PopPop and I have a four year grandchild who has a “moving up” ceremony this week, moving up from the three’s to pre kindergarten. He is very excited we are going to be there in person. Of course, as the youngest grandchild on both sides of the family, he has every toy he wants. It was hard to think of something special for his graduation, and then we got a Ticketmaster email about a Blippi Musical coming to Fort Lauderdale. We really thought we were done with “characters” that our toddler and preschooler grandchildren introduced us to, but Peppa Pig has given our little one to faking British accent, Handyman Hal has made him want to build with hammer and nails, and Blippi. . . .well, Blippi is just a character in orange and blue who introduces him to everything and anything. Learn about Blippi and his musical show at this link. It is really a gift for us to share our youngest grandson’s first live show!
Yes, even for the youngest of grandchildren, experiences are the thing. We are taking him to “PAW Patrol Live, the Great Pirate Adventure” in August. As the description of this show begins, “[i]t’s never too early to introduce your kids to the theater, and PAW Patrol Live might just be the perfect place to start. Characters from the hit Nickelodeon TV series come to life right in front of your eyes to do what they do best: save the day.”
For those going from middle school to high school, I love the choices in the article, “8th Grade Graduation Gifts Your Teen Won’t hate,This is the hardest age to shop for” by Cat Bowen, Best Products, May 17, 2022.
Electronics, hoodies, and even sneakers are on the list–at this age and even to college it seems! Goes to show us Boomer grandparents how expensive teens’ shoes have become.
To the other end of our grandchildren’s ages, we have a grandson who just graduated from high school. His favorite gift, which I confirmed with him is still something a guy would love are “going out shoes,” by Veja, Esplar Leather White Black.
Another gift he really enjoyed is from the Pieced Palette. These are two sided custom graduation pillows with two schools–elementary to middle school logos, middle school to high school, high school to college logos, or college to graduate school logos.
As a grandparent, we want to be special and there is nothing more special than cash. We gave our oldest grandson a college graduation gift that keeps on giving. Once a month, we give him cash via Venmo, what his parents give him as one week’s cash allowance. College kids always need extra money. We grandparents are not too old not to remember that. On Venmo, you can write a short message, and this gives us an opportunity to connect with him and a reason for him to connect with us consistently during his school year. I guess we need to continue that tradition with the others when they graduate high school. I do not think we considered a consistent supplement to middle school or high school allowance given to the grandchild by his or her parents!
For after college, getting them ready for graduate school or life, means more practical gifts for starting their own home. See, for example, “28 Useful College Graduation Gifts They’ll Actually Be Excited About,” by Lauren Phillips and Lisa Milbrand, Real Simple, April 21, 2022.
Yes, PopPop and I have mostly boy grandchildren, five in all, and only one granddaughter. For those of you with granddaughters, this article by Oprah Daily, of course, is a favorite. “43 Best Graduation Gifts for Her: Celebrate this huge milestone with presents she’ll never forget,” by Jane Burnett and Rae Ann Hermann, Oprah Daily, May 12, 2022.
Many of the ideas are unisex, and at great price points. And last of all, ask the graduate what he or she wants. You might be surprised to find the choice above. . . .or maybe a summer trip to Greece or somewhere else in the world with grandma and grandpa?
Joy,
Mema
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