Gift ideas

Gifts for Grandparents Interstate, From the Grandkids

Free ideas the grandkids can make, what each age can contribute, gifts Nan and Pop will actually use, and how to make the QR video easy to open.

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Hand on heart while reading the card from a Same Skies gift box

The short answer

Gifts for Grandparents Interstate, From the Grandkids

The best gifts for grandparents interstate come from the grandkids themselves: a drawing, a short video, a note in their own wobbly spelling. Pair it with something Nan and Pop will use up or hang on the wall, and make sure they can actually open the video when it arrives.

Every interstate grandparent has a fridge that tells the whole story. A crayon wombat with seven legs. A school photo with a missing tooth. A "TO NAN" card spelt with total confidence. This guide is for the parent doing the organising and the kids doing the making, with ideas for every age and a few that cost nothing.

What grandparents actually want from far away

Less stuff, more grandkids. Read what long-distance grandparents say on forums and the same thing keeps coming up: the kids feel closest to the grandparents who hear from them often, and the presents that last are the ones with a bit of the child in them.

So decide what the grandkids are contributing before you buy anything. That part is what Nan keeps. The rest is wrapping.

Gift ideas the grandkids can make for free

  • A drawing or painting, subject chosen by the artist. "Pop fishing" by a six-year-old will be more accurate than anyone expects, and less flattering.
  • A "ten things I love about Nan" list, one from each grandkid. Read it out on the next call.
  • A recording of them reading a favourite book, or singing the song they won't stop singing at home.
  • Phone-call tickets. Handmade coupons that say "good for one call, any time". Grandparents actually cash them in.
  • "Open when" notes. Open when you miss us, open when it's raining, open when Pop is being grumpy.
  • A photo of something they made: the Lego tower, the cake that collapsed, the sandcastle just before the wave got it.

Don't correct the spelling. The spelling is the best part.

Ideas for each age of grandkid

What a grandkid can contribute changes a lot between two and fourteen. Here's roughly who does what.

Grandkid's age What they can make The parent's job
Babies and toddlers A handprint in paint, a labelled scribble, ten seconds of babbling at the camera Do the filming, hold the paintbrush, take the credit for none of it
Primary school A drawing, a note in their own spelling, a song, a video tour of their room Photograph the art in good light and let them type the message
Teenagers A playlist for Pop, a photo of a recipe they cooked from Nan's card, one line of text Ask for something small. A one-liner from a teenager reads like a full letter
Adult grandkids A recent photo, a visit date, a box chosen together Mostly just a reminder in the family group chat

Toddlers are great at choices, even if they can't hold a pencil. If the box has a Crochet Comfort Companion, let them pick the character from avocado, pear, pickle, potato, duck or axolotl. They will choose the potato. Respect it.

Teenagers are harder to rope in and very worth it when you do. Don't ask for a letter. Ask for a two-minute room tour or a photo of the spag bol they made from Nan's handwritten recipe, and let them be a bit too cool about it.

Put the drawing or video behind the QR code

This is where a Same Skies box earns its place. Your words live behind a QR code on a premium card inside the box. You add a message of up to 280 characters for free, plus a photo or a video, and when the box arrives Nan points her phone camera at the code and it opens on her screen.

  • Photograph the drawing flat on the table, near a window, no thumbs in the shot.
  • Better still, film the grandkid holding it up and explaining it. "This is you. That's a dog. No, it's the car."
  • Let them write the message. 280 characters is about right for a seven-year-old's letter, including at least four exclamation marks.

Photos and videos replay for around six months. If they'll want it longer, save a copy to their phone on your next visit, or post the original drawing in an envelope as a keepsake. Our how it works page walks through setting up the card.

How do you make a QR code easy for Nan and Pop?

Some grandparents scan the menu at the café without blinking. Others keep the phone in the glovebox. If yours are the second kind, set them up to win.

Start with trust. Plenty of older people have been told, rightly, to be wary of QR codes from strangers. So call or text before the box arrives and tell them it's from you, along with the one line they need: "There's a card with a square on it. Open your camera, point it at the square, and tap what pops up." A text means it's sitting in their messages when they need it.

  • Do a practice run on your next video call with any QR code. Low stakes, no surprise spoiled.
  • Tracking is emailed to you, so you'll know roughly when it lands. Ring on speaker and talk them through it, with the grandkids shouting encouragement in the background.
  • Recruit a local helper. A cousin, neighbour or another relative nearby can drop in on delivery day.
  • If they'd like to get more confident with their phone in general, the government's Be Connected program has free short courses for older Australians.

The moment it works, the grandkid's face fills the screen. That's the bit worth the setup.

