Grandparents Day is on 11 September

Did you know that as of 2015 there were roughly 14 million grandparents in the UK, and that approximately one out of three people over the age of 50 is a grandparent?

Grandparents and great-grandparents, have always been able to play a positive part in people’s lives, especially younger people. They can be role models as well as be able to provide emotional support.

On 11 September, it’s that time of year again to celebrate some special people in our lives. You might think your parents know a lot about the world, but where do you think they learnt it all from?

Grandparents are often thought to be some of the nicest and most amazing people in this entire world – especially when it comes to their grandchildren. What child doesn’t love the thought of spending a sunny day at the beach with an ice cream in hand, or a trip down to a garden centre to see Father Christmas with their grandmother and grandfather?

One of the things about grandparents is that they are full of surprises. They’ve lived so long, they’ve got so many stories to tell, and you never know what kind of exciting stuff they’ve done even before you were born!

Take this story from 2014 – Australian grandparents Paul and Lyn Conlon (69 and 70 years old respectively at that point) who jumped out of a plane to free fall at speeds of up to 200km/h before they activated their parachute! This was thanks to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as well their in-laws.

Or what about this one – 75 year old grandma Norma Pearce took up snowboarding back in 2014 after she was inspired by her grandson, Sam. Though she went skiing often, she thought it would be good to take up a new hobby!

Clarriots Care hopes everyone has a nice day with their grandparents and makes sure to let them know how much they appreciate them. Here’s their top five suggestions for gifts to get them to let them know you care!

Membership to Tourist Attractions – The UK is home to loads and loads of fantastic tourist attractions such as Stonehenge and the Leeds Armouries. There’s several different memberships you can buy which means grandparents can visit all sorts of places as many times as they want for the duration of the membership.

Books – Who doesn’t love a good book? Browse the local book shop and pick up something nice, or if they're more techy then they’ll love an e-reader to store literally thousands of books in the palm of their hand.

Sat Nav – Just because grandparents are older than the rest of us doesn’t mean they don’t like to travel. A Sat nav is a great way of helping your folks get about, and these days they’re super easy to use and affordable to buy. Many even come with lifetime map updates so if new roads appear they can be added quickly.

Family Portrait – A family portrait would be a great gift, one to prop up on the mantelpiece or hang up on the wall. Professional photographers have some great packages available and will make sure everyone looks fantastic!

Spa Day – Everyone enjoys a good pampering session. There’s spas and luxury hotels found up and down the country, why not treat them to a massage? They’ll love it!