Gift guide · 12 ideas
Gifts for grandparents
Comfort, a bit of help around the house, and ways to feel closer to the family.
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Grandparents usually say they have everything and just want to see the family. The best gifts lean into that: things that bring the family closer, make everyday life a little easier, or make home feel warmer and cosier through winter.
If eyesight, hands or mobility are becoming harder, a few of these ideas are designed with that in mind.
A Wi-Fi digital photo frame
Grandparents who live a drive away from the grandchildren see the school photos and days out as they happen, with no need for social media.
BIGASUO Frameo 10.1-inch Wi-Fi Photo Frame
£50–£75
- 32GB storage plus microSD slot
Children and grandchildren send photos and short clips from the free Frameo app, each with a caption to tell the story behind it, and they appear on the 10.1-inch touchscreen moments later. A day out can be on the sideboard before everyone’s even home.
What owners say: Easy to set up, with a crisp screen, and family like sending photos straight to it from their phones. Reliability is mixed, with some saying it stopped working.
A closer look: Each phone joins with a one-off code that the frame shows on screen, and the code can be texted to relatives who live further away. Videos play with sound, so turn the volume down in the settings if it sits in a quiet room.
A grandparent memory journal
Grandchildren rarely think to ask Grandma about her childhood or her younger days until they’re grown up, and the prompts do the asking.
Tell Me Your Life Story, Grandma
£10–£20
A guided journal of more than 200 questions, arranged in six chapters that follow a grandmother’s life from childhood onwards, with space to write each answer in her own hand. The questions suit every kind of family.
What owners say: Owners find the prompts meaningful and see it as a keepsake that helps younger generations learn the family’s history.
A closer look: A good pen and a gentle target, say the next big birthday, help it get finished rather than sitting on a shelf. Some grandmothers prefer to talk while a grandchild writes the answers down, which turns the prompts into lovely afternoons together. Once it’s complete, scan or copy it so every branch of the family has one.
- Over 200 questions
- Space for handwritten answers
- Six chapters by life stage
Warm slippers with grippy soles
Grandma pads between the kitchen and the armchair all day, so a warm, soft pair gets worn from breakfast to bedtime.
EverFoams Fuzzy Memory Foam Slippers
£26.99 RRP
- Machine washable
- Sole made for outdoors too
- Sizes run to UK 9/10
Fluffy all over, with a wool-like faux-alpaca upper, a soft faux-shearling lining and a closed toe for chilly floorboards. The anti-skid sole copes with a quick step outside.
What owners say: Owners say they’re warm and soft with a teddy-bear feel, and that they leave plenty of room for toes to move, though some find they slip at the heel when walking.
A closer look: For wide feet or a high instep, EverFoams suggests sizing up; the sizes come in two-size bands from UK 3/4 to 9/10. They can be washed by hand or in the machine, which keeps a pale pair looking fresh through the winter.
A DAB radio
The radio is on from the morning news to the afternoon play in many grandparents’ kitchens, and this one is simple enough to retune without help.
Roberts PLAY10 DAB/DAB+/FM Portable Radio
£30–£50
- Backlit display
- Mains adapter in the box
- Only six station presets
- No Bluetooth for phone music
The PLAY10 runs on mains or four AAs, with simple buttons and a headphone socket. Roberts has made radios since 1932 and was granted a Royal Warrant in 1955.
What owners say: Well designed, easy to set up and use, with good sound and a size owners like; the gripes are a few early failures and batteries that need replacing often.
A closer look: Its backlit display is easy to read in a dim kitchen or a shed at dusk. At 350g it’s light enough to carry out to the garden on batteries, so run it from the mains indoors and save the AAs for those trips.
A window bird feeder
Garden birds at the glass, watched from the armchair.
BPYOT Window Bird Feeder with Suction Cups
£10–£20
- No tree or pole needed
- Seed tray lifts out
A clear acrylic feeder that sticks to the outside of a window, so robins and tits feed right up against the glass: no garden, tree or pole needed. The seed tray lifts out for refilling and cleaning without taking the feeder off the window.
What owners say: Owners say small birds, robins especially, find it quickly, and that the suction cups hold firm even in strong winds; they find it sturdy, easy to put up and good to look at.
A closer look: Clean the glass with a little washing-up liquid and let it dry before pressing the cups on, as they grip best on a smooth, grease-free pane. Birds can take a week or two to trust a new feeder this close to a house, so leave it in one spot while they get used to it.
A 1000-piece jigsaw
A classic for quiet afternoons, and something the family can help with when they visit.
Wasgij Original 47: Boating Bedlam (1000 pieces)
£10–£20
A 1000-piece Wasgij with a twist: instead of the picture on the box, you piece together what Granny and Grandad Wasgij can see from their catamaran cruise. Clues in the box scene help, and the pieces are cut from recycled board.
What owners say: Owners find it good quality and enjoyable to work on, though several find it quite difficult.
A closer look: Finished, it measures about 68 by 49cm, so it needs a spare table or a puzzle board that can slide out of the way at mealtimes. With no picture to copy, sorting pieces by colour and pattern early on pays off, and the edge still goes together as usual to give a frame to build in.
