Gifts for grandparents

How to choose for a grandparent

Grandparents rarely need more things. What they want is contact with the family and fewer small frustrations. The strongest gifts do one of three jobs: bring the grandkids closer, make an everyday task easier on the eyes or hands, or give them a reason to get out of the house.

Contact first. A Wi-Fi photo frame like the Nixplay or the Aura Carver Mat means new pictures show up without them touching a phone. The Grandparent Pen Pal Set and Storyworth build something over months. A Photobox calendar puts every birthday on the kitchen wall.

Then comfort and ease. Large-print gear like the Bicycle jumbo cards and the LogicKeyboard Astra 2 helps with tired eyes. Easy Handling puzzles from Cobble Hill have big pieces. The Sangean radio has presets and a lock switch so nothing gets lost.

Setup is part of the gift

Anything with Wi-Fi, an app or an account needs to work the moment it is opened. Set up the photo frame on their Wi-Fi when you visit, or before you give it, and send the first 30 photos yourself. Ask the rest of the family to send pictures every week, or it becomes a slideshow of last Christmas.

Do the same for the Kobo Clara BW. Borrowing library books is the reason to buy it on a fixed income, but linking the library card can need help. Make the text bigger before you wrap it.

For Storyworth and the pen pal set, the person giving it has to keep it going. Read the weekly answers. Remind the grandchild to write back. These gifts fail quietly when nobody follows up.

Budgets and who pays

Under $25 covers the jumbo playing cards, a large-piece puzzle, a window bird feeder or a Kneelo pad. These are good gifts from grandchildren, especially with a drawing or a note.

From $50 to $200 covers memberships, frames and radios: the National Trust or Zoos Victoria pass, the America the Beautiful pass, the Nixplay or Aura frame, the Sangean DAB+ radio. Memberships are only worth it if they go often, so check how far the nearest site is.

The splurge is a throw. The Waverley Mills Hush throw and the Pendleton Yakima throw are made to last decades. For a big birthday, let the whole family chip in for one of these rather than buying several small things.

Hobbies and days out

Match the gift to what they already do. A grandparent who keeps a feeder gets the Wildlife World window feeder or the ZeroTech binoculars. A gardener gets the Kneelo pad. A puzzler gets the Chickadee Tea or the wooden lorikeet puzzle, which a grandchild can help finish.

Days out work best for grandparents who still drive or take the train. The National Trust membership covers two adults at one address. The Zoos Victoria membership lets grandkids under 16 in free, so it pays off on trips with the family. The America the Beautiful pass covers a whole car at many parks. Check the nearest site before you buy any of them.

Mistakes to avoid

Giving a gadget with a monthly bill. The Nixplay's extra sources need a subscription; the Aura does not charge one. Be clear about which costs fall on them.

Getting sizes wrong. Mahabis slippers come in EU sizes and some were out of stock. Ask a parent or partner for their shoe size rather than guessing.

Buying heavy things for small homes. The crokinole board is about a metre across and 6 kg. Great for a family house, awkward in a small apartment or care home. A 124-piece wooden puzzle or a deck of cards takes no room at all.

Shipping late. The crokinole board and anything from a small maker take time. If a holiday is close, Storyworth and the Zoos Victoria membership both arrive by email.

Questions people ask

What do you get grandparents who have everything?

Give them more contact with the family. A Wi-Fi photo frame filled with new pictures every week, a Storyworth subscription that turns their stories into a book, or a pen pal set with a grandchild all fit. A membership for days out, like the National Trust or a zoo pass, works for active grandparents.

What is a good gift from grandchildren to grandparents?

Something small that the grandchild helped choose or make. Jumbo playing cards for a card night together, a large-piece puzzle to finish on a visit, or a Photobox calendar with photos the grandchild picked. Add a drawing or a handwritten note. The note often gets kept long after the gift.

Are digital photo frames good for grandparents who aren't good with technology?

Yes, if someone else sets them up. Both the Nixplay and the Aura Carver Mat let family members send photos from their phones, so the grandparent does nothing. Connect it to their Wi-Fi before you leave and load the first batch of photos. Without Wi-Fi at their home, neither frame works.

What gifts help grandparents with poor eyesight?

Look for large print and big pieces. Bicycle jumbo index cards have oversized corner numbers. The LogicKeyboard Astra 2 has large backlit letters. Cobble Hill Easy Handling puzzles use pieces about two inches across. An e-reader with adjustable text size, like the Kobo Clara BW, helps a heavy reader.