The box is the wrapping. The grandkid on the screen is the gift.

Gifts grandparents actually use

Most grandparents have a full house and limited patience for clutter. Things that get eaten, used up or put on display beat gadgets and ornaments.

  • Good treats they'd never buy themselves: proper chocolate, shortbread, nice coffee.
  • Something for the wall or the fridge. A framed photo, a print, the drawing itself.
  • A shared online photo album the whole family adds to. Set it up for them so all they do is open it.
  • A movie night box: snacks posted ahead, the same film on both screens, a call during the ads.
  • A visit on the calendar for the school holidays. Even a rough date gives them something to tell their friends about.

A box from the grandkids

We pack every box ourselves in Sydney, and these are the three we'd pick for grandparents.

Hug Away From Home is the all-rounder: a Botanical Bath Soak, a Hand-Poured Soy Candle (hand-poured in Australia), a Crochet Comfort Companion, Marc de Champagne Truffles, Candy Kittens Strawberry sweets and an A3 Matte Art Print. "Love You More" or "How Lucky Are We?" both work as a print from the grandkids. One honest note: the print is A3 and unframed, so it suits a Nan with a frame to fill or a fridge with space.

The Hug Away From Home Box, a gift for grandparents from the grandkids
Hug Away From Home, with the grandkids' video waiting behind the card. See what's inside.

For a Nan who loves a pamper, the Gift Box for Her adds a Collagen Hydration Mask, a Sculpted Bubble Candle and GNAW Milk Chocolate. For a Pop who'd rather have a snack and a strong coffee, or anyone who isn't into scented things, the Gift Box for Him has no candle at all: Australian Shortbread, Honey-Glazed Popcorn (made in Australia), a Pour-Over Coffee Duo, Jalapeño & Lime Salt, a Crochet Comfort Companion and the print.

The Gift Box for Him with shortbread, popcorn and pour-over coffee
The Gift Box for Him, for a Pop who'd rather have a biscuit than a bath soak. See what's inside.

Want to mix it up? Build your own Twilight Box with 6 gifts or Midnight Box with 8, and let the kids choose.

Before you send it

  • Check the address. Full name, unit number if there is one, suburb, state and postcode.
  • Retirement villages and aged care. Ask how parcels are handled. Some have a front desk that holds deliveries, and the staff can be your local helper.
  • PO Boxes and Parcel Lockers are fine, except for wine. Some boxes can add a Poco Vino Piccolo, which needs someone 18+ to sign at a street address, and wine can't be delivered to the NT.
  • Allow 3-7 business days order to door for most of Australia. Regional and remote addresses can take longer.
  • No price goes in the box and the receipt comes to you, so Nan never sees what you spent.

For birthdays, our guide to sending a birthday gift interstate on time has the count-back table by city, and other questions are on our FAQ page.

Keep reading

Build your own

Start with an empty box. Fill it with them.

The real builder, exactly as you'll see it.
The real builder, on a real phone.

Choose every piece yourself, pick a print that feels like them, then add your letter with a photo or video behind the QR card. We hand-pack it in Sydney and send it free.

  • You choose every piece, and the print on the lid
  • Your letter, plus a free photo or video behind the QR card
  • Hand-packed in Sydney, free delivery Australia-wide
Build your own Or choose one of our five boxes

Questions people ask

What do you buy grandparents who live far away from the grandkids?

Something from the grandkids themselves, like a drawing, a short video or a note in their own words, paired with treats they'll use up or a print for the wall. Most grandparents want more of the grandkids, not more stuff.

What can a toddler give their grandparents?

A painted handprint, a labelled scribble or a short video of them babbling at the camera. The parent does the work and the toddler gets the credit.

How do I help my grandparents scan a QR code?

Text them before the parcel arrives: open the camera, point it at the square on the card and tap what pops up. Tell them it's from you so they don't mistake it for a scam, and call on speaker when it lands if they'd like a hand.

How long do the photos and videos on the card last?

Photos and videos behind a Same Skies QR card replay for around six months. If they'll want them longer, save a copy to their phone or post the original drawing separately.

Can I send a gift box to a retirement village or aged care home?

Usually, but check how parcels are handled there first, because some hold deliveries at a front desk. PO Boxes and Parcel Lockers are fine too, except for boxes with a wine add-on.

Will my grandparents see the price of the gift?

No. No price goes in a Same Skies box, and the receipt is sent to you as the sender.

Send the grandkids, in a box

Hand-packed in Sydney with free delivery on every box. Add the drawing, the video or the wobbly attempt at a song behind the QR card.

Shop gifts for parents and grandparents

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