few hours with you more than all the throw rugs, gift cards, and planters you could give them. Be sure to take plenty of photos (with duplicates for your grandma and grandpa’s photo album) so you can relive the memories decades from now.

Even with these tips, some people will be stuck for ideas. Here are some suggestions and questions you can ask yourself to get started.

-Where do my grandparents love to shop? You can always take them on a shopping outing (with you paying, of course). Try not to let them talk you into taking them to the grocery store; this is supposed to be a fun outing, not a necessary trip.

-What do they need around their house(s)? If the lawn could use some work, you can volunteer your services, and mower, for the rest of the year. Make a coupon book if you want; it’ll thrill them to know that you’re doing something for them without expecting anything in return.

-What are the rest of the people in the family getting for them? You don’t want the grandparents to have twelve Afghans all over the house. Communicate with your other relatives to figure out who’s buying what. As a bonus, this can jump-start your own thought process and (hopefully) give you new ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

-Can our family plan some big event and work on it together? Sometimes a family reunion or picnic in the city park is perfect, even if some family members aren’t close enough to attend. Bringing the family together to hang out with the grandparents for a few hours in the sunshine can be a bigger blessing, and create more memories, than many other ideas.

Sometimes your grandma or grandpa’s health won’t allow that, but you can still bring the party to them! Set something up in their back yard, or even in their house!

-Have the grandparents mentioned anything they want or need? Sometimes listening to what people say is the easiest, most foolproof way to figure out the perfect gift.

Remember: if this is a gift you’re going to wrap, take your time and do it right. Just because grandparents are eternally forgiving of messy jobs doesn’t mean you can get away with it. Don’t forget the card while you’re at it.