Teacher Christmas gift ideas

[aprilgail2]

I like the gift cards, homemade gifts (not food items) made by the kids-not the parents, notes from the kids, or notepaper/notecards. I know on our staff of 45, 99% of the lotion, candles, and coffee cups get donated away. We actually have a box in the lounge for these things. One person collects all of these things, and other treasures, at Christmas, Valentine's Day and at the end of the year and drives them to either a nursing home or Goodwill. Lotion and scented candles are really a personal preference and in 14 years I have never gotten a scent I enjoyed of lotion, and only one candle that I kept (however that family kind of cheated. Their older daughter babysat for me and wrote down the fragrance from the bottom of the jar ) The thought is nice, but I am not going to keep something I will not use. Better to donate it to someone else who will enjoy it.

We get all things like that donated for our chinese auction at the school. We put out a plea for any unwanted items people may have gotten for Christmas in Nov this way they know in advance we want things and then in Jan the candles and lotions people get for christmas start pouring in LOL.

 

[mjantz]

Question To the preschool teachers. Do most of your students give Christmas gifts?? Just wondering.

Thanks
Fran

Most do. As others have said I'm happy with just about any gift that is given to me. I vividly remember a mom giving me a $5 giftcard to Blockbuster & apologizing because she didn't feel it was enough. I told her I loved it because I could buy a used movie for next to nothing. A giftcard that says that you know something about me (I love books, my favorite restaurant) is better IMO than another coffee mug. I personally have limited cabinet space & if I saved every coffee mug I received as a gift I'd have nothing in my cabinets but mugs before too long. Another great gift I got was a beach towel.

Lotion or candles can be great but the scents are sometimes not my favorite. Some moms have given me the Bath & Body Works antibacterial creamy hand soap & that is a great gift because I'm washing my hands several times a day. I'm also on a somewhat restricted diet so homemade goodies can be either great or someting I cannot eat. Also, I appreciate the intent behind live plants but seeing that I kill plastic plants, its not a gift I'm going to enjoy.

 

[DVCBELLE]

Bath and Body Works just released a waterless antibacterial soap - I bought those for the teachers and figured they could use them in the class! they smell a lot better than purell!!

 

[The Hendies]

By Christmas, supplies like markers, crayons, crafts supplies and play doh has usually run low! I'd much rather get something nice for my room than something for myself. Several times I even put up a tree with "ornaments" on the tree with things like chalk, beads, deck of cards, matchbox cars, etc. Then the children and I wrapped the gifts for ourselves and had a great time at our Christmas party opening our 'gifts to ourselves'.

 

[Julia M]

okay, can someone help me?

I am "lead teacher" for a special needs program. I have 4 teachers, 9 classroom aides, about 12 ABA aides, 2 speech therapists, 1 psychologist and 1 program specialist to remember at Xmas!!! Plus, I should also remember the 2 secretaries (who DO alot for me)

Last year I lucked out and found Mary Englebreit notepads, post-it notes, etc on clearance at Michaels for .25 each. I used cellophane bags with tissue and ribbon to bag up 3 or 4 items and gave them out.

I am STUMPED for this year. I guess I could make something, like cookies, but I am also overwhelmed at that idea, too. I figure I should plan for 35 people.

I'd like to find something I could order online, now, at $2-$3 a person, so I could get ahead and wrap (hopefully could fit in cellophane bags again-wrapping 35 gifts overwhelms me, too)

Any suggestions?????

Julia

 

[Mickeyherewecome123]

okay, can someone help me?

I am "lead teacher" for a special needs program. I have 4 teachers, 9 classroom aides, about 12 ABA aides, 2 speech therapists, 1 psychologist and 1 program specialist to remember at Xmas!!! Plus, I should also remember the 2 secretaries (who DO alot for me)

Last year I lucked out and found Mary Englebreit notepads, post-it notes, etc on clearance at Michaels for .25 each. I used cellophane bags with tissue and ribbon to bag up 3 or 4 items and gave them out.

I am STUMPED for this year. I guess I could make something, like cookies, but I am also overwhelmed at that idea, too. I figure I should plan for 35 people.

I'd like to find something I could order online, now, at $2-$3 a person, so I could get ahead and wrap (hopefully could fit in cellophane bags again-wrapping 35 gifts overwhelms me, too)

Any suggestions?????

