The best gifts for grandparents who have everything are experiences that come to their door: a wash and blow-dry, a manicure, a facial or a massage at home, sent as a gift voucher or arranged for them through Blys.
Grandparents Day falls on the last Sunday in October, which this year is 25 October, and it’s the perfect excuse to retire the tea-towel set from your list of Grandparents Day gifts. The same ideas work just as well for birthdays and Christmas.
Why Gifts for Grandparents Who Have Everything Should Be Experiences
Grandparents who have everything don’t need another thing, they need something that doesn’t want dusting, storing or a spot on the shelf.
The Cupboard Problem
Somewhere in every nan’s house is a cupboard of gifts she’s too polite to return, and Grandad’s shed holds enough tools to open a hardware store. Adding to either pile says you remembered the birthday, not that you know what they’d enjoy.
What an Experience Does Differently
An experience gives them something to look forward to and then something to talk about at the next family lunch, and it takes up exactly zero room. A good one comes with company too, since someone friendly turns up at the door and there’s a reason to put the kettle on.
Why Coming to Their Door Matters
Gifts for grandparents that need a trip out come with a hidden extra: the driving, the parking and the waiting room. A local, professional provider who visits their home or retirement village skips all three, and provider ratings and reviews help you choose who turns up. Blys bookings run from 6 am to midnight, seven days a week, so there’s a time that suits their day.
Grandparents Day Gift Ideas at a Glance
Each of these gifts comes to the grandparent, takes an afternoon at most and leaves nothing behind to dust.
| Gift | What they get | Good for | Pair it with |
| Wash and blow-dry or set | A mobile hairdresser at their door | Nan, Grandma, or anyone with a family lunch coming up | A cuppa and a catch-up |
| Classic manicure | Hands tidied and polished at home | Nan, Grandma, Grandad or Grandpa | A manicure for a grandchild too |
| Facial | A facial at home | Grandma and Nan | A quiet afternoon and a favourite show |
| At-home massage | A massage at home, seated or lying down | Grandad, Grandpa and anyone who’s always on their feet | A comfy chair and a blanket |
| Multi-session voucher | A pack of five sessions from the whole family | Any grandparent | A card signed by everyone |
Pick the gift that suits the person and not the pairing, because plenty of Grandads love a wash and set and plenty of Nans would swap a facial for a massage.
Matching the Gift to the Grandparent
The right gift usually depends on a few things about the person, and a quick answer to each narrows the list.
| If they… | A good fit | Why |
| Love a chat | A wash and blow-dry or a manicure | Someone friendly spends the visit talking to them |
| Prefer peace and quiet | A facial or an at-home massage | The visit is calm and the session is private |
| Have an event coming up | A wash and set | They look their best on the day |
| Find leaving the house a hassle | Anything that comes to their door | No trip, no parking and no waiting room |
If you can’t tell, a gift voucher hands the choice back to them.
Grandparents Day Gift Ideas for Nan and Grandma
Gifts for Nan and Grandma that come with a cuppa and a catch-up beat anything that arrives in wrapping paper.
Gifts for Nan: A Wash and Blow-Dry or Set at Home
A mobile hairdresser comes to Nan’s house or retirement village for a wash and blow-dry or a set, so she gets that fresh-from-the-salon feeling without the trip, the parking or the dryer chair. Nan has probably heard don’t fuss for years, so make the fuss on her behalf.
A fresh set also gives her something to show off at the next family lunch or village morning tea, which makes it a gift that keeps getting compliments for days. Ask for the visit the day before a family get-together, so her hair is at its best when everyone arrives, and keep a camera handy for the group chat.
Gifts for Grandma: A Facial in the Lounge Room
A facial at home turns the lounge room into the quietest salon in the suburb, with no waiting room and nobody else in the chair. Add her favourite show for afterwards, and the whole thing becomes a very good Sunday.
Grandparents Day Gift Ideas for Grandad and Grandpa
Gifts for Grandad and Grandpa work best when they’re easy to say yes to, which means no leaving the house and no fuss.
Gifts for Grandad: A Massage at Home
Local massage therapists booked through Blys visit Grandad at home, and he can have the session seated or lying down, whichever suits him. His shed has plenty of tools and nothing designed for sitting back, so an at-home massage fills the gap.
Gifts for Grandpa: A Classic Manicure
A classic manicure suits hands that have fixed fences, kneaded dough or held a lifetime of tools: tidy and comfortable, and done in an afternoon. Plenty of Grandpas will say they don’t need one, and plenty will quietly like it. A good hand cream from the family tucked in the card gives him something to remember it by.
Gifts for Grandparents When You Live Interstate
The gift that travels for you gets around the distance: you can’t hug them from Perth or London, but you can send someone to do their hair.
Send a Digital Gift Voucher Instantly
A digital gift voucher arrives instantly with a personalised message from you, so even a last-minute Grandparents Day isn’t too late. Vouchers come as a single session, a pack of sessions or a dollar amount, and they start from $50.
