There’s nothing I love more than giving my grandchildren a gift! I love watching their faces light up when they accept the package and rip it open. Sometimes, you might catch their faces falling if the gift inside isn’t exactly what they wanted. Even if they politely thank you, you wish you’d given them something different.
With that feeling in mind, I created a gift guide of age-appropriate presents for kids. When choosing gifts for grandchildren, you need to assess their interests and what type of item they’d want at their age.
Gifts for 0 to 12 Months
There’s nothing sweeter than a new grandchild, and it’s too easy to spoil them with blankets and cute clothes. You might not know what type of toys to give them since they can’t do much when they’re very young. However, if you buy them toys with bright, bold colors, they can engage with them. Interactive toys are also fun, like rattles or textured blankets.
hahaland Rattles
An assortment of hahaland rattles is a great way to give your young grandchild several fun toys at once. Since rattles can get lost so easily, this set ensures they’ll always have one nearby, kept in the car, and tucked in a diaper bag. Your grandchild will love the bold colors, interesting sounds, and easy grips on these rattles.
Inflatable Water Mat
Many young babies fuss during tummy time because they want to be in a different position. This inflatable water mat will engage your young grandchild during tummy time and ensure they build strong back and neck muscles in the process. There are floating toys inside that provide interest. When it’s not filled with water and air, the mat folds down for easy transportation.
Elefun Teething Toy
The Elefun teething toy is cute and bright, which ensures your grandchild will always want it clutched in their hand. There are different textures on various parts of the elephant, which will intrigue them while they’re teething or even just with a finger touch. You can choose from three different colors and know the material is safe to put in their mouths.
Thremhoo Baby Tissue Box Toy
Even though you’re a grandparent now, you probably remember how delighted your baby was while pulling every tissue out of the box. Instead of creating paper waste, this adorable Thremhoo baby tissue box toy delivers the same excitement over and over again. The container is soft, and the “tissues” have colors and numbers printed so they can start learning.
KLT Baby Blocks
Though my children grew up with wooden blocks, these KLT baby blocks are silicone, so your grandchild can chew on them without any worries. They’re large and sturdy—the perfect size for small hands to grasp. The set includes blocks covered in shapes, textures, and numbers. There are also cute blocks shaped like animals for extra fun.
Gifts for 1 to 2-Year-Olds
When your grandchild turns one and then two, they’re always on the go and eager to explore. Kids at this age also love to make noise, but I know the parents aren’t as big of fans of that type of toy! The assortment I included here has a few noisy toys but also some fun ones that will help your young grandchild with their motor skills and curiosity.
Playskool Busy Ball Popper
The Playskool Busy Ball Popper will keep your grandchild busy for hours. They can take small, colorful balls from the toy’s base and drop them on the top, where they spin before dropping down and flowing through the toy. Sounds and music play each step of the way. Playskool is a brand with a solid reputation, so you know this durable plastic toy will stand the test of time.
KIDWILL Wooden Hammering Toy
The KIDWILL wooden hammering toy is certainly noisy—if your grandchild isn’t hammering the pegs into the bench, then they’re playing the xylophone on the other side. But the hammer and mallet promote motor skills, so it’s worth the noise. Another side of the bench has a number maze that will help your grandchild learn.
SKYFIELD Wooden Animal Puzzles
This collection of SKYFIELD wooden animal puzzles will intrigue your little grandchild due to the bright colors and sturdy pieces. It’s easy for a small child to grasp the thick wooden puzzle pieces and find out where they go to create a friendly animal. You can talk with your grandchild while they complete the puzzle, naming colors and making animal sounds.
PEBIRA Wooden Sorting and Stacking Toys
These PEBIRA wooden sorting and stacking toys are a favorite because they’re so engaging. Your grandchild will love sorting the bright shapes and figuring out where they need to go to stay in place. It’s a great way to talk about colors, and you can also work on numbers by counting the holes and pegs for each shape.
HISTOYE Baby Piano Toy
This HISTOYE baby piano toy is a bit noisy, but your grandchild will love the music they create. They can press different buttons to hear sounds and songs, but the toy offers more than that. There are different sensations and actions all over, like flipping the elephant’s ear, twisting a knob, and turning a small compartment filled with beads. It will keep them busy for hours.
Gifts for 2 to 3-Year-Olds
Grandchildren are so energetic and curious by the time they’re two and three. The toys I love to give to these ages include those that inspire creativity and wonderment. Of course, it’s always nice to give them gifts that can help use up that boundless energy! This gift guide includes a little bit of everything, so you can find the perfect present for your loved one.
BABLOCVID Magnetic Drawing Board
The BABLOCVID Magnetic Drawing Board will bring out your grandchild’s creativity by giving them a space to draw without making a mess. The magnetic tablet can work as a flat tray, or you can add the legs to make it a short table. The stylus and eraser help develop their motor skills and coordination while they have fun drawing colorful pictures.
