Christmas is a season of giving, and it’s not just about kids receiving gifts. It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas gifts for your loved ones, and it’s also never too early to teach the value of giving to your little ones. Since your children may be incapable of buying useful gifts for their grandparents, you can teach them to make handmade crafts to show their love and thought. It will be fun for kids, and it will provide a bonding moment for you, too! Plus, the grannies will surely appreciate the personalized token. Here are some of the best homemade Christmas gifts you and your kids can make for grandparents:
Grandparent Mugs
A mug with your child’s adorable handwriting makes the cutest grandparent mug that ever existed. Buy a plain mug and get some ceramic paint pens, then let your kid write a message like “I ♥ Grandpa,” or if your kid is more artistic, let them draw their grandparents’ faces.
Family Tree on a Tray
This is a lovely gift idea that your grandma will surely love. Get a tray, then cut out some tree pieces using colored paper and stick it to the tray until you made a tree. Get a cutout of your family’s faces from photos and also stick it into the tray to make a family tree. Finally, layer it with mod podge and let it dry for the tray to be usable.
Bookmarks featuring Grandchildren
If your grandparent is a bookworm, here’s a natural gift that your granny will love. Use bookmarks using cutout photos where your little ones are standing and holding their hands up. Then, attach ribbons to the hands, and you’ve got a cute bookmark. Every time their grandparents read a book, they will always have your little one in mind.
Pillow with Message
Create your pillowcase for your grandparents. If you have the ability to sew, then sew one with your kids. But if not (or if you prefer to buy one instead), then you can opt for a canvas pillow cover. Use fabric paint or fabric pens to write a message on the pillowcase for them. The message will be up to you, and you can let your kids help you with designing. This can make a super personal gift!
Jar of Happiness
Is your grandparent living alone? Why not give him or her a happy jar? It’s a gift that can help cheer them up. Find an empty mason jar then attach a label to it that reads “Happy Jar.” You can customize it and put your grandparent’s name to it. Then place pieces of paper with positive and supportive thoughts on each slip. So whenever your grandparents are feeling low and sad, they can take out a message that will brighten up their gloomy day.
Handprint Apron
Here’s a simple yet impressive personalized gift: get your grandparent an apron with a customized print. If your grandma loves to cook and bake, she will surely love this one. Instead of getting a standard apron from the store, make it personal using your own children’s handprints. Get a solid-colored apron and get each one of the grandchildren to dip one of their hands in fabric paint. Press the hand on the apron. Then paint out the names of the kids underneath their handprints. This personalized apron represents that there are lots of little hands that are ready to help their grandparents!
Footprint Stool
If you can make one with handprints, you can also create something out of the footprints of your little ones. Make a fun keepsake for your grandparents by designing a stool with footprints. All you need is an old wooden stool, and paint it black. Spray paint the feet of your little one and have one printed on the surface of the stool. Their grandparents will treasure these tiny footprints forever.
Heartfelt message using Photos
If you can’t be with your grandparents at Christmas, you can send them a heartfelt photo on Facebook or email. To make it more special, send them a collage with a special message featuring you and their grandchildren. In every picture, hold up a small board or paper with a single word written on it. Then on your photo collage, put together the photos to make a message out of them. Your grandparents will adore the message with your faces in it!
Polaroid Collection
Give your grandparents a collection of polaroids of their loved ones this Christmas. Get a big poster and paste polaroids with all sorts of memories. Make sure to include a lot of photos taken at fun and candid moments to make it more memorable. You may even write a label below to make it even more personalized. This is a lovely gift that your grandparents will cherish.
Personalized Glass Terrarium
If your grandparents love keeping indoor plants, or if they love to garden, they will appreciate a glass terrarium. They will be able to plant anything they want in it – or if you want, you can add your own plant as a gift as well. Using acrylic enamel paint, write a message for your grandparents. For instance, you can write “Best Grandma,” “Best Grandpa,” or “Best Grandparents Ever.”
