Many grandparents thrive when it comes to their grandchildren and anything from their babies. Instead of spending money on a Christmas gift that is from the kids, let them make something for their grandparents. Their grandparents will probably get much more joy out of something the children make that genuinely comes from them than anything you can purchase on their behalf.
Let the kids decorate a plain apron with their handprints all over it. Use fabric paint to write the words ‘grandma’s helping hands’.
Let your child pick out his favorite pictures from a holiday, vacation or whole year. Cut tagboard or thick posterboard into large rectangles to use as the base. Have your child arrange the pictures, and then glue them onto the base.
Give your children tiles, terra cotta pots or stepping stones to decorate. They can draw polka dots, flowers or use their handprints and footprints to decorate the items. Add glaze or a finishing product to the project to help it withstand the weather.
Print a letter or poem your child wrote for her grandparents over a picture of her and frame it. Or, let your child decorate a picture frame and add her favorite picture of her with her grandparents.
Use clean ice cream sticks and glue them together to mimic a snowflake. Decorate the sticks with glitter and add a wallet-sized photo of your little one in the center. Glue a pipe cleaner or wire to the back so her grandparents can hang it on their Christmas tree.
Frame some original art pieces your child has created for his grandparents. Ask him to draw his favorite memory of his grandparents or make art using uncooked pasta noodles and macaroni. Add glitter, stickers, paint or your child’s favorite method of creating art. .
Older children can give their time to their grandparents. Make up a little coupon book with chores that Grandma and Grandpa can use help with, for example, washing the car, walking the dog, cleaning the house or yard work. Younger children can invite Grandma and Grandpa to spend the day at the park, where they can just enjoy each other’s company and take pictures to save the memories.