After countless hours covered in craft glue, glitter, and paint, I’ve mastered the art of creating meaningful, handmade gifts—testing, fixing fails, and discovering solutions that actually work for little hands.
But I know the struggle: Want to help your little one create a Grandparents’ Day gift that’s truly from the heart, not just another store-bought item? How do you find actionable, age-appropriate, and truly cherished craft ideas?
That’s why in this post, I’ll show you exactly how to solve these challenges with tips I’ve tested myself. Stick with me, and you’ll learn how to create lasting memories with fun, easy, and skill-building crafts perfect for preschoolers, ensuring treasured keepsakes for grandparents! 💖
My Top 4 Picks From This List 🏆
If you’re short on time, these are the absolute must-try ideas that I personally love for creating meaningful grandparent gifts!
- 1. “I Love You to Pieces” Photo Collage ❤️: A beautiful way to develop fine motor skills and showcase a beloved photo.
- 2. Handprint Flower Bouquet 🌸: This classic handprint craft is a priceless time capsule and a beautiful keepsake.
- 9. Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments 🖐️: A tactile sensory craft that results in a lasting, cherished ornament for years to come.
- 13. “Coupon Book” for Grandparents 🎁: A truly thoughtful and personal DIY gift that keeps on giving, perfect for any grandparent.
A Few Supplies for Success 🛠️
A question I get all the time in my DMs is, “What basic supplies do I need to keep on hand for easy crafts?” Here’s my trusted list for making these Grandparents Day crafts for preschoolers a breeze!
- ✅ Washable Paints & Markers
- ✅ Construction Paper & Cardstock
- ✅ Child-Safe Scissors & Glue Sticks
- ✅ Photo Paper
- 👑 Nancy’s Pick: For little hands and easy cleanup, I always recommend Crayola Washable Kids’ Paint. It’s vibrant, non-toxic, and truly washes off surfaces and clothes effortlessly, making the craft process stress-free for parents.
Cutting & Gluing Wonders (Fine Motor Focus)
1. “I Love You to Pieces” Photo Collage ❤️
This craft is a simple yet incredibly engaging activity perfect for developing preschooler fine motor skills through tearing and gluing. Kids tear colorful construction paper into small pieces, then glue them around a favorite photo of their grandparent, creating a beautiful and personalized frame or background. It’s a wonderful way to create a meaningful grandparent gift.
💡 Pro-Tip: Pre-cut some larger strips of paper for younger preschoolers to tear, making it easier for them to get started and build confidence. This is a true “Memory Maker” moment as they proudly present their creation!
image-1: A close-up of a child’s hands tearing colorful paper, with a partially completed photo collage in the background.
2. Handprint Flower Bouquet 🌸
This timeless classic is one of my favorite handprint crafts. Preschoolers trace their hands onto various colors of construction paper, carefully cut them out (a great practice for kindergarten craft ideas), and then glue these handprints onto green pipe cleaners to form a vibrant, personalized flower bouquet. It’s a beautiful way to capture their little hands at this age.
👑 Nancy’s Golden Rule: Always write the date and the child’s age on the back of handprint crafts – it turns a sweet gesture into a priceless time capsule!
image-2: A vibrant, finished handprint flower bouquet in a small vase, with a child’s proud smile in the background.
3. “Grandparent’s Favorite Things” Accordion Book 📚
My go-to trick for encouraging storytelling is this simple accordion-fold book. Children draw or glue pictures of things their grandparent loves, like their favorite coffee, gardening tools, or a beloved book, onto each page. This activity emphasizes sequencing, simple illustration, and is a fantastic kindergarten craft idea for narrative development.
💡 Pro-Tip: Before starting, have a fun chat with your child about their grandparent’s hobbies and favorite foods to spark ideas and make the craft more personal.
image-3: An open accordion book displaying colorful drawings of various items, with a child’s hand pointing to one.
4. Photo Puzzle Keepsake 🧩
This interactive DIY gift for grandparents is so much fun! Glue a favorite printed photo onto a piece of sturdy cardstock, then have your preschooler use child-safe scissors to cut it into a few large, simple puzzle pieces. This activity not only develops essential cutting skills but also creates a unique, interactive gift that grandparents will adore.
👑 Nancy’s Golden Rule: For younger preschoolers, draw the cutting lines with a thick marker first, making it easier for them to follow and feel successful.
image-4: A child proudly holding up a few large, cut-out photo puzzle pieces, with the original photo visible.