- 1000 pieces
- About 68 × 49cm finished
- Box picture isn’t the answer
Heads up: Wasgijs are trickier than normal jigsaws, which is half the fun.
or compare other optionsA tea and biscuits hamper
A comforting treat that gets enjoyed with visitors. Nobody’s too old for a good biscuit.
Worth knowing: Many hampers are dressed for Christmas, so for a birthday or Mother’s or Father’s Day pick one in plain or tartan packaging, and check the best-before dates.
See options on AmazonAn electric blanket
Getting into a cold bed is one of the worst bits of winter as they get older, and this has it warm before they climb in.
Silentnight Comfort Control Electric Blanket (Double)
£30–£50
- Five heat settings
- Stitched channels hold the wires
- Three-year guarantee
- One controller for both sides
A microfleece under-blanket for a double bed, with five heat settings on a digital controller and stitched channels that hold the wires in place so the heat spreads evenly.
What owners say: Owners say it’s well made, warms the bed quickly and fits neatly. Durability splits them: some had one fail within a fortnight, and a few find it too small for a double or even painful to lie on.
A closer look: Fit it with the lead at the pillow end, slip the elasticated straps under the mattress without over-tightening them, then put the fitted sheet on top. Over summer, store it loosely rolled rather than folded tight, and look over the lead and controller for wear before the first cold night.
A magnifying glass with light
Medicine labels, seed packets and the crossword in the paper all come in smaller print than older eyes would like.
Nazano 10X Handheld Magnifier with 12 LEDs
Under £10
A handheld 10x magnifier with a double-layer glass lens and a ring of 12 LEDs, for small print, stamps and coins, even in a dim room. One button turns the light on and off.
What owners say: Owners find it excellent for small print and say the lights help in dim rooms; some wish the lens were bigger, and several find it heavy and bulky.
A closer look: At roughly 8cm across, the glass lens takes in a good chunk of a line at once, so reading a recipe or a bank letter involves less shuffling along. Start with it close to the page and lift it slowly until the words sharpen, and keep it where the reading happens, by the armchair or in the kitchen drawer.
- 10× magnification
- Glass lens about 8cm across
- 12 built-in LEDs
Heads up: Batteries aren’t included, so pack some with it.
or compare other optionsAn easy jar opener
Small and genuinely life-improving if their grip isn’t what it used to be.
Brabantia Tasty+ Universal Opener
Under £10
An expanding jar opener that punches a small air hole in the lid first to let the vacuum out, so even a stubborn lid turns with a gentle twist. It fits lids from 1 to 10cm across, and the grip is shaped to suit small hands.
What owners say: Owners find it opens over-tight lids of all sizes, helps arthritic hands and feels sturdy, though opinions on the grip are mixed.
A closer look: A hanging loop means it can live on a hook by the cupboard where the jars are, rather than disappearing into a drawer just when it’s needed. Beyond jars, it flips the caps off bottles and prises up stubborn lids, and it can go in the dishwasher when sticky jam gets on it.
- Fits lids 1–10cm across
- Grip suits small hands
- Punches an air hole first
Large-print puzzle books
Many grandparents do a puzzle with their morning cup of tea, and big, clear print is easier going than the small type in most puzzle books.
Martello Mega Large Print Word Search (set of 2)
Under £10
Two A4 word search books printed in extra-large type, with more than 125 puzzles in each. The big pages and clear letters suit an older puzzler or anyone who finds standard puzzle books too small to read comfortably.
What owners say: Owners find them well made, easy to read and good value, and say they keep the brain busy, older readers especially.
A closer look: Two books means one can stay by the armchair while the other goes in a bag for waiting rooms, train journeys or a visit to a friend. A highlighter makes found words stand out clearly, and a lap tray gives the A4 pages a firm surface.
- Two A4 books
- 125+ puzzles per book
- Extra-large print
A clip-on book light
A chapter in bed is how plenty of them end the day, and a light clipped to the page saves squinting by a dim bedside lamp.
Gritin 19 LED Rechargeable Book Light
£10–£20
- 12 hours on full brightness
- Wide head spreads the light
- Remembers the last setting
Nineteen LEDs behind a wide, flat head spread the light across the page, so there’s less nudging the lamp about. Three colours run from a deep 1800K amber to 6000K white, each at five brightness levels, and it remembers the last setting. A bendable metal gooseneck and a padded clip suit books and e-readers alike.
What owners say: Owners rate it for reading at night, with brightness and colour to suit, from a softer orange to plain white, and are pleased with what it costs. It works well on a music stand too, and one has it on a desk as a mini lamp.
A closer look: Clip it to the back cover rather than the pages and bend the metal gooseneck round so the head sits just above the top edge, where the beam spreads evenly down the page. The amber setting at its lowest level is enough for a paperback once your eyes have adjusted, and it’s the gentlest on anyone asleep alongside.
Choosing for grandparents
- Gifts that involve the family (photos, memory journals, a jigsaw to do together) often mean the most.
- Keep gadgets simple, and set them up before you hand them over.
- Time is the best gift. Add a handwritten note offering a day out or lunch together.
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