A godparent traditionally gives the gift of faith: a first Bible, a cross, or a keepsake the child grows into, at the baptism and again at milestones like First Communion. Godparents receive gifts too, though nobody owes them one: a small thank-you from the parents after the service, and sometimes a token when they are first asked. Below is what to give a goddaughter or godson at each age, and simple, honest ways to ask or thank a godmother and godfather.
By Hannah Whitford · Last updated October 2026. The keepsake books here are our own. The Bibles at the end link to Christianbook, and as a Christianbook affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases; the descriptions are ours.
Every one of our keepsake books has a dedication page at the front, and that page belongs to the godparent. Put the date of the baptism, the church and one line only you could write, and the book carries your message for as long as they keep it.
The role lasts for years, so the gifts come in stages. These are the three that matter most, with where to look for each.
A baby cannot open a present, so the gift is really for the parents to keep for the child. The traditional choice is a Bible with a presentation page. A keepsake book with the baby's name on the cover is the other, and Little Prayers above is the one we built for this: prayers the parents can read aloud from the first month. Our baptism and christening gift guide covers the rest of the day, from what guests bring to what to write in the card.
Between two and five the best gift is a book they ask for again. Bible Adventures is written for three to six, with their name closing every story, and Noah's Ark Stowaway is a bedtime story with the child in it. If you would rather give a storybook Bible, our guide to Bible storybooks by age compares the editions worth buying. A birthday card from you every year counts for more than any one of them.
For Catholic families the next big day comes at seven or eight, and the godparent's gift is usually a Bible or New Testament of the child's own. You were at the baptism, so write about it inside the cover: the date, the church, who held them. Our First Communion gift guide walks through the editions, the etiquette and what people usually spend.
A godmother or godfather proposal gift does not need to be bought. The simplest one is also the one people keep: a handwritten letter saying why you chose them, what you hope they will be for your child, and the date of the baptism. If you want something to hand over with it, write out a short verse on good card and frame it. This one suits the role: “I have no greater joy than this, to hear about my children walking in truth.” (3 John 1:4, World English Bible).
Another way to ask: order your child's keepsake book early and write the question on the dedication page. The godparent reads the question first, and the book goes back to the child afterwards.
A thank-you is a kindness, and nobody is obliged to give one. The one that lasts is a framed photograph from the service with the date written on the back, given with a note from both parents. A few years later, a card your child has drawn or signed for them means more than anything bought.
The best thank-you of all costs nothing: invite them to the birthdays, send them the school photographs, and let them keep showing up. That is what the role is for.
The gift of faith. Traditionally that means the child's first Bible, a cross, or in Catholic families a rosary, given at the baptism and kept for life. In Greek Orthodox and some other churches the godparent also brings the baptismal cross, the white clothes and the candle for the service. Many godparents now add a keepsake with the child's name on it, so the gift is plainly from them. Whatever you choose, write in it.
Nothing is expected. If you want to give one, keep it small and personal: a framed photograph from the baptism, a handwritten note saying why they were chosen, or a small gift handed over at the lunch afterwards. A token when you first ask them is a newer custom, and it is where godmother and godfather proposal gifts come from.
No church sets an amount. Godparents usually give more than other guests because the gift is meant to last, but the custom cares more about meaning than about the figure. Spend what you could repeat at a birthday or a First Communion, since the role runs for years. If you give money, give it with a letter, because a letter is the part a child can read at eighteen.
Three things fit on any dedication page: the date and the church where they were baptized, a short verse, and one sentence of your own about the day. The priestly blessing works well: "Yahweh bless you, and keep you. Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you." (Numbers 6:24-25, World English Bible). Sign it with the name they will call you.
Match it to the year. At the baptism, a Bible or a keepsake with a dedication page the parents keep for them. In the toddler years, a storybook they will ask for again. At First Communion, a Bible or New Testament of their own with a few lines from you about the day they were baptized.
By Hannah Whitford, Childhood Bible Stories · Last updated October 2026
If you would rather give a Bible, these three suit the three stages above. Christianbook lists each of them as imprintable, so the child's name can be stamped on the cover: choose the imprint option on the product page before you check out.
For the baptism year. The complete New International Version in pink leathersoft with silver page edges and a ribbon, plus a presentation page and twenty-four full-color pages for first-year memories and visitors. Sold in blue as well. A grown-up Bible the parents fill in now and the child reads later.
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For the year they start reading on their own. The whole Bible in the New International Reader's Version, written at about a third-grade reading level, in full color with short articles on Bible times, verses to memorize and simple activities. The publisher pitches it at six to ten, so a child grows into it rather than out of it.
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For a Catholic child's First Communion. The New Testament in the New American Bible Revised Edition, the translation used at Mass in the United States, in a small blue cover about six by four inches. A presentation page has room for the child's name and a message from you, and each book opens with a short introduction. New Testament only, so it fits a second grader's hands.
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Gentle Bible stories to read together on a visit, and free bedtime prayers to send home with them. All free.