Painting & Stamping Masterpieces (Creative Expression)
5. Fingerprint “Love Bug” Cards 🐞
This is one of my favorite creative activities for preschoolers, combining sensory play with heartfelt expression. Children dip their fingers into washable paint to create adorable “love bugs” (like ladybugs or bees) on cardstock, then add details like antennae and legs with fine-tip markers. It’s a wonderful way to explore color and texture.
💡 Pro-Tip: Use different finger sizes (thumb, index) for varied bug bodies, and let your child experiment with colors for a truly unique ‘love bug’ family!
image-5: A close-up of a child’s finger dipped in red paint, about to make a print on a card, with finished “love bugs” in the background.
6. Footprint “You Are My Sunshine” Art ☀️
As a trusted family advisor, I know how much grandparents cherish footprint art! This craft involves using a child’s yellow footprint as the body of a sun, then adding painted rays and a sweet message like “You Are My Sunshine.” It’s a unique keepsake that highlights their tiny feet and offers a wonderful sensory experience for easy crafts for toddlers.
👑 Nancy’s Golden Rule: Have all your supplies ready – paint, large paper, and a wet wipe – before you start, as little feet don’t stay still for long!
image-6: A bright, cheerful piece of art featuring a yellow footprint sun, with “You Are My Sunshine” written below it.
7. Potato Stamp Patterned Napkins/Tote Bags 🎨
This is a fantastic kindergarten craft idea for pattern recognition and creative design. You can cut simple shapes (stars, hearts, circles) into potatoes to create stamps, which preschoolers then use with fabric paint to decorate plain fabric items like napkins or a small tote bag. It’s a hands-on way to explore printing.
💡 Pro-Tip: Let your child choose the potato shapes and colors, giving them ownership over their design and boosting their creative confidence.
image-7: A child happily stamping a potato shape onto a plain fabric napkin, with various colored fabric paints nearby.
8. “Grandparent’s Garden” Rock Painting 🪨
After testing dozens of DIY gifts for grandparents, I can tell you that these painted rocks are always a hit! Preschoolers paint smooth rocks with colorful designs, perhaps adding a grandparent’s initial or a simple flower. These can serve as charming garden markers or unique paperweights, making them meaningful grandparent gifts.
👑 Nancy’s Golden Rule: Always supervise rock painting, and ensure the rocks are clean and dry before starting for the best paint adhesion and a lasting gift.
image-8: A collection of brightly painted rocks with simple designs, some with initials, arranged in a small basket.
Sensory & Process Art Adventures (Unique & Engaging)
9. Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments 🖐️
This craft is a wonderful sensory experience and creates a lasting keepsake. You’ll make simple salt dough, have your child press their hand into it, bake it, and then paint the resulting ornament. It’s a tactile and memorable way to capture their handprint, perfect for Grandparents Day crafts for preschoolers.
💡 Pro-Tip: Add a few drops of essential oil (like lavender) to the salt dough for a pleasant scent, making the crafting experience even more sensory and memorable. This is a truly unique process art idea!
image-9: A child’s hand pressing into soft salt dough, with a finished, painted handprint ornament hanging nearby.
10. Marble Roll Painting Masterpiece 🌀
For a truly exciting and unpredictable creative activity for preschoolers, try marble roll painting! Place paper in a shallow box, add drops of washable paint, and then roll marbles around to create abstract art. This process art aspect is incredibly engaging, and the unique results are always a delightful surprise.
👑 Nancy’s Golden Rule: Encourage your child to experiment with different colors and how the marbles create unique patterns – there’s no ‘wrong’ way to make process art!
image-10: A child excitedly tilting a box, watching marbles roll through paint on paper, creating abstract patterns.
11. “Stained Glass” Tissue Paper Suncatchers ✨
This craft is fantastic for developing preschooler fine motor skills and color recognition. Children glue colorful tissue paper pieces onto contact paper or clear plastic sheets to create a beautiful “stained glass” effect. When hung in a window, they sparkle and delight, offering a vibrant sensory craft for kids.
💡 Pro-Tip: Cut the tissue paper into small, manageable squares or strips beforehand to make it easier for little fingers to pick up and place, reducing frustration.
image-11: A vibrant, finished tissue paper suncatcher hanging in a window, catching the light.
12. Nature Collage with Found Objects 🌿
Turn this into a “Memory Maker” adventure! Start with an outdoor exploration to collect natural items like leaves, twigs, and small flowers. Then, glue these collected treasures onto cardstock to create a nature-inspired collage. This craft highlights outdoor exploration, creative arrangement, and is a wonderful sensory craft for kids.
👑 Nancy’s Golden Rule: Turn the collection process into a ‘nature scavenger hunt’ to engage your preschooler even before the crafting begins, making it a full ‘Memory Maker’ experience.
image-12: A child carefully gluing a colorful leaf onto a piece of paper, surrounded by other collected nature items.
