Help With Gift Ideas For The Kids I Babysit....

[weluvdisney]

Every year I have this same dilemma of what I can buy for the kids that I babysit for. I have 16 kids total that I watch throughout the year (not all on the same day ), some only come once a week. some come more often. I only have 2 full time kids and some I randomly watch here and there.

I like to keep the gifts the same for all of the kids or somewhat similar. Last year I did p.j.s & slipper socks, the year before I did monogrammed bags from Lillian Vernon. I want to spend between 10$-15$ for each, if it is a really great idea I might go higher. I know it doesn't seem like a lot of money to spend but I would like to get them each something nice that they will use. Most of the kids parents are really good to me at Christmas time too. The kids are all different ages ranging from 6mo.-5yrs. I also love any kind of personalized gifts.

Please HELP!!!!

 

[weluvdisney]

Bumping !

 

[Kimmumum]

How about getting them something for them (???) and then get them a personalized ornament with their name, year and your name? Then they will have something to remember you in the future (when they are older and in school). I babysit a 1 1/2 year old and her 7 year old sister before/after school. I got them both webkinz (the little one loves stuffed animals and I figured the older one could use another code for the computer) and I will make their parents a Christmas ornament with the girls handprints.

 

[sbakersub]

Our child care provider always gave the kids gifts based on their age and interests, like toys for the younger ones, hand-held games or movie GCs for the pre-teens -- they loved getting gifts from her!!! But since yours are all younger, how about some kids' backpacks -- maybe Disney ones, or ones with their initials on them? Mine always loved having their own backpacks when they were little (before backpacks = school). Though I guess for the 6-month old you'd want to do something else... Another idea that might work for all of them is nice fleece or flannel blankets -- crib or throw-sized -- with their names on them. My DS (now 19!!!) still won't let go of a flannel one he got as a baby!!!

 

[DebMcDonald]

I'm a daycare provider and I have been getting the kids hardcover books for years for the holiday's. I do not like to give toys, as I think they just get lost in the shuffle with all the other toys of the holiday and I think a nice hardcover book will/could last a lifetime.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

Do you take pictures of your kids. You could get a relatively inexpensive photo book (brag book size) and add in pictures of things they have done with you while in your care. You could also do a collage (sp?) of all the kids in a frame so they could remember their times with you and their friends. If your crafty you could do mini scrapbooks instead of photo albums and would only need a few pictures.

Their own homemade recipe book with easy treats to make while mom & dad are at work. You would need 3 ring binders, sheet covers, fun printer paper. You could make some sort of poem for the 1st page.

 

[ardig123]

How about personalized Fleece throws from the Disney Store...looks like they have quite a few for $14.99. Plus I know at least today if you use code MICKEY you can get $30 off an order of $100.

http://disneyshopping.go.com/webapp...N=0&Ntk=p_categoryID&Ntt=36502&Nu=p_productID

 

[horseshowmom]

How about personalized Fleece throws from the Disney Store...looks like they have quite a few for $14.99. Plus I know at least today if you use code MICKEY you can get $30 off an order of $100.

http://disneyshopping.go.com/webapp...N=0&Ntk=p_categoryID&Ntt=36502&Nu=p_productID

Those look great!

 

[horseshowmom]

http://www.personalizedbook.com/

Here's another idea. I haven't bought from this company, but I bought this kind of book for my daughter when she was little. They were hard cover and incorporated your child's name (along with friend's and pets) into the story.

You can probably google (personalized book) and find some more options.

 

[Schachteles]

Disney also has personalized books, I bought them a few weeks ago and they were two for $29.95 and then I was able to stack a code on top of that price off. Only disappointing thing with those is that they weren't hardcover.

 

[bcbmom]

This year I purchased my daycare kiddies disney mugs (through Avon), tinkerbell for the school age girls, princess for the younger ones & pirates for the one and only boy I have out of 11, lol. Anyways i'm filling the mugs with a matching chapstick, chocolates, a mini candy cane, package of hot chocolate & possibly a movie rental gc (haven't decided if I should yet).
Anyways my thinking was that they get sooo many toys and whatever I purchased would probably just be lost through the shuffle of Christmas. I figured the mugs were something that they would keep & remember they were from me...and I know my children love hot chocolate and especially a cup of their own.

 

[UMTerp]

I like the book idea too! We gave DH's second cousins books for years starting when they were babies. We gave what were once DS and DD's favorite books: Goodnight Moon, I love you stinky face, etc. The little ones could enjoy their parents reading to them. One year I found a really nice book of fairy tales at Costco that we gave each of them.

UMTerp