Julia

My suggestion would be to keep an eye out for the Bath and Body Works sales that they have. I have bought the small size lotions and body wash for under 5.00. And that would be easily wrapped in the cellophane bags.

Good luck ,that sure is a lot of people to buy for at work.

 

[brockscandy]

Last year, my daughter's second grade teacher and her family were driving to WDW from Kansas over Christmas. We made the family a care package filled with all kinds of snacks that we renamed and put tags on them, such as Woody's Cowboy Cookies (Chocolate Chip), Tinkerbell's Pixie Dust (Pixie Sticks), etc. Her kids came in from their schools when she was opening the gift and they were so excited too. We had as much fun putting it together as they did eating it.

 

[baloo's girl]

I like doing the gift card thing too. I try to "present" it in a way that's cute too. Last year, I put the gift card in the center of a kitchen whisk and filled it in with Hersey's kisses. I wrapped it up in clear cellophane and used some ribbons. On the tag, I wrote, We whisk you a Merry Kissmas". Another time we made cards, and inside I had a huge Symphony candy bar and gift card. In the card, we wrote "A (Symphony candy bar) of thanks.

And I was a teacher too, no knick knacks. And no apple stuff!

 

[Ilovemyprincesses]

Anyone know how big these bags are inside or have a picture of the inside of one? I too am a BC survivor (8 and a half years -- woo hoo!!) and would love to give these to the women in my life (DM, DSiL, aunts and cousins, etc.) for Christmas or Mother's Day, but I want to make sure they hold enough. Some lunch bags are downright teeny inside, barely able to fit a drink and sandwich, much less a container for salad or piece of fruit!

Thanks!

They hold a lot. My mom has one that I got her. You can put a lunch in there and a drink.

 

[hkeller27]

I have had parents give a gift to the classroom instead of just to me, and I LOVED it. I have gotten games, puzzles, toys, books, etc. I love that it's something the kids can use, and I appreciate it just as much as a gift personally to me.

That said, I agree with everyone here - as a former K teacher, I've gotten so many picture frames, candles, and teacher knick knacks - and I must admit I've given almost all away to good will.

Gift cards are wonderful - and the amount doesn't matter in the least. I've gotten everything from $10 to $100 (so extreme, I was so flattered but how no idea how to properly thank the family for such generosity....or bribery.....j/k!).

But no matter the gift, I've always appreciated a handwritten note of thanks more than anything else.

 

[SalandJeff]

I like to give the Breast Cancer Awareness Lean Cuisine Lunch bags to the teachers...

I love these bags...my mom and aunt are breast cancer survivors. Do the bags come with anything telling what they are about?

...I am "lead teacher" for a special needs program. I have 4 teachers, 9 classroom aides, about 12 ABA aides, 2 speech therapists, 1 psychologist and 1 program specialist to remember at Xmas!!! Plus, I should also remember the 2 secretaries (who DO alot for me)...

Does everyone else exchange also? Maybe you can initiate some type of gift swap so you are not buying for everyone? Just a thought.

Last year when dd was in preschool, we gave gift cards along with bracelets I had made. We did Barnes and Noble and Kohls and the teachers were all very appreciative.

 

[crazelion]

Pre-K teacher. I hate scent lotion from Bath and Boby works. It subject to get regift to someone else. I can't stand the smell of lotion and cause a asthma attack.

Now I love gift cards and books

 

[Julia M]

Does everyone else exchange also? Maybe you can initiate some type of gift swap so you are not buying for everyone? Just a thought.

Well, we will probably do an ornament exchange or white elephant gift exchange at our luncheon, but I still feel strongly I need to do something myself.

My suggestion would be to keep an eye out for the Bath and Body Works sales that they have. I have bought the small size lotions and body wash for under 5.00. And that would be easily wrapped in the cellophane bags.

That's a good idea, I will try and keep that in mind. My problem is that I'm NEVER at the mall, so I always miss these sales!

Julia

 

[tig_536]

I too am a pre-k teacher. I also love gift cards, pedicure GCs are one of my favorites. (I could always use a little pampering). I have also accumulated a huge amount of bath products, candles, frames, and teacher gifts. I only have so much space. Teacher items just don't fit in my house anymore especially now that I have a baby. I need all the extra space I have for him. Most of the items I don't use end up going to church with my MIL.