Simple Assembly & Keepsakes (Heartfelt & Easy)
13. “Coupon Book” for Grandparents 🎁
This thoughtful DIY gift for grandparents is always a winner! Help your preschooler create a small booklet of “coupons” for grandparents to redeem, such as “one big hug,” “help with dishes,” or “a story time.” It emphasizes thoughtfulness, and even simple drawings and scribbles make it incredibly personal.
💡 Pro-Tip: Help your child brainstorm ideas by asking, ‘What makes Grandma/Grandpa happy?’ or ‘What’s something special you can do for them?’
image-13: A small, colorful coupon book with simple drawings, open to a page that says “One Big Hug.”
14. Decorated Picture Frame 🖼️
This is a classic way to personalize a gift and hold a cherished photo. Children can decorate a plain wooden or cardboard picture frame with paint, glitter, buttons, small pasta shapes, or even torn paper. It’s a wonderful way to create a lasting keepsake that grandparents will proudly display.
👑 Nancy’s Golden Rule: Let the frame dry completely before adding the photo, and consider a clear sealant spray to protect your child’s artwork for years to come.
image-14: A child’s hands carefully gluing a button onto a brightly painted picture frame, with a photo ready to be inserted.
15. “All About My Grandparent” Interview Sheet 📝
This activity creates one of the most meaningful grandparent gifts, full of humor and personal touches. Use a simple printable sheet with prompts like “My Grandma’s favorite food is…” or “Grandpa loves to…” for the child to answer (with parent help) and illustrate. These unedited thoughts are truly priceless.
💡 Pro-Tip: Record your child’s answers verbatim, even the funny ones! These unedited thoughts are often the most precious and memorable for grandparents.
image-15: A completed “All About My Grandparent” sheet with childlike handwriting and drawings, held by a child.
Make it Your Own ✨
As your trusted family advisor, I always encourage adapting crafts to fit your unique family!
- Celebrating Long-Distance: For grandparents far away, adapt a craft for a video call. You could both make the same “I Love You to Pieces” Photo Collage simultaneously, or your child can show off their “All About My Grandparent” sheet live.
- Adapting for Limited Mobility: Focus on crafts that can be done comfortably at a table or with minimal movement, like the “Grandparent’s Favorite Things” Accordion Book or the Decorated Picture Frame, where the grandparent can also participate in the decorating.
- Making it a Group Activity: For multiple children or family members, consider a collaborative “Grandparent’s Garden” Rock Painting project where each child paints a rock, or a large “Nature Collage” where everyone contributes found objects.
Your Thoughtful Questions Answered 🤔
Q1: My preschooler gets frustrated easily with crafts. How can I make these activities more enjoyable and less stressful for them (and me)?
A1: Focus on the process, not the perfect outcome. For easy crafts for toddlers, offer choices (e.g., “Do you want red or blue paint?”), break down steps into small, manageable tasks, and provide plenty of praise for their effort. Pre-prepare materials (like pre-cutting paper) to reduce waiting time and potential frustration. Remember, it’s about the “Memory Maker” moment, not a gallery-worthy piece!
Q2: What’s the best way to minimize mess when doing painting or gluing crafts with a preschooler?
A2: My go-to trick is to always set up a “mess zone.” Lay down old newspapers, a plastic tablecloth, or even an old shower curtain. Dress your child in old clothes or a smock, and have wet wipes or a damp cloth ready for immediate clean-up. Use small amounts of paint or glue at a time, refilling as needed, to prevent over-application and spills, making sensory crafts for kids less daunting.
Q3: How can I make sure the craft feels special and meaningful, even if my child’s fine motor skills aren’t very developed yet?
A3: The most meaningful grandparent gifts come from the heart, regardless of artistic perfection! Focus on crafts that highlight their unique contribution, like handprint crafts or footprint art, where their size and shape are the stars. For other crafts, emphasize their choices and ideas. Their spontaneous drawings or tearing of paper are often the most cherished elements, reminding grandparents of their little one’s budding creativity and love.
There’s truly nothing quite like a handmade gift from a little one to melt a grandparent’s heart. These Grandparents Day crafts for preschoolers are more than just activities; they’re opportunities to build preschooler fine motor skills, encourage creative activities for preschoolers, and forge unforgettable “Memory Maker” moments. They are truly meaningful grandparent gifts that will be cherished for years.
Which of these ‘Memory Maker’ crafts will you and your little one create this Grandparents’ Day? Share your favorites in the comments below!
