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Birthday Wishes for Grandchildren: 40 Lines for the Card
Birthday wishes for grandchildren, sorted by age and present: 40 lines to copy into the card, from read-aloud lines for 3s to riddles for 8-year-olds.
Write for the age of the child holding the card. A three-year-old will have it read to them, so short lines with a rhythm and a question work best. Once they're reading for themselves, a joke or a riddle pays off. Below are 40 birthday wishes for grandchildren to copy, sorted by age and by the present they go with.
Add their name at the top and the name they call you at the bottom, and any line here becomes yours.
How do you wish your grandchild a happy birthday?
Say it in your own words, with three things in it: their name, one true detail from the past year, and the name they call you. "Happy birthday, Sam. You started school and you were brave every single day. Love from Nanna" does more than any shop-bought verse, because it could only have come from you.
Then add the date and their age. A card that says "You're four today" is a keepsake by the time they're fourteen.
If you're stuck on what to write in a grandchild's birthday card, pick a line below, change one word to fit, and stop there. Two lines in your own hand beat a paragraph copied from somewhere else.
What do you write for a 3 to 5 year-old?
At this age the card is read aloud, usually by a parent, so write it for the ear: short, with a rhythm, and with something to answer. Between 3 and 5, the NHS says, children start using longer sentences, and answering "how" or "why" questions is one of the National Literacy Trust's milestones for age five. A question at the end gives them something to tell you on the phone.
- Three today. You're taller than your teddy now, and much better at blowing out candles.
- You're four today. That's four candles, four big wishes and four squeezy hugs from me.
- Roar like a lion, hop like a frog, and have the happiest birthday, my darling.
- Ask whoever is reading this to give you the biggest squeeze, and say it's from me.
- Five today. What will you wish for when you blow out the candles? Tell me on the phone.
- You were tiny when I first held you. Now look at you, all four years of you.
- I've hidden a kiss in this card. Can you find it? Here it is: x.
- One, two, three, four. Count the candles, then count my hugs. Happy birthday.
- What was the best bit of your birthday? Save it up and tell me when I see you.
- Happy birthday to the best puddle-jumper, tower-builder and story-listener I know.
What do you write for a 6 to 8 year-old?
Once a child is reading, they'll often want to read the card themselves, so a joke, a riddle or a word game rewards them for it. Playing word-guessing games and comparing words, such as opposites, are among the National Literacy Trust's milestones for age eight. Use words they know, and print clearly: joined-up handwriting can be hard going for a new reader.
They don't have to read it alone, either. BookTrust encourages families to keep reading together as children get older, and a card read side by side on the sofa counts.
- Happy birthday. You keep getting older and I keep staying exactly the same age, which seems fair.
- A birthday riddle: what gets bigger every year but never needs new shoes? Your age. Happy birthday.
- Seven is a big number: bigger than six, smaller than my love for you, and exactly right for today.
- Happy birthday to a grandchild who is taller than the kitchen counter and faster than me.
- Eight years ago you made me a grandparent. I've been showing off about it ever since.
- Every year you get braver, funnier and harder to beat at snap. Happy birthday.
- Opposites: you're young, I'm old; you're fast, I'm slow; we're both brilliant.
- Happy birthday to someone who can read this card faster than I wrote it.
- You were six for a whole year and did it brilliantly. Now let's see what you do with seven.
- Spend the next twelve months doing more of what you love, and tell me all about it.
Birthday messages for a grandson or a granddaughter
These use the word, because sometimes the word is the point. Each works either way round: swap grandson for granddaughter, or the other way, and nothing else needs to change.
- To my grandson on his birthday: you make every visit the best part of my week.
- Happy birthday to my granddaughter, who fills my fridge door with drawings and my days with news.
- Happy birthday, grandson. You've grown so much that I need a new mark on the door frame.
- To my granddaughter: every year I learn something new about you, and I like all of it.
