End of year homemade gift from entire class

[hegsag]

I am room mom for my dd's 1st grade class. I am taking a collection and giving the teacher a gift certificate to a local spa. However, I would like the children to feel involved. What is a good/cute gift that I can have all the kids make to give to the teacher along with the gc. I would like it to be one big gift from all students.

 

[TTFN]

When DD was in elementary school, I bought a nice vase (good ol' TJ Maxx), and sent out notes for each child to bring one flower. Some had flowers from their home gardens, some bought a flower. Each child got to come to the desk and put their flower in the vase....some also had notes for the teacher. It was a group gift with each child contributing, and the teacher had a nice vase after the flowers were gone. It was a hit!

 

[golfgal]

I would have the kids all sign a big card and have each write a small note about their favorite memory from this year. You could have them put them on index cards or a smaller colored piece of paper and arrange them on a large sheet of construction paper too. You could put the gift card on that.

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I don't know how good you are at sewing - but you can give each child a piece of cloth and colored markers that don't wash out. Let each child draw a picture and then you sew it together and give it to her. Cheap and easy!

 

[Toot Sweet]

I teach Pre-K, and I have to say that the spa gc is PERFECT!!!

As for the other gift, I don't think it needs to be all that elaborate. What would mean a lot to me is if the parents put together a little book with drawings from the children and notes from the parents, and any photos that parents had taken at class parties, field trips or class activities. I love that kind of thing, it means a lot and it's the kind of thing I will never get rid of.

 

[Mkrop]

I have seen two cute group gifts done over the years. One was a apron with all the kids handprints and their names. The first teacher wears it when she does messy stuff with the kids. She still uses it and my DS is now ending 5th grade.

The other was a vase where the kids put their thumbprints and their names and the teacher kept it in her clasrrom and put flowers in it.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I just saw a homemade gift that the kindergartners gave our retiring librarian. Each child brought in a pencil and they made a paper flower that they attached to the eraser end. Someone (I assume the teacher) had painted an inexpensive flower pot with the librarians name on it. There was a piece of floral foam in the bottom and the pencils were stuck into that making it look like a potted plant. What's nice is that after enjoying it for a while the teacher can use the pencils with the next year's class.