Having recently crossed the threshold of the half-century mark and being a grandfather myself, I thought I would check with some of my fellow grandpas about great gift ideas just for the older group of fathers and grandfathers. Here are some of the ideas this grandpa group came up with for events like Christmas, Father's Day and birthdays.
1. Large Button Remote Control
One of the banes of many grandfathers' lives is the smaller and smaller buttons on remote controls (or is it just failing eyesight)? In any case, this large button remote control for TV, cable box and DVD player will help ease that aggravation.
2. The Grandparents' Treasure Chest
This is a great book for a grandfather and his grandchildren who want to sit down and talk about grandpa's life. It includes questions intended to stimulate his memory and record his experiences and thoughts about his life. This is a wonderful tool for keeping grandpa's life alive for generations to come.
3. Postu-Rite Lap Desk
A lap desk is a great thing to have for grandparents who might either be confined to bed or spend a lot of time sitting, and the Postu-Rite version is one of the best I have seen. It is comfortable to work at and helps keep your aging parent more upright than many others.4. Life Stories Game
If you want to learn even more about your grandparent's life and times, the Life Stories Game is a great way to get information and experiences out in the open. If you get this game for grandpa and get him to play it with you, turn on your tape recorder or digital voice recorder and get him started reminiscing.5. Large Print Crossword Puzzles
If your grandfather loves crossword puzzles but hates wearing reading glasses, this may be just the right thing for him. One or more large print crossword puzzle books will give him hours of enjoyment without the hassles of glasses or magnifiers.6. I Heart Grandpa Photo Collage
Photo collages are always fun for grandparents. In this one, the cutouts in the frame spell "I Heart Grandpa" (but with a heart-shaped cutout instead the word "heart." Put some facvorite photos of your family into the frame and watch grandpa's face light up when he opens it.7. Photo Tie
If your grandpa still "gets" to wear a tie to work or to church, then he will really enjoy a photo tie with the pictures of his grandkids for proud display.8. Custom Birthday Newspaper
Some grandpa's seem to appreciate the good old days more than others. In this gift, a newspaper from Grandpa's birth year highlights the events that were going on when he was born. The newspaper is framed for display and is a fun recollection of times gone by.9. Photo Stamps
For those of us who still use postage stamps, the idea of getting personalized photos of our loved ones on stamps is a fun idea. Order first class stamps with a photo of each grandchild on them and grandpa will find excuses to mail the bills rather then pay for everything online.10. Walter Cronkite's the 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows of the 20th Century
If you have a grandpa in the 65 plus category, you might consider a CD with old time radio shows that he will remember from his youth. This collection has some of the best of the best ever played on radio, and you might find that you enjoy them while listening with grandpa.