Toyk Water Doodle Mat
The Toyk water doodle mat takes the idea of the magnetic drawing board above but makes it more hands-on. Your grandchild can stretch out on the floor and draw with special markers on this water mat. Since they use water, there’s no need to worry about markings on the floor or walls. The set includes stencils of letters, numbers, and shapes.
SEPHIX Bath Toys
Speaking of water, why not add some excitement to bath time with the SEPHIX bath toys? By this age, my grandchildren stopped resisting their baths; instead, they wanted to spend hours playing in the tub! These wind-up swimming toys are so cute that your little one will love playing with them in the tub or swimming pool.
iPlay, iLearn Kids Bowling Toys Set
In the interest of burning off that toddler energy, the iPlay, iLearn bowling set is a fun gift. The pins and balls are soft foam, so your grandchild can play inside without damaging anything. The game helps with hand-eye coordination. Each pin has a number on it, so you can also work with your grandchild on counting while playing a fun game.
KRIDDO 2-in-1 Kids Tricycle
When you need to get out of the house, nothing beats the gift of the KRIDDO 2-in-1 kids tricycle. You can push your grandchild when necessary or keep a hand on them while they pedal. As they grow up, remove the handle, and they can continue riding. There’s a safety belt, an adorable duck horn, and a small storage bin so they can bring toys on the journey.
Gifts for 3 to 4-Year-Olds
Three and four-year-olds are eager to learn. They’re likely attending preschool or preparing for kindergarten, so I love giving them fun, educational gifts at this age. The presents I’ve included in this portion of the gift guide vary from fun games to engaging activities you can do with them during a visit.
BEST LEARNING Inno Pad
The BEST LEARNING Inno Pad helps your grandchild learn the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, and telling time. The lessons are interactive, so your grandchild can listen to the lesson and then answer the questions to show what they learned. The kit includes 16 lesson cards so they can learn different topics as they choose.
NARRIO Matching Letter Spelling Game
Instead of learning on a tablet, consider getting your grandchild a more hands-on learning game, like the NARRIO matching letter spelling game. Put the flashcard in the toy so it covers the letters at the bottom, and see if your grandchild can identify the object. Then they need to spell it with the letter blocks. They can check their answer by pulling out the card.
Scientoy Flower Garden Building Toys
These Scientoy flower garden building toys combine fun and beauty. Your grandchild will learn the parts of a flower by creating their own stunning varieties. It comes with a durable carrying case so they can bring it when they come to visit you.
Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Kidnoculars
Kids are so curious, and these Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Kidnoculars help them explore the world around them. They have comfortable eyepieces so your grandchild can inspect bugs for a long time without hurting their face. There’s also a neck strap so they can wear the binoculars on a nature walk and enjoy birdwatching.
Melissa & Doug Super Smile Dentist Kit
It’s fun to dress up and play different roles, and the Melissa & Doug Super Smile Dentist Kit helps facilitate that exploration. Your grandchild can set up their own dentist’s office with these supplies, which include a set of teeth to practice brushing and flossing.
Gifts for 4 to 5-Year-Olds
Four and five-year-olds love to take apart existing things and build their own creations. There are many wonderful toys that allow them to explore these inclinations, and I’ve included an assortment below.
MindSprout Dino Blasters
MindSprout Dino Blasters let your grandchild release their energy when they jump on the button and watch dinosaur rockets fly up from the volcano base and soar into the sky. They’ll love running around to rescue the dinosaurs just to launch them over and over.
ThinkFun Zingo Bingo Game
At this age, your grandchildren can start playing games, and the ThinkFun Zingo Bingo game is a great one for beginners. The card uses pictures of common items with the words written below, so your little one can practice reading simple words while trying to be the first one to yell, “Zingo!”
Magnetic Tiles
Magnetic tiles are a fun way to build because they help your grandchild feel more mature than building with blocks from their babyhood. These colorful tiles are durable to ensure the magnets stay in place and allow your little one to build countless creations.
BAODLON Dinosaur Toys
Build and take apart these BAODLON dinosaur toys with an electric drill, suitable for young children. Your grandchildren will love the chance to see what the dinosaurs look like whole, then unscrew all the joints and design an entirely new creature.
aotipol Drill Set
If you think your grandchild would love the drill in that dinosaur toy, consider the aotipol drill set. They use the drill to create their own items from 2D and 3D blocks. The pieces and screws are colorful, so they’ll engage with vibrant designs while they create.
Gifts for 6 to 7-Year-Olds
By the time your grandchild reaches six and seven, they have distinct interests. They already have favorite subjects in school, so I like to stay away from educational toys and find gifts that are pure fun.
Meland Marble Run
The Meland marble run is an innovative approach to STEM because your grandchild will never run out of options. They can use over 100 pieces to create the tallest marble run or the longest, or build several independent towers and figure out how to connect them.
