Grandparents Day: A Gift They'll Treasure: Scrapbooks, Stories & Conversations

Family Fun Nights and crafting with Kenson Kids

This Sunday, September 13, is National Grandparents Day — a great excuse to slow down and make space for one of the most meaningful relationships in a child's life. This year, instead of (or alongside) a store-bought card, consider giving something grandparents tend to treasure even more: your time, your child's voice, and a few favorite photos.

A Scrapbook They'll Actually Keep

If there's one thing most grandparents love, it's looking at pictures of their grandkids. A handmade scrapbook — even a simple one — is the kind of gift that doesn't end up in a drawer. It ends up on the coffee table, pulled out every time company visits.

If you live close by and have some time, this can be a wonderful project to do together: print out a handful of favorite photos, grab some fun stickers, and let your child help fill in the pages of a blank scrapbook. It doesn't need to be elaborate — a few photos with a caption or two in your child's own handwriting means more than a perfectly polished layout.

If you live far away or time is tight, you don't have to skip this one. Several online photo services let you build a digital scrapbook or photo book from your phone, and have it printed and shipped as an actual book or calendar — no scissors or glue required. It's an easy way to give the same kind of keepsake gift, even from a distance.

Helping Kids Start the Conversation

Photos are wonderful, but conversation is where the real stories come out — and kids often don't know where to start. Grandparents, on the other hand, usually love being asked. That older generation carries stories worth passing down, and being asked to share them tends to make a grandparent feel genuinely special and heard.

A simple way in: have your child ask a few questions, or even "interview" their grandparent like a mini reporter. To make that easier, we've put together two free printables, depending on your child's age:

• For younger kids: a simple, visual set of conversation starters — easy questions like "What was school like when you were a kid?" or "How did you meet Grandma/Grandpa?" — plus a spot to write down their favorite story they heard. Download it here →
• For older kids: a more in-depth interview guide, with deeper prompts, follow-up questions to keep the story going ("What happened next?" "How did you feel?"), and ideas for asking for a story instead of just a question. Download it here →

Either version works well paired with the scrapbook project — ask a question, listen to the story, and jot it down on the scrapbook page next to the photo it reminds them of.

Why It's Worth the Time

These relationships give kids a broader sense of who they are and where they come from. A photo, a story, and a few quiet minutes of real attention are often the part of the day that's remembered long after the visit ends — for your child, and for the grandparent on the other end of it.