Gifts for grandkids that last longer than Christmas morning
Start with the books you loved as a child, add a tradition only you can give, and you have a gift that is still around long after the wrapping paper.
The gifts for grandkids that last are the ones only a grandparent can give: a classic book you loved, inscribed with the date and a line about why you chose it; a tradition you repeat every year; time together; and a small savings gift that grows. If you live far away, send two copies of the same book and read it together over a video call.
Grandparents have a superpower when it comes to gifts: memory. You know which books were read until the spine cracked, which outings became family stories, and which presents nobody remembers by February. The best gifts for grandkids usually draw on exactly that. Here are ideas that put your history to work, starting with books and moving through traditions, meaningful gifts and ideas for grandparents who live far away.
Start with the books you loved
A classic picture book is one of the few gifts that can connect three generations. You read it as a child, or read it to your own children, and now you get to hand it on. These are all real, award-winning or long-loved titles that are still easy to find.
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (ages 3 to 6)
A pair of mallards look for a safe place to raise their family and settle in Boston’s Public Garden. It won the Caldecott Medal in 1942, and its slow, careful drawings still hold small children’s attention. It pairs beautifully with a trip to feed the ducks.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (ages 4 to 8)
Max makes mischief, sails off to where the wild things are, and comes home to find his supper waiting. The 1964 Caldecott Medal winner is short enough for bedtime and big enough to talk about: being angry, being brave, being loved anyway.
Corduroy by Don Freeman (ages 3 to 6)
A department store bear missing a button waits to be chosen, and a girl named Lisa comes back for him with money from her own piggy bank. First published in 1968, it is a gentle story about friendship, and a quiet one about saving up for something you want.
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (read-aloud, ages 6 to 8)
For an older grandchild, a chapter book read aloud over many visits or calls becomes a shared project. This 1953 Newbery Honor book, about a pig named Wilbur and the spider who saves him, is a natural choice. Mark where you stopped with a bookmark you made yourself.
Books about grandparents and family
Some of the best picture books are about grandparents themselves, which makes them a lovely gift from one. Reading them together often opens the door to your own stories.
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman, illustrated by Stephen Gammell (ages 4 to 8)
Grandpa takes his visiting grandchildren up to the attic and shows them the songs, dances and jokes from his days as a vaudeville performer. It won the Caldecott Medal in 1989. Expect to be asked what you used to do when you were young.
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Stephen Gammell (ages 3 to 7)
The relatives drive up from Virginia for a visit, and the house fills with hugging, eating and sleeping wherever there is room. A 1986 Caldecott Honor book, it captures the happy chaos of a family visit, which makes it a perfect gift ahead of the holidays.
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (ages 5 to 8)
As a girl, Great-aunt Alice Rumphius decides she will travel to faraway places, live by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful. She does all three. It is a quiet, grown-up picture book about a whole life, told by an older relative, and one that grows with the reader.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson (ages 4 to 8)
Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. He asks why they don’t have a car and why they have to go where they go, and each answer helps him notice the beauty around him. It won the 2016 Newbery Medal and a Caldecott Honor.
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say (ages 6 to 8)
Allen Say tells of his grandfather’s journey from Japan to America, and of feeling torn between a love for two countries. The 1994 Caldecott Medal winner is a good fit for families with their own story of moving, and an easy opening for telling yours.
Start a tradition, not just a gift
What grandchildren remember most is often the thing that happened every year. A tradition costs little and grows in value each time you repeat it.
- A book every Christmas, always inscribed. By age ten, they have a small shelf from you.
- A yearly outing that belongs to the two of you: the same holiday light display, a ballet, a diner breakfast.
- A baking day with the family recipe, written out on a card for them to keep.
- A birthday letter each year, saved in one envelope to open when they are grown.
- An ornament with the year on it, so the tree slowly fills with their childhood.
Meaningful gifts for grandkids who have everything
If the toy shelves are full, these gifts add something without adding clutter. More non-toy ideas are in our guide to non-toy gifts for kids.
- Time, wrapped. A handmade “ticket” for a day out with you, with a date on it.
- A first piggy bank with a few coins already inside, and the promise to add one each visit. It is a small, visible way to show that money grows when you wait. Our hub on how to teach kids about money has more on what children understand at each age.
- A savings bond. TreasuryDirect, run by the U.S. Treasury, lets people buy electronic savings bonds as gifts. The child needs a Social Security number and a TreasuryDirect account linked to a parent’s or custodian’s account, so plan it with the parents.
- A 529 plan contribution. These state-sponsored education savings accounts accept contributions, and many plans are open to savers regardless of where they live. Pair it with something the child can open on the day.
- A family heirloom with its story written down: a pocket watch, a recipe box, a quilt.
- Your stories, recorded. An audio recording of you telling what their parent was like at their age is a gift that only gets more precious.
Ideas for long-distance grandparents
Distance changes the logistics, not the bond. A study by AARP Research with Georgetown University and other universities, run during the pandemic, found that many grandparents used video chats to stay close to young grandchildren, and that some read books together over the call. Parents helped a lot by pointing children toward the screen and asking questions.
- Two copies of the same book. Send one, keep one, and read it together on a video call. Ask the parents to sit in for little ones.
- Your voice, recorded. Record yourself reading a picture book aloud, page by page, and send it with the book. It becomes a bedtime staple.
- A story in the mail. Send a postcard every week, each one adding a chapter to a story you make up together.
- A free book program. If your grandchild is under five, ask the parents whether Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library serves their area. It mails a free, age-appropriate book to registered children each month, and families sign up through a local program partner.
Check with the parents first
A quick text to the parents saves everyone a headache: what the child is into right now, what is already on the shelf, and whether there is room for anything big. It is not about rules. It is about making sure your gift is the one that gets used. If you want more ways to pick a book they will love, see books as gifts for kids.
Something new to go next to the classics
Once the classics are on the shelf, a newer set can sit beside them. Full disclosure: we publish this one. The Money & Business Library is five illustrated picture books for ages 4 to 8 that follow money from a first dollar to a small business, with audiobook editions. It is one option among many, and the classics above will do the job beautifully on their own.
Questions parents ask
What is a meaningful gift from a grandparent?
Gifts that carry your history tend to mean the most: a book you loved as a child with a handwritten inscription, a family heirloom with its story written down, a recording of you telling family stories, or a tradition you repeat every year.
What are good Christmas gifts for grandchildren from grandparents?
Classic picture books, books about grandparents such as Song and Dance Man or Last Stop on Market Street, a day out together with a date on it, a first piggy bank with a few coins inside, or the start of a yearly tradition like an inscribed book every Christmas.
What can long-distance grandparents give their grandkids?
Send two copies of the same book and read it together on a video call, record yourself reading a picture book aloud, or mail a weekly postcard that tells a story in installments. For children under five, parents can check whether Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library serves their area.
Can grandparents buy savings bonds for grandchildren?
Yes. Through TreasuryDirect, anyone can buy electronic savings bonds as gifts. The grandchild needs a Social Security number and a TreasuryDirect account linked to a parent’s or custodian’s account, so it works best planned together with the parents.
Sources
Written by the WonderLab Journal editorial desk and checked against the sources above. Found something out of date? Tell us through the corrections page.
