Show your grandparents you are thinking of them with love by sending them a thoughtful, just-for, gift every now and then. As well as being a great surprise because it is not tied to a birthday or other celebration, your grandparents are sure to be thrilled with any one of these eight exciting gift ideas.
Image Source – Unsplash
Feed a Hobby
If your grandparent has ever expressed regret for a hobby given up or never really pursued, encourage them that there is no time like the present for making up for those regrets. Many hobby items can be purchased quite cheaply, and often come in starter-pack which make sure that you don’t forget anything vital – like paintbrushes when you are buying a paint set so Grandma can revisit her old skills! Not only will they love the gift, but they will have a new lease on life as they relearn old skills or master new ones.
Send Snacks
If your grandparents used to sneak you the occasional chocolate bar when your mum had said no (as all good grandparents should), then repay the favour by bringing them a hamper full of all their favourite treats: from Grandpa’s favourite wine to Grandma’s guilty secret truffle chocolate, they will have a great time nibbling their way down the basket, thinking fondly of you as they do so! Do make sure that you aren’t breaking doctors orders when you are filling the hamper though.
Fresh Flowers
Older people are often in a slow cycle of downsizing and tend not to need anything like new furniture or ornaments. However, short-lived but beautiful things like a bouquet of fragrant flowers is always appreciated, and these can often be delivered even to the most strictly controlled care homes (dementia wards, for example, must monitor what comes in and out as the residents need careful, full-time care).
Cosy Slippers
As we age we lose our warming layer of body fat – hence the onset of fine wrinkles and creped skin on our limbs – and we can feel the cold more. Invest in a gift of warmth for your grandparents with cosy knee-blankets, warm jumpers and cardigans (cardis are often easier to put on and take off when joint mobility is compromised) and some soft fluffy slippers to keep your grandparents’ feet toasty warm even in winter on the coast. For homes in the south, check out the North Devon care homes guide here.
Birdfeeders
It can be quite dull sitting inside all day – or even going outside for some fresh
air. Bird feeders are a great way to bring some natural entertainment to older folks’ lives. Starlings are quarrelsome, magpies are cheeky and funny, and pigeons take themselves far too seriously: all of these characters will quickly establish themselves, bringing hours of entertainment to older people with mobility issues.
Watering Can
If your older relative has planters or hanging baskets, let them take care of the plants themselves by getting them a lightweight gardening set: secateurs, plant food and a watering can, as well as seeds and potting soil so they can plan out what to plant next.
Contact
The gift of contact is one that many older folk come to miss the most: little things like sitting in the kitchen while a meal is being prepared, or chatting with the children while they do their homework. Tablet computers, laptops and even purpose-designed devices like Portal from Meta (previously Facebook) all allow you to include your grandparents in your evening routines. With a little planning, you can even drop off a little treat with your grandparent, so that when the children tuck into a fairy cake for their tea, Grandma or Grandpa can join in, enjoying their own fairy cake at the same time.
Grandparents are precious and love nothing more than to feel loved and appreciated by the family. Any one of these gifts will go a long way to making them feel that they are still an important part of the heart of the family, even when they can’t be there in person.