Gifts for grandparents

11 November 2026

For grandparents who already have everything, the gifts that get kept come straight from the grandchildren. On this page: a real star named by the grandchildren, such as "Nana" or "Grandad Joe", with a certificate to frame and posted packs that need no internet.

What do you buy grandparents who have everything?

Most grandparents have a house full of school photographs, a cupboard of slippers and a firm view on what they don't need. What they rarely have is something that comes straight from the grandchildren and is about the family rather than the home: a name the children chose, a letter in their words, a reason to spend an evening together. If you are still stuck, see our gifts for someone who has everything.

A star named by the grandchildren

The children can choose the name, the certificate says who it came from, and finding the star in the sky gives grandparents and grandchildren something to do together on a dark evening. We run two star naming brands, each with its own register, documents and website.

The Star Naming Co.

The Star Naming Co. dedicates a real, catalogued star in its own register. Its Twin Star Gift Pack suits grandparents especially well: it names two neighbouring stars in the same constellation, so Nan and Grandad can have one each, together on one landscape certificate. The seven documents are printed on fine cream stock and posted free in the UK in one pack, and each star has its own live star page. For a single grandparent, the Physical Gift Pack is five documents on the same cream stock, posted free within 24 hours. At Christmas, a star named by the grandchildren with the certificate framed is one of the ideas on its page about naming a star for Christmas.

Intergalactic Star Database

Intergalactic Star Database registers a star from the Hipparcos catalogue under the name you choose, and has a page on a star for a grandparent. Its posted gift pack is complete on paper, with a Certificate of Registry, a Star Area Co-ordinates Sheet, a welcome letter and a fold-out star chart in a full-colour gift envelope, so nobody needs a password to enjoy it. It can be posted straight to the grandparents' home. For families who do use a tablet, each new star has its own page with a live sky map that can be explored from an armchair, and relatives far away can print their own copy of the certificate.

Name ideas from the grandchildren

• Their grandparent name. "Nana", "Grandpa", "Granny Sue", "Nain" or "Oma", in the family's own spelling.
• From all of us. "Grandma, Love from Ruby, Leo and Max".
• A famous talent. "Grandad's Famous Trifle" or "Nana, Champion Knitter".
• The couple. "Nan and Grandad", or both full names for a golden wedding.

How can grandparents and grandchildren find the star together?

1. Pick the right time of year. The Intergalactic Star Database co-ordinates sheet shows which months the star is highest. Winter evenings get dark early enough for children before bedtime.
2. Find the constellation first. Spread the star chart on the kitchen table and work out which part of the sky to face.
3. Go somewhere dark. A garden away from street lights is fine. Give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust, and take a chair.
4. Bring the right kit. Most Intergalactic Star Database stars need binoculars, and most Star Naming Co. stars need a telescope; their co-ordinates work in stargazing apps.

Which occasions suit a gift for a grandparent?

• Christmas. Long, dark evenings are the best time to go looking for a star. See our Christmas gift ideas.
• A big birthday. Seventy, eighty or ninety, with the age in the name.
• A golden or diamond wedding. Given by children and grandchildren together. Our anniversary gift ideas go through the milestone years.
• A first grandchild. See our new baby gift ideas.
• Retirement. A stretch of free evenings, and something to look for during them.
• A thank-you. For years of school runs and Sunday lunches, no date needed.

How quickly does a gift for a grandparent arrive?