Popular Christmas presents for your grandchildren

Christmas is a time for giving, sharing and spending time with family, friends and loved ones, so making it as special as possible is often at the forefront of people’s minds, no matter what your age.

As you age, Christmas can become a little trickier, as changes in your mobility might mean you need to use stair lifts or mobility aids to move around so getting out to the shops can be more difficult. The rise in online shopping has helped many people suffering from a mobility issue, but something else that can remain tricky is keeping up with what Christmas presents your grandchildren want.

This guide looks at some of the best gifts on the market for you to buy your grandchildren this Christmas, whether you are planning to see them on the big day or not.

Best Christmas presents for grandchildren

•Crafts for your grandchildren

•Books

•Tickets to a show

•Toys

•A musical instrument

•A subscription

•Gifts from small and local businesses

Crafts for your grandchildren

Crafts are a popular activity for children at any time of the year, but it is a great present to buy at Christmas, especially if your budget is a little tight. There are so many different types of kits that you can choose from ranging from science kits to baking kits. Another positive of buying crafts kits is the fact you can get involved and help your grandchild play with them.

Issy, who blogs at A Suffolk Mum, says that crafts are a great Christmas present idea: “Another favourite in our house is crafts and messy play, slime is always a winner as it’s great for all ages. Ready-made pots of it are perfect for little ones or science kits to make their own for older children. Kinetic sand is also fun and therapeutic for grandparents to have a play with too.”

Below are just some craft kit ideas that are popular.

Art kits

Mairead from the blog The Sickly Mama thinks presents that the family can do together are a great choice: “I would recommend that grandparents buy their grandkids something fun that you can do together. For instance - if you enjoy cooking, you could buy your grandchild a kid's cookbook and make a date to bake cookies together, or if you like art you could buy some art supplies and arrange to do some painting together. That way, you're not just giving a one-off present, but you're also creating memories and sharing something you love.”

Baking kits

Baking with your grandchildren is an activity that can be great fun and now there are a variety of different baking kits available for you to buy. You can buy kits for making flapjacks, cookies, brownies, buns and cakes to name just a few.

The kits come with all the dry ingredients and a recipe card so all you need is the equipment. Who knows, your grandchild could be the next Mary Berry.

Kinetic sand

Kinetic sand is another great hands-on gift you can buy your grandchildren during the festive season and are available online or at high street toy retailers.

The magic sand can fascinate your grandchildren and the kits are a great way to keep them occupied for hours on end, so you can sit down and watch your favourite Christmas movie.

Books

Books are a gift that can be treasured for years and finding a classic book or re-editions is a great present for your grandchildren to open on Christmas Day. There are so many classic books that you can buy depending on the interests of your grandchild, but some popular books include Peter Pan, Winnie The Pooh, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory or the Harry Potter series of books.

Books can inspire your grandchildren and they would make great reading material before bed so their parents may end up thanking you for making the bedtime routine a little bit easier!

Emma, who is the writer of the Lipgloss and Curves blog, thinks books are a great present idea: “Christmas can be hard for grandparents to know what to get their grandkids, depending on age this can be tricky as I know it is for my nan, who struggles to get out to the shops or shop online. Books, these can be from second-hand stores/pre-loved or even new books. Again, this is suitable for any age range, and it could even be a colouring book and a packet of crayons or pencils.

“I also recommend beautiful second-hand Christmas books (make sure any that have batteries are able to be changed), local charity stores often have a fantastic selection and also offer wonderful Christmas stuffed teddys which can be washed and given a nice new home. Some other fab ideas for Christmas are puzzles. No matter what age the grandchildren are a puzzle is for everyone and can be done while Christmas Dinner is cooking even as a family.”

Vicky Smith, blogger at The Mummy Bubble said: “A gift that is sure to be popular with parents is new books for their collection. You can get amazing, personalised books that include your grandchild in the story, which makes a really magical present.

“When shopping for your grandkids you’ll be wanting to strike a good balance between fun and practical (something they will get a lot of use out of). Educational toys and STEM toys that encourage an interest in discovering more about science, maths and engineering are a great choice. If your grandchild is learning how to read then consider a toy that can aid them with learning, such as a device like a LeapStart which has interactive books.”

Teresa, who is the founder of the Nana Hood blog, talks about how she loves to give her grandchildren presents that make them think and that is why books are a great present.

“I love gifts that make my grandchildren think, and I'm a reader so I love to give books. Some of my favourite children's books are listed here. Reading with a grandchild is a great way to spend some quiet time together. You can create some awesome reading spaces in your home that will make reading even more fun. Make a tent with blankets and chairs and crawl inside with your grandchild, or get a large box and let them pretend it's a reading space station or a rocket. They can colour and decorate the outside of the box before you launch your adventures through books!”

