Grandparents Day 2026: a coloring book made from the grandkids' photos
In Australia, Grandparents Day falls on the last Sunday of October: the next one is on 25 October 2026. The gift question stays the same every year: something personal that isn't another mug. A personalized coloring book starts from photos of the grandchildren. Each photo becomes two pages, a color version already printed and the same scene in line art, ready to color. Grandma and grandpa can read it as a keepsake on the day and color it later with the kids.
A few examples that work for this case
Grandparents Day gift ideas that aren't another mug
Grandparents Day is a small occasion next to Christmas or birthdays, and that's part of its charm. The gift doesn't need to be big. It needs to come from the grandkids. A few ideas, from last-minute to planned ahead.
1.A coloring book of the grandchildren
Each photo becomes a color page plus the same scene in line art. It works as a keepsake on the day and as an activity for later visits. It needs sharp photos and about three weeks of lead time, so it isn't a Saturday-night idea.
2.A handmade card or drawing
Kids often make one at school or daycare around this time. Frame the best one with the date on the back. It costs almost nothing, and plenty of grandparents keep every single one.
3.Seeds to plant together
The forget-me-not is the official flower of Grandparents Day in the US. A packet of seeds the kids sow with their grandparents fits the day, costs very little and gives everyone a reason to check on the garden together.
4.An afternoon planned around them
A picnic, a board game tournament, a drive to the town where they grew up. Nothing to wrap. Put it on the calendar early: in North America, Grandparents Day often lands on a busy back-to-school weekend.
5.A photo calendar for the year ahead
Twelve months of grandkid photos, with family birthdays already marked. Useful, looked at every day, and ordered in the fall it covers the whole of next year.
6.A video call with a show
For grandparents who live far away: a song, a magic trick, a poem read live on screen. Pair it with a parcel sent in time, so there's also something to open.
Making Grandparents Day a family project
The best Grandparents Day gifts involve every grandchild, including cousins who live in another state or another country. Pick one adult to coordinate. Ask each family for two or three photos, with a deadline a few days before you plan to order. The larger formats, up to 24 photos, leave room for a big family.
Give each grandchild a job that fits their age. Toddlers scribble on a page before the book is wrapped. School-age kids pick their photo and dictate a line for the dedication. Teenagers can chase down the cousins' photos and write the dedication themselves.
Build the review into your timeline. Before anything is printed, you look through every page online and can ask for changes to one you don't like. Leaving a day or two for that step keeps you from rushing it.
If the grandparents live across the country, have the book shipped straight to them: you enter their address at checkout. Leave a few days of margin, since delivery on an exact day can't be guaranteed, and set up a video call so the kids can watch them open it.
How Grandparents Day started
In the United States, the day owes a lot to Marian McQuade, a West Virginia mother who campaigned for a day honoring grandparents and older people. President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation in 1978, setting it on the first Sunday after Labor Day. Its official flower is the forget-me-not.
Other countries came to it later and chose their own Sundays, which is why Canada, the UK and Australia each celebrate on a different date. In many places, it's marked at school with drawings, songs and grandparents invited into the classroom.
Because each country ties the day to a rule rather than a fixed date, it moves every year. Check the coming date early instead of relying on last year's, especially if you're ordering a printed gift.
Our tip for Grandparents Day
Order about three weeks ahead: allow 5 to 7 business days between your order and shipping, then the carrier's own delivery time. Let each grandchild pick one photo, ideally one taken with their grandparents. Sharp photos where faces fill a good part of the frame give the cleanest line art. If their eyes or hands tire easily, the 6-photo format has more open drawings.
Recommended format
24-page book, A$74.99
Hardcover
The 12-photo format leaves room for every grandchild and a few shared moments, without turning into a brick.
Create the album for Grandparents DayHow we make your book
Printed on demand by our print partner, close to your delivery address. Square 21.6 cm format, 90 gsm uncoated inner paper that holds pencils and water-based markers well, hardcover on the 12 and 24-photo formats (saddle-stitched on the 6-photo format).
- 21.6 cmsquare format
- Stays flat when open on the table, the right size for coloring.
- 90 gsmmatte uncoated paper
- A grain that grips colored pencils and won't bleed with markers.
- Soft or hardcover
- Softcover for the 6 photo format, rigid hardcover for the 12 / 24.
- 5 to 7days to ship
- Printed as a single copy by a professional printer, then shipped with tracking.
Frequently asked questions
When is Grandparents Day in Australia?
In Australia, Grandparents Day falls on the last Sunday of October: 25 October 2026, then 31 October 2027. Allow time to choose your photos, approve the pages and receive the book. If the date is too close, a gift card can be given right away.
How late can I order for Grandparents Day?
About three weeks before the day. Allow 5 to 7 business days between your order and shipping, then the carrier's delivery time to your address. That leaves a margin for choosing photos and approving the pages.
What if Grandparents Day is less than three weeks away?
A printed book may not arrive in time. Give a gift card instead: it can be handed over on the day, and the family picks the photos afterwards.
Do grandparents actually color it?
Some do, some don't, and both work. Every photo already has its color page, so the book reads as a keepsake from the first day. The line-art pages come out when the grandchildren visit.
Can the grandchildren help make it?
Yes, and it's the best part. Each child picks a photo, and the youngest can color the first page before it's handed over, even if it's only a few scribbles.
Should I get a gift for both sets of grandparents?
If you're celebrating both, yes, even something simple for each. For a coloring book, make one per couple, with the photos where they appear: a shared book tends to settle at one house for good. Two 6-photo books are enough if the budget is tight.
What can kids make for Grandparents Day?
A drawing, a handprint card, cookies, a song learned for the occasion. Kids can also color one page of a personalized coloring book before it's handed over: the easiest homemade touch to get right, since the drawing is already there. Older kids can write a letter about a favorite memory with them, which tends to be kept for years.
Is Grandparents Day a public holiday?
No. In the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, Grandparents Day is an observance, not a day off. It always falls on a Sunday, so most families mark it at home with a visit, a call or a meal. Schools sometimes hold their own celebration on a nearby weekday.
Our personalized books made from your photos
Three ways to turn your family photos into an activity book, from free coloring to guided play.
- Personalized coloring bookEach photo becomes a color keepsake page and the same scene to color freely.
- Personalized color by numberYour photos as numbered zones with a color legend: guided coloring, true to the memory.
- Personalized dot to dotThe drawing of your photo appears as you connect the numbers, then gets colored in.
Ready to create your book?
Every page is checked before printing.
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