Finding a suitable gift for grandparents gets increasingly difficult every year when they no longer ask for any specific gifts. They already have the sweaters, gadgets, and decorations that come neatly packaged in a box, collecting dust in some hidden corner. When people have all they need, they simply cannot find joy in acquiring yet another material possession.

This is exactly why so many people tend to settle for gift certificates, seasonal gadgets, or a repeat purchase from past years. They may even resort to personalized items such as mugs and framed pictures, just to find out a week later that those will be discarded as well. Alternatively, one can simply ask grandparents to tell them what they would like, getting yet another disappointing response: nothing.

This is precisely why more and more families consider alternatives to what a proper gift for grandparents should be. Instead of finding another object to decorate grandparents’ rooms, the real question is what kind of gifts are really used. This article presents five different ideas for gifts that grandparents will actually use.

1. A Monthly Postcard Filled with Family Photos

One photo gift, however good, can be displayed once and then stored forever away on a shelf. Grandparents who are already provided with all the necessary things do not require any additional items to take up space in their already stuffed house.

Such an attitude pushes present givers in the direction of something recurring and not something purchased one-time. Nowadays, thoughtful gifts for grandparents include recurring ones such as family photos in a printed postcard that is sent every month to grandparents.

The recurrent nature of the gift makes every month special and expected by grandparents. Pictures and notes can be added by children, grandchildren, and other relatives; therefore, the card includes all family members. This particular present does not require any apps and devices, which is important for grandparents who prefer opening their mailbox to the screen.

It is the recurring nature of the gift that helps it to become valuable after removing all decorations of the wrapping paper. Recurring gifts are preferred to be presented to grandparents who already have everything material in their possession.

2. A Voice-Recordable Storybook or Keepsake Device

There is nothing like being able to hear one’s voice as well as one’s stories from a loved one, even when the latter are not physically present. While there may be a framed photograph and a handwritten card, neither will be able to capture what a loved one has to say. There is a lot of material that gets left out because there is no way of remembering it.

By creating an audio storybook that features the voice of the grandparent reading a children’s book out loud, one will be able to get the gift right. The technology also allows one to make recordings of brief oral histories. These can last for many years.

Here is a very special type of gift because it does not allow grandparents to just take things anymore but makes them talk into a memory.

3. A DNA and Ancestry Kit to Explore Family History

Many grandparents have been brought up listening to stories that had partial information on names, countries, and other bits of information that have never really been verified. The question of where the family really originated from remains an unanswered one because no one has taken the trouble to investigate.

An ancestry or DNA kit is an easy way for grandparents to find answers to their questions. All this requires is providing some saliva for analysis, after which a report can be generated on their ethnic and geographic roots, among others. This allows many grandparents to document their life stories in a tangible manner.

It is also a great tool for getting many people within the family talking once the results are available.

4. A Star Map from a Meaningful Date

Grandparents tend to commemorate dates, regardless of whether it is the wedding, the anniversary, or the birthday of the grandchild. Generic presents never relate to specific dates, hence making them appear identical. This absence of specificity usually determines why the present becomes a forgotten item in less than a year.

For instance, a map indicating the particular night sky from a particular date and location makes the gift personal to the grandparents themselves. In the same manner, a map highlighting a particular coordinate – such as the point of marriage – can be another idea. Given the specificity of this type of gift, it will be hard to confuse it with other items meant for other people.

A specific gift is that which can easily be hung in a particular location; generic gifts usually become part of the exchange.

5. A Custom Illustrated Portrait of Their Home or Pet

The grandparent might be highly attached to his/her house or pet, but he/she will probably never get such an appropriate gift. The generic wall art has nothing in common with the actual life experience of a person who received the gift. This may be one of the reasons why the framed gift ends up in a closet most of the time.

A custom illustration or painting made out of the photo sent by a grandparent will eliminate this problem. In comparison with mass-printed art, it will reflect something very special and personal. There are many artists who will create such artwork at an affordable price, and the finished picture will be ready to be framed and hung.

This gift can hardly remain unused since it will become a part of the life of a person.

Gifts That Actually Get Used

Those grandparents who claim they don’t need anything are being honest about things filling their house physically. What they do not say, however, is that they do not desire connection, reminiscence, or anything that will make them feel special. All five gifts described above work exactly due to the fact that each of them has a real-life link: a photograph displayed regularly, a voice recorded, family history compiled, a particular date highlighted, or their own life experience immortalized in an art form.

In none of these cases does one have to guess the taste of the person or add yet another item to the overcrowded shelf. This particularity of the present may be exactly what makes the gift special for many families this year.