The Ultimate Grandparent Starter Kit

It’s no surprise you want to spend as much time with your brand new grandchild as possible. But lugging heavy and expensive gear around town may deter the baby's
parents from coming over as often as they should. We’ve found the best gear to have on hand for hosting your grandbaby, leaving his or her parents with no excuses.

Bringing Baby Home DVD

Years ago, you did a perfect job of caring for your own babies, so most of the “baby basics” covered in this informational DVD probably won’t be a revelation. But, just like fast food and footwear, baby-care trends are in constant flux, and this tutorial fills grandparents in on the latest sleeping positions, swaddling methods, and feeding techniques.

Price: $20, plus shipping. Grandparents.com readers receive 15% off when they enter BCD08 at checkout.
Available at: Liandrea.com

If it’s still early in the game, you probably haven’t gone bonkers (yet) and converted your workout room into a fully loaded nursery for your visiting grandbaby. In lieu of the solid oak changing table, you’ll need the Plush Pad: a stylish, portable changing mat with memory-foam design that maximizes baby’s comfort. When not in use, you can easily roll it up and stash it in a bag or behind your Precor machine.

Price: $47 (with free shipping when you order through AhGooBaby.com, enter FSHIP at checkout)
Available at: AhGooBaby.com

Chicco KeyFit Car Seat

The importance of a car seat is a no-brainer, but transferring one from your kid’s car to yours will give you a headache. Any motoring around town with your grandbaby should be done with your own carefully picked car seat. The Chicco KeyFit was rated tops in safety by Consumer Reports, faring even better than its higher-priced competitors. In this case, it’s the only kind of bang you’ll want for your buck.

Price: $162
Available at: Amazon.com

Dwell Diaper Tote

Sure, your grandbaby’s folks can probably lend you their bag for the weekend, but why deny yourself the fun of shopping for your own? DwellStudio's diaper totes and weekender bags, in bold and colorful prints, look so cool you still might want to carry one even when you’re not lugging around Pampers. Our favorite is the “Transportation” theme.

Price: $170
Available at: Amazon.com

Graco Discover and Play Caterpillar Open Top Swing

Cute as they are, new babies don’t do much in the first few months — except eat, sleep, and wait around to be swung back and forth. This Graco swing is open and bright, a veritable baby-entertainment center. The spiral-shaped soft toy mobile, Baby Einstein melodies, and “nature sounds” will hold your little grand’s full attention. It’s the perfect set up for her to rock the day away.

Price: $200
For ages: Infants up to 25 pounds
Available at: Amazon.com

Shangrila Activity Mat with Portico Archway

As you know and remember, there’s no world of pain quite like what a bored baby can unleash on the adults around him. Enter the Shangrila, a portable “multisensory island” chock full of little toys, activities, and downright mesmerizing shapes and colors. The Shangrila keeps grandbabies too young for a real playground entertained for hours, while stimulating their tactile and visual senses, and developing their motor skills.