“Nonni” means grandparents.
This is our day.
Three Grandparents Days are coming in 2026 — in July, September, and October. Here's how to make them count, whether you live ten minutes away or ten time zones.
When is Grandparents Day in 2026?
World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
Kept by the Catholic Church worldwide on the fourth Sunday of July. The 2026 theme, chosen by Pope Leo XIV, is “I will never forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).
National Grandparents Day (US)
Celebrated across the United States on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
Grandparents Day (Australia)
Led by NSW on the last Sunday of October and marked around the country.
Ideas that beat a card
The best Grandparents Day gift is anticipation — something that keeps arriving after the day is over.
If you're nearby
- Book the visit now — the day fills up with sport and school events.
- Bring the grandchildren and a question list: first job, first dance, the dish their mother made.
- Cook their recipe together, with them directing from the good chair.
- Start something that repeats: same café, first Sunday of every month.
If you're far away
- Schedule the call for the day itself — and put a repeating one in the calendar before you hang up.
- Send photos the old way: printed, in an envelope, with a line on the back.
- Get the grandchildren to record a voice message; play is better than perfect.
- Set up a weekly hello that doesn't depend on your busiest week — that's where nonni helps.
Gifts that outlast the day
- A recorded life story — one guided hour becomes a family keepsake.
- A photo book of their own photographs, captioned in their words.
- A subscription to something that arrives monthly: flowers, magazines, letters from the grandkids.
- A nonni companion: a warm daily phone call that knows their stories and lets you know they're okay.
The Monday after Grandparents Day
Every Grandparents Day ends the same way: a lovely afternoon, and then a quiet Monday. Loneliness lives in the gap between visits.
nonni fills the gap with a warm daily phone call — a voice that knows Dad follows the cricket and Mum's roses are her pride, asks how they're really going, and lets you know they're okay. No app for them to learn. Just the phone ringing, and someone glad to hear their voice.
Running activities in an aged care home or parish? Free printable Grandparents Day activity packs are on our provider site, careplans.io.