Christmas Gifts for Teachers
Teachers get too many mugs, knick-knacks, and candles. What are some creative ideas for gifts students can give to teachers that they will truly enjoy and continue to appreciate after the holiday season is over?
School Supplies
Back in September, teachers were stocked up for the year with pencils, pens, paper and other supplies. But now that the year is half over, supplies have run low. Why not create a teachers supply basket? Use a pretty, large basket the teacher will be able to reuse, and fill it with dry erase markers, notepads, pens and other supplies for the classroom.
Handmade Ornaments
If there’s one thing a teacher can’t have too many of, it’s homemade Christmas ornaments made by the children they’ve taught. One creative idea is to purchase a set of make-your-own ornament kits for all the children in the class, and have them each create the ornaments at home, wrap them, and bring them in on the day of the class holiday party. (The ornament in the photo is only $2.99 for a set of 12 from Oriental Trading, or choose from their cute collection of frame ornaments and have each child include their framed school photo.)
Pamper Them!
Getting up each morning and going to school to teach young children is an exhausting, demanding career. Organize a class gift certificate to a local spa, nice restaurant, or local theatre. Teachers will appreciate the opportunity to rest and relax over their much-deserved holiday break.
Photo Memories
Photos are a wonderful gift for teachers, as it enables them to remember their students in future years. If one of the class parents is creative, it’s not too much work to create a small photo album. On each page, put the child’s photo on the left, have them sign their own name below the photo, and on the facing page, have each child write something they like about their class this year. Put the class year date in the beginning of the album, and include a class photo at the end. Teachers will cherish this gift for years to come.
Homemade Goodies
Everyone appreciates homemade baked goodies at the holidays. Have your child bake something with you- banana bread, a special family cookie recipe, or some homemade Christmas candy. Then, the child can write the recipe on a pretty card and attach it with a candy cane to the basket or tin containing the homemade treats.
So forget coffee mugs! Choose something new this year for a creative Christmas gift for your child’s teacher to help them enjoy the holidays.
Christmas Gifts for Kids
With concerns in the media about unsafe Christmas toys for children, what are some safe gifts you can confidently buy that will also be creative and fun for kids this holiday season?
Shop Local
Support Main Street this year; choose local, mom and pop stores for your Christmas shopping. Smaller toy stores often offer American-made wooden puzzles, craft kits and other safe items for children. The big chain stores will make enough money this year, so why not help keep a smaller shop in business by spending some of your Christmas dollars there?
Webkinz
Another gift you can find in small specialty shops this year is the Webkinz craze. Webkinz are small stuffed animals (reminiscent of Beanie Babies) that have an accompanying ‘world’ online. There’s a huge variety of animals, and kids can go online and play, creating a room, decorations, clothes, etc. for their pets. There’s a wonderful Parent section on the website so you can follow your child’s progress. Kids will discover the Webkinz economy that teaches them about saving and spending money, and they interact with their friends’ Webkinz, also. A hot, inexpensive, safe Christmas toy for kids that’s also educational? Can’t beat it.
Fun Gift Certificates
Why not give kids the gift of your time and treat them to a gift certificate for miniature golf, bowling, the movies, paint-your-own-pottery, or a build-a-bear workshop? Kids get plenty of toys, but a unique gift certificate for an activity they’ll enjoy gives them something to look forward to after the holidays.
Book It!
Go old school this year and pick out books for your favorite kids! It’s so much fun to visit a bookstore at the holidays and browse the shelves for just the right book – they’re usually separated by kids ages. You could pick out a nice boxed set of fiction, a how-to book on knitting that comes with supplies, or a big, informative picture book. Older kids love the Guinness Book of World Records!
So don’t spend time worrying if those Chinese import toys will be harmful to kids, or what chemicals and magnets were used in the toys- do something different and give kids a holiday gift they’ll remember for years to come.
