Gifts for Grandchildren from Grandparents: Christmas

Wigiwama Bear Beanbag in biscuit teddy fabric beside a fireplace in a family sitting room

Best Gifts for Grandchildren from Grandparents This Christmas

Grandparents often give the gift that gets remembered. Here is how to choose one that lasts.

Several of the warmest reviews in our store come from grandparents. They tend to describe the moment a gift was opened and the face of the child who opened it. That is a useful test for anyone choosing gifts for grandchildren from grandparents this year. A good grandparent gift is often the bigger, more considered present, a keepsake, or something that lives at your house for visits.

The best gifts for grandchildren from grandparents fall into three groups: a larger shared gift such as a ball pit or bean bag chair, a personalised keepsake such as a christening clock or engraved money box, and a toy that stays at your house, such as a dolls pram or a child-height bookcase.

The bigger gift: ball pits and bean bag chairs

Grandparents are often the ones who give the present parents would not buy for themselves. A ball pit is a good example. The MeowBaby White Boucle Round Ball Pit is 90cm across, with firm foam walls under a soft boucle cover that zips off for washing, and it looks at home in a living room rather than hidden away in a playroom. See every shape and colour in our ball pits collection.

One grandparent left this review just after Christmas: "Oh my little grandson just loved his ball pit. Amazing quality."

A Wigiwama Bear Beanbag is the quieter alternative: a child-sized seat with sculpted bear ears, in soft teddy or velvet fabrics, that becomes a child's own place to sit. There are more styles in our bean bag chairs for kids collection.

High-angle view of a toddler's hands reaching into the MeowBaby White Boucle Round Ball Pit, shown with play balls

Wigiwama Bear Beanbag with a knitted blanket and a book in a quiet playroom corner

Personalised Whimsical Church Christening Clock with a pink church design hanging on a nursery wall

Personalised Silver Noah's Ark Money Box on a nursery shelf next to a small wrapped gift

Keepsakes with their name on

Personalised gifts are a grandparent tradition for a simple reason: they are kept. The Personalised Whimsical Church Christening Clock is made from wood and personalised with a name of up to 12 characters, and the Personalised Silver Noah's Ark Money Box can be engraved over three lines with a name, a date or a short message.

A grandparent who chose the christening clock put it this way in a review: "Just the right gift for my granddaughter's Christening. The parents were delighted."

Christmas is also a good moment for a keepsake if a christening or first birthday falls early in the new year.

Roma Teddy Single Dolls Pram beside a MeowBaby Montessori Bookcase in a grandparents' hallway

Toys that live at your house

Many grandparents keep a few toys of their own for visits. A dolls pram is a favourite. Roma's Teddy Single Dolls Pram is suitable from age 3, converts from carry cot to seat unit and has a handle that adjusts from 55cm to 78cm, so it suits visiting grandchildren of different heights. Browse our current styles in the dolls prams collection.

A MeowBaby Montessori Bookcase gives visiting grandchildren somewhere to find their books without asking, with a low top shelf that displays covers facing forward. It also keeps the sitting room tidier between visits.

Frequently asked questions

What are good gifts for grandchildren from grandparents?

Gifts that are kept or used for years tend to mean the most: a ball pit or bean bag chair as a larger shared present, a personalised keepsake, or a toy that stays at your house for visits.

Should grandparents check with parents before buying a big gift?

It is usually worth a quick word, particularly for larger items such as a ball pit, so the gift suits the space at home and does not duplicate something already planned.

What is a good keepsake gift from a grandparent?

A personalised piece such as a christening clock or an engraved money box is a traditional choice. Both carry a name or message and tend to be kept long after other childhood toys are passed on.

What toys should grandparents keep at their house?

Toys that suit a range of ages and need no batteries are a sensible choice. A dolls pram with an adjustable handle and a child-height bookcase both work well for repeated visits.

Is a ball pit a good gift for a grandchild?

A ball pit suits families with floor space in a living room or playroom. The MeowBaby White Boucle Round Ball Pit is 90cm across, so it is worth checking the space with the parents first.

A gift they remember you for

The gifts for grandchildren from grandparents that last are the ones that get used, kept or visited. Choose one of each over the years and they add up to something a grandchild remembers.

Shop dolls prams