READ MORE: The best children's books about grandparents

Tickets to a show

If you want to buy a Christmas present for your grandchildren that is something you can enjoy as well, then buying tickets to a show is a great gift idea.

Paying for tickets to a live show by their favourite artist or a child-friendly performance like Disney on Ice means it is an event that they can look forward to and is something in which you can spend quality time with them.

There are so many shows and performances that are perfect for you to attend. This could be a concert or music gig, a theatre performance, a live show or even tickets to the cinema to watch a movie.

If you suffer from mobility problems and are worried about attending a show, you will just need to do a bit of research to find out if the venue is accessible and has a lift or a curved stairlift that you can use instead of stairs and if there is accessible seating available.

Toys

What could be more exciting for children than some of their favourite toys at Christmas? Toys are always a popular present with younger children and December is no exception. With so many different toys on the market it can be difficult to know which ones they will like, Clare from My Tunbridge Wells explains a little more:

“Another simple gift idea is a soft toy. My mum usually gives one to each of my children every year and each time they cuddle their soft toy, it reminds them of their Grandma! I also think a gift where a child can create something to then give to their grandparent is a nice idea. For example, a stencil set, a clay modelling kit or a paint sticks set. That way, the child can then create something while also experiencing the joy of giving something back.”

Something that many children love to do is build things and a great gift to keep the kids occupied is LEGO. The great thing about this classic toy is it comes in so many shapes and sizes.

Vicky Smith added: “Toys that involve building are always going to be popular - look for age-appropriate guidance so you pick something they can manage to use. LEGO creates sets for all ages, and also has themed kits based on favourite movies and characters that would be a great choice to make them happy on Christmas Day.”

A musical instrument

Playing and learning music benefits people of all ages, including children—and it’s also great fun too. If your grandchild is a budding musician, then something to consider buying them for Christmas is an instrument so they can practice. As well as buying them an instrument, you could also look at booking some lessons for them.

Not only would buying a grandchild a musical instrument be fun but there are lots of other benefits associated with music education. Music engages both sides of the brain and challenges children to concentrate on multiple tasks, which has been shown to improve a child’s reasoning and creativity.

READ MORE: Who are the most iconic British musicians over 65?

A subscription

A slightly different Christmas present idea for your grandchild is to buy a subscription. Whether it is a subscription to their favourite magazine or an arts and crafts subscription, there is one to suit every grandchild.

Ella from Typically Mummy has a son who loves his subscription and always recommends it to grandparents looking for a gift idea: “My ideal gift for grandparents to give to their grandchildren is a yearly subscription of some sort so that the child can enjoy the gift throughout the year. For my 9-year-old son's Christmas present last year, my parents bought him a subscription to ‘The Week Junior’, the child-friendly version of ‘The Week’, the current affairs magazine for adults. My son eagerly awaits it popping through the letterbox each week so that he can learn about what is happening in the world, and it is almost as if he is receiving a weekly present from my parents.”

She continues: “He loves to sit and read it and especially loves to snuggle up to my parents and read it with them when they visit, which is a lovely bonding experience. My parents also bought my 5-year-old daughter a subscription last Christmas which was for a monthly art and crafts box. The box is packed full of different crafting activities for her to do and again, it is like receiving a different present each month. By buying a subscription as a gift, grandparents know that they are buying something educational and useful and the gifting experience lasts all year round.”

Jo, who is behind the blog A Rose Tinted Glasses, also recommends a subscription as the perfect Christmas present: “The best gifts for me are the ones that make memories, the ones that people can talk about for weeks or maybe even years afterwards. So as a parent or grandparent, the best ideas for Christmas gifts, in my opinion, are the gifts that give experiences. Gifts such as a day trip to somewhere that the recipient will love, or a subscription to a magazine that the receiver will enjoy and gain from. Gifts like these will last the whole year. Instead of a gift that will soon be forgotten about, put in a cupboard, or given to a charity shop after New Year’s Day.”

Gifts from small and local businesses

How often do you hear about small and local businesses struggling? Something that many people are opting to do is to buy all their Christmas presents from local businesses.

Shopping locally is something that Thia, the author of The Honest Mums Club, recommends trying at Christmas.

She says: “I totally recommend shopping with small businesses this Christmas. You don't necessarily need to make the decision on the item, a gift voucher from a small business is a great idea! That way you're still supporting small business owners, but your grandchildren can pick something themselves. Depending on their age of course. I love practical gifts also, items my children need but aren't a top priority. For example - the next size clothing, age-appropriate educational toys. This year we are purchasing from small businesses, as well as finding Montessori style toys. Instead of the standard plastic toys we see everywhere, we are opting for eco-friendly wooden toys - these don't need to be expensive, second-hand toys are still great!”

From tickets to a live event to books that can be enjoyed by all ages, this guide features some of the different types of Christmas presents you could look at buying for your grandchildren this festive season. For more tips and blogs like these then head to our news section.