7 gifts for grandparents to enjoy together

You find a gift labeled "for grandparents," but you can already picture Grandma using it while Grandpa wonders where it's going to live. Sharing a home doesn't mean they want the same things.

Think about both of them. These seven ideas leave room for different interests, and you can also look at our guides to gifts for grandma and gifts for grandpa if separate gifts fit better.

1. An album they can open right away

Choose a small set of photos and add captions with names and dates you know. Include a memory connected to each grandparent, along with pictures of things they've done together.

Ten photos can be enough. Ask permission to share them and handle the printing or assembly yourself, so your grandparents can sit down with the album as soon as they unwrap it.

2. A meal where they can sit and eat

Ask what they'd like and choose a date. You might book a table at a familiar restaurant or bring dinner to their house if they would enjoy having everyone there.

Handle the dishes too. For a bigger gathering, ask relatives to take specific jobs beforehand so Grandma doesn't end up organizing the kitchen while everyone else catches up.

3. A few letters from the family

Invite willing relatives to write a memory and some news. Give them a deadline. A few paragraphs from each person will give you something to collect without turning the gift into weeks of chasing replies.

Ask writers to include both grandparents, or write a separate note to each. Children can dictate a sentence or add a drawing to the collection you put together yourself.

4. An outing they both choose

Offer a couple of options, such as lunch after a museum visit or a performance they've mentioned. Ask before booking. Check the walking distance and seating so the day works for both of them.

You can keep the outing brief and leave time to sit somewhere afterward. One person's favorite activity may suit the other better with a shorter visit.

5. Their versions of a family story

Ask about their first home or a family celebration. Let them talk together or separately, whichever they prefer, and keep both accounts when the details differ.

With permission, record the conversation or write it up for them to check. Our grandparent story questions can help you choose an opening question.

6. A plan to do something again

Suggest a seasonal lunch or a call to talk about a book you're all reading. Ask if they'd enjoy it, then arrange the first date while you have your calendars open.

Keep the promise manageable. Our guide to staying close from far away has ideas for fitting letters and calls around the visits you can make.

7. Mail with something for each of them

Address both by name. Tell Grandma how your seedlings are doing, then ask Grandpa about the book he mentioned, or choose details that suit their interests.

MailedIt helps you keep writing each month. Write the letter yourself or start with notes and get writing help, then review and approve it before we print and mail it. See MailedIt plans if that fits your family. If your grandparents live separately, write to each of them.

Before you settle on a shared gift, picture each person receiving it. If you can only imagine one of them enjoying it, choose two small gifts and give them during the same visit.