Grandparents' Day ideas: what to do, send and say

Grandparents' Day is marked on the first Sunday of October in the UK, and almost nobody knows the date - which is precisely why a card landing that week means so much. It's an entirely unexpected bit of post.

It's also the easiest day of the year to get right. Grandparents overwhelmingly want time, photographs and something the grandchildren made. Almost nothing bought outranks any of those.

We make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK, so everything below is a straight guide to the day - plus the card that goes with it.

Things to do together

• A proper Sunday lunch at theirs, with you doing the cooking and the washing up.
• Record them telling one story - how they met, their first job, the war years if they're old enough. It's the thing families wish they had later.
• Look through old photos together and write names and dates on the back while they still know them all.
• Teach and be taught: they show a grandchild how to bake something, the grandchild shows them something on the phone.
• A short walk somewhere flat with a bench and a tea room. Ambition is the enemy here.
• Play the card game or board game they grew up with, not the one you like.

Gifts from the grandchildren

• A framed photo of the grandchildren, printed properly rather than left on a phone.
• A handprint or drawing, framed. It will be on the wall for years.
• A recipe book of their own recipes, typed up by the family.
• A print for the hallway or a pin badge for the coat, depending on the grandparent.
• A voucher book from the kids: one visit, one car wash, one afternoon of jobs.
• A plant for the windowsill if they garden - it gets talked about every time you call.

When they live far away

• Post the card to arrive on the Friday, so the weekend starts with it on the mantelpiece.
• Send actual photo prints, not a link. They get shown to neighbours.
• A voice note from each grandchild is easier for small children than a video call and lovely to keep.
• Set a standing weekly call at a time that suits them, and stick to it. That's the real gift.
• A magazine subscription arrives every month and reminds them of you twelve times a year.

What to write in a Grandparents' Day card

• Happy Grandparents' Day - thanks for the sweets, the stories and the lifts.
• To Nan and Grandad, the best babysitters in the business. With love from all of us.
• Happy Grandparents' Day. The kids talk about your house all week.
• Thank you for every Sunday lunch, every lift and every time you said yes when Mum said no.
• To Grandma - you taught me to bake and to answer back. Happy Grandparents' Day.
• Missing you today, Grandad. Still telling your jokes badly.

Shop cards

Prints for the hallway

A4 and A3 prints, ready to frame.

How to write it so it lands

• Post the card so it lands on the Friday - a card mid-week is a bigger deal than a text on the day.
• Print the photos. A phone screen isn't the same and it never gets shown to the neighbours.
• Record one story on your phone while you're there. Every family wishes they'd started sooner.
• Keep any outing short and flat, with a bench and a toilet on the route.

Where to shop next

• Father's Day ideas
• Mother's Day ideas
• New Year ideas
• Bonfire Night ideas
• What is Grandparents' Day?
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges

Frequently asked questions

When is Grandparents' Day in the UK?

The first Sunday in October. The US marks it in September, so check before sending a card abroad.

What do you buy grandparents who have everything?

Photographs printed properly, something the grandchildren made, or your time - a booked visit, a weekly call, or an afternoon of jobs done without being asked.

What do you write in a card to a grandparent?

One specific memory beats general thanks. 'Thanks for teaching me to bake' or 'thanks for every lift home' is the line they'll read twice.

What can grandchildren give on Grandparents' Day?

A framed drawing or handprint, a voice note, a photo they took themselves, or a voucher book of visits and jobs. All free or nearly free, and all kept.