Giving My Best Gifts to My Grandkids

I love December.

Decorations, famiiy, food, giving and receiving gifts, celebrating the redemptive birth of Jesus.

Well, not exactly, this year. At least for us. No parties. No family visiting. Very few decorations.

But of course we can still celebrate the incarnation and worship our Savior. And just as God gave us the best of all gifts, we can still give gifts.

And giving gifts is one of the favorite activities of my life. To friends. To charities I care about. To neighbors. To family.

And especially to my grandchildren.

The first words the grands, especially the younger ones, say to me when I visit them or they visit me: “Do you have a surprise for us, Jeedoo?”

And of course, I do. You won’t, however, usually find me giving the latest toy or “must have” item. (Though sometimes.)

I want my grandchildren to enjoy and appreciate the gifts they receive from me. But I also want them to have real value for their lives. So my presents to them usually fall in one of these six categories:

Books

My first gifts—new babies, showers, every birthday and every Christmas—are always books. I offer variety—old favorites, classics, new releases. Board books, picture books, beginning readers, adventure series. Topics change: trucks, tractors, Star Wars, princesses, unicorns, horses and fantasy.

I love reading to my grandkids, then letting them read to me, and finally just watching them reading on their own. Books provide amazing adventures, take them to exotic places, introduce them to real heroes, reveal life in another time, and let them see faith in action. They get to step into someone else’s story!

Imagination

This is a broad category. Some love building and constructing so recent gifts have included Star Wars Legos, Lincoln Logs, magnetic tiles and science experiments. Jewelry kits and cooking—pretend or real--please some. Music of every kind is a hit. And I give art supplies galore—appropriate for every age, using every medium. They love painting dragons and cars and dinosaurs they can then play with.

Hand puppets play a key role in our frequent storytelling—lions and kangaroos and mice and koalas—the all-time favorite is a realistic alligator. Costumes allow them to be superheroes or knights or ninjas or cowboys or princesses, or the latest pre-teen idol. A sand and water table has given them hours of wet fun on hot days.

Action

One of my best gifts was the backyard playset--swings, a glider, a slide, a climbing wall, a fort--in my backyard. They have spent hours playing together there. Our own bounce house has been a favorite, plus a slip-n-slide, bikes, a spring horse, even a pogo stick. And sports equipment. So many balls of every kind, shoes and practice shorts for soccer, soccer goals, a punching bag. They burn up some of that incessant energy, strengthen their bodies and grow their skills.

Experiences

I love to take my grandkids on fun outings. Books stores and pet stores are always fun, the zoo is amazing—except I can’t keep up with them—and any place with a train or a carousel delights the younger ones. Science museum, children’s museum, even Chuck E. Cheese—we do it all together. And the beach—can’t forget the beach—digging, splashing, running, surfing. I used to teach horseback riding, and have taught the basics when I could. I love sharing my love of horses with them.

Living in Orlando provides so many attractions. Gatorland was a big hit—we have pictures of them on an alligator and draped in a python for a real memory. One year’s Christmas gift was an annual pass to Sea World for all the local family members. Recently the kids and their parents got passes to a climbing gym, which the boys love.

Last March my three young teensgrandboys were supposed to spend a week with us—we had many adventures planned. Canceled. Rescheduled for October. Did not happen. Some day.

Time

Any of these gifts can fall under the Time topic—if I do the different activities with them. But sometimes Time means a trip to Chick-fil-A or watching a movie together, or playing games on my I-pad. I love to just be with them.

This year has meant no time face to face. So we give them FaceTime. (See my article about how to talk with your grands.) I also give them Time they don’t really know about: I pray for them all the time.

Giving

This last category is one I did with my children, and am now beginning to do with the grandkids: Giving. I love to help them choose toys or clothes to give to someone else who can use them. I also give to Angel Tree in their names—providing gifts for children whose parents are in prison. Together we support a Haitian child through Compassion—she loves writing to her. I hope to expand this category more as more kids are old enough to understand their own giving.

Do I ever give a gift just because they want something? Sure. And I buy little trinkets and snacks when I go to visit them. But most of the time I seek to give life-expanding presents that keep on giving.

And so far they all still love their Jeedoo (which is what they call me).

What about you? What could you give your grands?

c2020 Judy Douglass