Kid’s Art Handkerchief
A handkerchief is an accessory that almost anyone uses. Believe it or not, you can gift your grandparents’ personalized hankies with your kids’ drawings! Using fabric crayons, let your child draw directly on a plain cotton or linen handkerchief. You may also do it with plain hand towels or kitchen towels. But before that, you may want to ask your kid first to practice on paper before doing it on the hanky. To heat-set, place a piece of fabric over the drawing, then iron the handkerchief according to the instructions on the crayon package. This helps secure the design on the hanky. Then, tie it up with a waxed cord or thin ribbon, and add a gift tag. It’s better if your child is the one to write on the gift tag as well!
Grandkids Picture Sign
Grandparents have a big heart for their grandchildren. And most of them are so proud to display photos of their beloved little ones. The problem is, kids, change and grow so fast, so you can give your grandparents a picture sign wherein they can easily swap out photos throughout the year. Get a rectangular wooden board or frame, wood letters, scrapbook paper, mini clothespins, paint, and decorative accessories. Paint the board with your designed color for the backdrop, then cut the scrapbook paper to cover the back. Glue it properly. Then, apply a layer of mod podge to the back of the board. Once the glue is dry, get your kids to arrange wood letters that spell the word “grandkids.” After that, hot glue some wooden clothespins at the bottom of the board and insert a photo of each of the grandkids for every clothespin. Make sure it’s evenly spaced. After that, you can decorate every clothespin with buttons, flowers, and other decorations.
Activities Your Kids Can Share with Grandparents on Christmas
Christmas is a great time to make memories with family, and it can be more meaningful for your kids when celebrated with their grandparents. This article has some ideas for activities that your children can do with their grandpop and granny, and even involving you for complete family fun.
Here are some of the activities that can be enjoyed by the family during Christmas season. The best part is that you can make these activities a tradition, so the kids and your old folks have something to look forward to every year. It’s a great way to bond with them and make the holiday season even more special!
1. Create decorations
Children enjoy crafting, particularly when it includes using glitter and glue, although it’s not necessary to use glitter if you prefer not to. Crafting ornaments with their grandparents for the Christmas tree is a delightful activity. Rekindle old memories by cutting and threading construction paper loops or constructing popcorn garlands, as we did in the past.
2. Decorate your Christmas tree and hang up the lights with your family
Involve everyone in the process. If there’s an older member in your family who can’t decorate their own tree, schedule some time during the weekend following Thanksgiving to assist them in decorating their tree.
3. Bake gingerbread cookies
Making gingerbread cookies with grandparents can be a fun and memorable experience. First, gather all the necessary ingredients, like flour, sugar, butter, molasses, and of course, ginger. Then, work together to mix and knead the dough, rolling it out to cut out cute cookie shapes. Kids can help their grandparents with decorating the cookies with icing, sprinkles, or candy. While waiting for the cookies to bake, you can sit and chat, listen to stories, or even sing Christmas carols. And finally, once the cookies are done, you can all enjoy the delicious treats together while reminiscing on the special time spent baking as a family.
4. Make presents for the neighbors
Your kids will surely enjoy creating gifts for neighbors with their grandparents. It can be a really fun and thoughtful activity to do together. There are so many different things you could make, like homemade cookies, a painting or a drawing, or even a plant that you’ve grown from a seed. Get creative and think about what your neighbors might enjoy receiving. It’s also a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your grandparents, learning from their wisdom and hearing their stories. And when you give the gifts to your neighbors, you’ll get to see the joy on their faces, which is the best part of all.
5. Have a Christmas movie night
If you’re looking for a fun way for your kids to spend some quality time with your parents during the holidays, why not plan a movie night in your family’s theater room? There’s nothing quite like snuggling up together under cozy blankets with some popcorn and hot cocoa, while enjoying a classic Christmas flick. There are so many great movies to choose from, like “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Elf,” or “Home Alone.” Plus, watching together in the theater room will make it feel like a real cinematic experience. So, gather the family, fire up the projector, and get ready for some holiday cheer!
Make Christmas More Special
As everyone may dread, life is short, and we don’t know when we will lose our loved ones. Therefore, make the most of every moment you can be with your parents—your kids’ grandparents. Create more lovely memories with them and involve your children in these.
Like other grandparents, your parents may be so fond of their grandchildren. If you know how much they adore one another, helping your kids create lovely presents for grandma and grandpa will surely make Christmas more unforgettable for the family.