- Happy birthday to the grandson who taught me a new joke, a new game and how to work my phone.
- To my granddaughter, the best question-asker I know. Keep asking. Happy birthday.
- Happy birthday, grandson. Whatever you're into now, count me in.
- Happy birthday, granddaughter. You're kind, you're brave and you always know where the biscuits are.
- Happy birthday to my grandson, from someone who's been proud of you since the day you arrived.
- To my granddaughter on her birthday: thank you for every hug, every phone call and every joke I didn't get.
What do you write when the card goes with a present?
The card and the present should tell the same story, so let the line explain the gift. That matters most when the present is something to share, a day out, or money.
- With a book: This is one of my favourite stories. Read it with someone you love, then tell me the best page.
- With a present to share: This one is for us to do together. It's big enough for both of us, so save me a space.
- With a day out: Your present isn't in this envelope. It's a day out with me, and you choose where.
- With money: Spend some, save some, and spend the last bit on something that makes you laugh.
- With a game: Inside this box is a game. Inside the game is a rematch, and this time I intend to win.
- With seeds or a plant: Plant these, water them, and send me a picture when they come up.
- With clothes: Something to wear, chosen with love and a gift receipt.
- When you can't be there: I'm sorry I'm not with you today. Open this on our call so I can see your face.
- With an art kit: Here's a box of colours. I'd like the very first picture, please.
- With a late present: Happy birthday for last week. Your present is late because I wanted it to be just right.
Line 32 suits anything you'll use together at your house or theirs. A full-length kids' yoga mat is one example: at 183 x 61 cm it's long enough for a grandparent to take a turn, and it's made for ages 3 to 8. Still choosing the present itself? Our birthday present ideas for kids include a section on what grandparents give that lasts, and our gifts for grandchildren are picked to last past the day.
If you'll be on a video call when the card is opened, as in line 38, have a game ready for afterwards: our games to play on FaceTime work with a phone propped on the table.
How should you sign a grandchild's birthday card?
With the name they actually call you, whether that's Grandma, Nanna, Grandad, Nani, Dadi or something only your family understands. A three-year-old hearing it read aloud will know at once who it's from.
Then add kisses, the date and their age, and sign it yourself even if a partner wrote the message. If you're two grandparents writing one card, put both names, and let each of you add a line. For more small habits like this, see our guide to bonding with grandchildren.
What if the card gets ignored for the present?
It usually will, at least at first, and that's fine. Small children go straight for the wrapping paper, and the card gets read later, often at bedtime, when there's time to hear it properly.
You can help it along. Ask the parent to read it again in the evening, or ask your grandchild on the phone, "Did you find the kiss in the card?" A question gives them a reason to go back to it.
Frequently asked questions
What are special birthday wishes for a grandson?
The special ones are specific. Use his name, one thing he did since his last birthday and the name he calls you: 'Happy birthday to my grandson, who learned to swim and taught me a terrible joke' means more than any verse. Lines 21 to 30 in this list are written for a grandson or a granddaughter, so swap the word to suit.
What are special birthday wishes for a granddaughter?
Write about what she's into, not what a card shop assumes. If she loves dinosaurs, football or space, say so: 'Happy birthday to my granddaughter, the family's leading dinosaur expert.' Add one thing you're proud of since her last birthday and sign it with the name she calls you. Any line in this list works with granddaughter swapped in.
What is a loving quote for grandkids?
Rather than a quotation, write one true sentence of your own. 'You make my world bigger every year' or 'Of everything I've done, being your grandparent is what I'm proudest of' means more coming from you than from a famous name, and your grandchild will know the words are yours. Lines 21 to 30 above are a good place to start.
Should you put money in a grandchild's card?
It's a family choice, so check with the parents first, especially for younger children who may lose it or not know what it is. If you do, say in the card what it's for, such as something they choose or their piggy bank, and tell the parents how much, so it doesn't vanish with the wrapping paper.
