Give a handmade book

Of course children love to get toy-store toys! It’s fun to give them, too. Still, the generic packaging, and knowing that thousands or millions of kids are opening the same toy (and throwing it away a few years later), can dampen the joy in giving. Solution? Make something yourself! Those of you who can knit or sew or do carpentry have untold options. For the rest of us, I recommend a homemade book. 

If you’re a good writer and artist, you could write, illustrate, and bind a story—perhaps a story based on some experience you shared with the grandchild. (A mystery set in a museum you visited? An adventure and rescue at the local park?). A relatable tale is likely to entrance the child in the moment—and, just maybe, it will inspire them to write stories of their own (especially if you help). 

If writing and illustrating an original story sounds daunting because of the expertise required, remember that kids don’t expect perfection! But if it still seems a big ask, an option is to give your grandchild a scrapbook focused on experiences you have shared. Scrapbooking gives you a leg up because you can start with a kit, such as those at Creative Memories. (I'm not endorsing this brand, just aware of it.) The scrapbook can include mementos, photos, hand-written memories, and bits of extra information about a place you’ve been together or an activity you enjoy. Be sure to give the grandchild a starring role in the scrapbook by focusing on aspects of the experience they especially enjoyed and are likely to remember. 

And if scrapbooking sounds daunting, too, because materials aren’t cheap, or you’re not sure how to fill the book, you can also go simpler, especially with the littles, who (bless their hearts) will not judge your humble writing or illustrating abilities. For one grandchild, who at the time lived long distance, I made a 3” x 5” book titled “Our Big Day.” It featured drawings of his favorite activities from our cabin time together and very simple captions like, “Grandpa throws the ball to [name],” followed by “[name] kicks the ball.” I drew the pictures on card stock, using standard colored pencils, and crafted a cover by gluing fabric over thin cardboard and adding a layer of adhesive plastic film. On one side of each page and the cover, I punched two holes, so I could tie the pages together with yarn. Our grandchild was two at the time I made this—according to his parents, it was his favorite book for a couple of years.

But if you’re still flummoxed, how about a photo book from a commercial service? According to Wirecutter, Mixbook is the best photo book service. Given where I am this year, that’ll be my approach—photo books on Chicago, California, and cabin, here I come! (Shh, don’t tell the grandkids.)