Or Arrange the Visit for Them
If you’d rather surprise them than send a voucher, arrange the session at Nan’s address yourself and pick the day and time, and there’s no charge before confirmation. Call her afterwards to hear how it went, which is half the point.
Make It a Moment, Not Just a Delivery
Distance gifts work best when they come with a bit of you, so tell Nan the day and time, ring her once the visit’s over and ask for the full report. A short video call that evening, with her new hair or fresh nails on show, gives you the one thing the gift can’t: seeing her smile.
Gifts to Share With a Grandchild
Side by side turns a gift into an afternoon: a grandparent and a grandchild each get something done, and the chat does the rest.
Nails Side by Side
Pair a classic manicure for Nan with one for the grandchild, with times close together so the afternoon becomes the event. Add a polish colour vote, because every family has at least one very firm opinion. If the grandchild has never had a manicure, make it a first for both of them, and arrange the two back to back so the polish dries over the same cuppa.
Blow-Dries and a Chat
Two blow-dries at Nan’s place, one after the other, give the grandchild a front-row seat to her stories while her hair gets done. Take a before-and-after photo for the family group chat, and mention in the booking notes that you’ll be there too.
Chipping In as a Family
A family pool works when nobody has to chase the money and nobody feels left out.
Pick a Gift Captain
One person buys the voucher and everyone else sends their share, which keeps the card and the message in one place. Agree an amount per household before anyone starts, because cousins who have never agreed on a restaurant can still agree on this.
Write One Message Everyone Can Sign
A short note with a line from each person beats a long speech from one, because it shows the whole family turned up. Keep each line to a sentence, add a name beside it, and let the youngest cousin write the last line.
One Voucher, Many Visits
A pack of five sessions turns one gift into a run of visits, so a family gift voucher can pay for a wash and set now, a manicure next month and a facial when someone’s visiting. It stays valid for three years in Australia and New Zealand, so there’s no rush to use it all at once.
How to Arrange It for Them
Arranging a visit takes about five minutes when you have the details to hand:
- Pick the experience that suits them.
- Choose a gift voucher, or arrange a visit at their address.
- Add the details in the booking notes.
- Tell them what’s coming, so nobody’s surprised at the door.
What to Put in the Booking Notes
Add the recipient’s name, any mobility needs, whether they’ll sit or lie down, and how to get in, such as village sign-in, parking and lifts, so the provider who accepts the booking arrives ready. The provider can’t read minds, so the notes have to.
Check the Provider’s Reviews
Provider ratings and reviews give you a feel for who’s coming to Nan’s door before they arrive, which is a comfort when you’re organising it from another state. Reviews can also show who suits the occasion: a calm, patient style is easy for a nervous first-timer, and a chatty one suits a grandparent who loves company.
Before You Choose: Comfort, Mobility and Health
Ask what they’d enjoy, or choose with someone who knows them well, and keep it optional so nobody feels they have to say yes. If they have a medical condition, check with their doctor or care team first. Gifts matched to mobility or care needs follow a different logic, and the best gifts for elderly parents start from what they’ll use and not what looks nice.
Arranging Gifts for Grandparents Through Blys
Choose a gift voucher if you’d like them to pick the day, or arrange the visit if you’d rather hand over a done deal.
If Grandparents Day is the nudge you needed, send a voucher now or arrange the visit, and add Nan’s name, how she gets around, whether she’ll sit or lie down and how to get in, so the provider who accepts the booking arrives ready.
Send Nan and Grandad Something That Doesn’t Need Dusting →
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions come up around the time the family group chat starts planning.
How far ahead should you arrange gifts for grandparents for Grandparents Day?
Same-day bookings are possible subject to availability, though earlier is easier. You can also schedule a voucher to arrive on the day itself, so it turns up on time even if you got organised late. If the day itself is out of reach, a voucher with a note such as your visit is coming soon still gives them something to look forward to.
What if my grandparent doesn’t use email?
Ask a family member to pass the voucher on or read the details out over the phone. Or arrange the visit for them, so there’s nothing for them to redeem and nothing to work out on a screen. A printed note or a card with the plan written inside helps too, so the visit never comes as a surprise.
What should you write in a gift message for a grandparent?
Keep it warm and specific, such as Happy Grandparents Day, Nan. Someone’s coming on Saturday to do your hair, and I’ll ring after to hear all about it. A named day and a promised phone call make the gift feel personal and not like a receipt.
What if they say they don’t want a fuss?
Keep it low-key: a short visit with no audience. Tell them it’s from the family and not a favour they need to repay, and let them decide how much of a fuss to make once it’s happening. A small, specific gift often goes down better than a big gesture, because a quiet hour with the hairdresser is easier to accept than a party.
How much does a mobile hairdresser cost?
It depends on the service and the area, so compare mobile hair stylist costs before you choose. A voucher in a dollar amount also lets you set a budget and leave the choice of service to them, and it helps to settle on the experience before you start comparing prices.