Flymevac Remote Control Car
Remote control cars are always fun gifts, but the Flymevac remote control car takes it a step beyond. The wheels have colorful LED lights, and there are even headlights on the front of the vehicle. The remote gives your grandchild the power to spin the car in a complete circle and make it flip over with independent wheel controls.
Veatree Magnetic Construction Building Blocks
If your grandchild enjoyed the magnetic tiles, they’d love Veatree magnetic construction building blocks. This set is like a more grown-up version of magnetic tiles because they’ll use magnetic rods and steel balls to design fascinating shapes and structures.
HopeRock Hover Soccer Ball
The HopeRock hover soccer ball is a fun activity your grandchild can play indoors. The disc ball has foam bumpers to ensure it won’t damage any furniture inside, so they can safely play soccer on days when it’s too rainy or cold to go outside.
Dan & Darci Marbling Paint Art Kit for Kids
After a long day at school, your grandchild will love to unwind with the Dan & Darci marbling paint art kit. This set lets them create beautiful mixes of color and transfer the designs to paper. There’s no mess because the included tray gives them a place to work and makes for easy cleanup.
Gifts for 8 to 9-Year-Olds
Many grandparents get nervous as their grandkids inch closer to double-digits because it’s getting harder to buy for them. However, I managed to find some gifts that all my grandchildren have loved at this age because they’re engaging, mature activities instead of childish toys.
K’NEX Model Building Set
If your grandchild loved building with Lego or magnetic tiles, they’d love stepping up to the K’NEX model building set. These objects are a little more difficult to build with, so it’s best for this age since they have more hand-eye coordination. There are countless K’NEX sets, including those with motors for STEM exploration.
National Geographic Microscope for Kids
For curious children or budding scientists, the National Geographic Microscope for Kids is an excellent gift. It’s easy to use, so they can experiment without worrying they’ll break the microscope. The set includes pre-made slides for your grandchild to investigate, plus blanks so they can find their own items to inspect up close.
Ninja Blast Rechargeable Game Activity Cube
The Ninja Blast rechargeable game activity cube is a single gift that includes several games to keep your grandchild engaged. They can play games like Tic Tac Go, Alien Hunt, and Rocket Trail. The entire cube lights up and plays music when in use, making it an exciting game to play alone or with friends.
AMOSTING Crystal Growing Kit
The AMOSTING crystal growing kit is a way to get your grandchild invested in science by creating something beautiful. They’ll make crystal flowers to display, plus a standalone crystal in each color. While they wait for the crystal to form, your grandchild will learn what makes this transformation possible.
Dan & Darci 3D String Art Kit
Sometimes a little creativity can make the difference after your grandchild has a tough day at school. The Dan & Darci 3D string art kit contains everything they need to make a stunning star lantern out of string and LED lights.
Gifts for 10 and Up
Once your grandchild reaches double-digits, it’s harder to choose gifts for them. I’ve included a few fun items in this section. However, you know your grandchild best, so think of their interests and see what you can find that will help them appreciate those hobbies.
Dan & Darci Light-Up Terrarium Kit
The Dan & Darci light-up terrarium kit gives your grandchild a bit of magic they can keep on their nightstand. They have the freedom to design the terrarium as they see fit, creating a cute little habitat with a nightlight that helps it glow.
BooTaa Large Dart Board for Kids
Your grandkids will love how the BooTaa large dart board for kids lets them play an exciting game inside the house without damage. It’s big enough to hang far away and launch the balls across the room, or you can even hang it outside. It folds down into a small pouch when they’re not using it, so it won’t unnecessarily take up wall space.
Lucky Doug 12-in-1 STEM Solar Robot Kit
STEM is a popular field, so your grandchild should never be too old to design a robot. The Lucky Doug 12-in-1 STEM Solar Robot Kit includes instructions to help them build multiple robots that can roll on land or stay afloat in the water. Each design has an age level, so they can continue making new robots as they get older.
KODAK Printomatic Digital Instant Print Camera
By the time they’re a tween, your grandchild most likely has a smartphone with a camera included. However, they might appreciate the novelty of instant film. The KODAK Printomatic Digital Instant Print Camera combines the best of the digital and instant worlds to provide a fun photography experience for all ages.
Refasy Electronic Piggy Bank
By the time you have tweens and teens on your hands, they most likely only want money. But you don’t have to hand them cash—give them money in this cool Refasy electronic piggy bank. They’ll love knowing their money is safely locked away behind a secret code.
Buying gifts for grandchildren should be fun! This gift guide is a jumping-off point to give you ideas for age-appropriate presents for kids. You know your grandchildren better than anyone, so always consider their interests when you pick out something special for them. If you have any favorite gifts, share them in the comments so we can all appreciate them!