 

[Minnie's Pal]

I try to stay at $1 or under (since, between 3 kids and school plus church, there are over 30 teachers) but useful.

One year I did potpourri (forgive if I misspelled that) from Walmart. One year I bought kitchen towels on clearance in Jan. to give the next Christmas (came in sets of 3.) I thought about doing candles one year but never found a cheap candle with a good scent.

One year, one of the kids in a class I led at church gave me a cookie mix (like Pilsbury mix in a bag) with a wooden spoon tied around it in pretty Christmas ribbon. I thought that was a good one.

This year, for church teachers, I'm just going to make one donation to a charity in their honor and notify them all by cards. Or maybe adopt a child for Christmas in their honor. (We normally do this anyway so we could just do two.)

 

[WendyisDarling]

okay, can someone help me?

I am "lead teacher" for a special needs program. I have 4 teachers, 9 classroom aides, about 12 ABA aides, 2 speech therapists, 1 psychologist and 1 program specialist to remember at Xmas!!! Plus, I should also remember the 2 secretaries (who DO alot for me)

Last year I lucked out and found Mary Englebreit notepads, post-it notes, etc on clearance at Michaels for .25 each. I used cellophane bags with tissue and ribbon to bag up 3 or 4 items and gave them out.

I am STUMPED for this year. I guess I could make something, like cookies, but I am also overwhelmed at that idea, too. I figure I should plan for 35 people.

I'd like to find something I could order online, now, at $2-$3 a person, so I could get ahead and wrap (hopefully could fit in cellophane bags again-wrapping 35 gifts overwhelms me, too)

Any suggestions?????

Julia

I'm in the same boat. A little different situation--I have a special needs child who has people who do so much for him and I appreciate so much. They are like family--a very larrge family. 2 Teachers, 5 aides, (I consider 4 of these 7 to be the inner circle), 2 school therapists, 3 private therapists, bus driver, bus aide, school nurse, resource specialist (works directly with him several times a week)...that is 16! We love the principal, all the resource teachers, cafeteria manager, etc. but had to draw the line. My older son is now in MS and doesn't want to give gifts (my sis is HS teacher and said it is viewed as kind of weird when boys do this), if HE doesn't want to, I don't care.

Anyway, 16 gifts. I usually do GC's for the teachers and aides. I know it isn't appreciated as much but I have given some candles to the others .


Someone asked about how much to spend. I wanted to add this info. I saw a school district administrator on a news program last year that said teachers are not supposed to accept gifts that are valued at more than $25 from an individual child as it may have the appearance of trying to buy favortism. I don't how true that is for all locations. He added that class gifts over that amount are fine. Just not from one student.

 

[mamalle]

thanks for the ideas. Im definitely going to use the wisk idea for my kid's teachers. Thanks for the reminder about the lean cuisine bags also. we were just talking about them at work yesterday and wondering if they came out yet. I went and ordered 3 for this year..

 

[preb]

I just wanted to say thanks for the tip on the Lean Cuisine lunchbags. I ordered 7 for co-worker holiday gifts!

 

[zachsmomie]

okay, can someone help me?

I am "lead teacher" for a special needs program. I have 4 teachers, 9 classroom aides, about 12 ABA aides, 2 speech therapists, 1 psychologist and 1 program specialist to remember at Xmas!!! Plus, I should also remember the 2 secretaries (who DO alot for me)

Last year I lucked out and found Mary Englebreit notepads, post-it notes, etc on clearance at Michaels for .25 each. I used cellophane bags with tissue and ribbon to bag up 3 or 4 items and gave them out.

I am STUMPED for this year. I guess I could make something, like cookies, but I am also overwhelmed at that idea, too. I figure I should plan for 35 people.

I'd like to find something I could order online, now, at $2-$3 a person, so I could get ahead and wrap (hopefully could fit in cellophane bags again-wrapping 35 gifts overwhelms me, too)

Any suggestions?????

Julia

One year for my husband's workmates I bought oversized plain colored mugs(big fat round ones and tall skinney ones...not the usual coffee mug shape)at the dollar store and then bulk hot cocoa, individual coffee and tea bags. We put a variety different drink mixes in each, wrapped them in clear wrap, tied with a bow and add a card saying "Don't forget to give yourself a gift this holiday season and take a moment to relax." Several people at work used the mugs for drinking, some for pencils/pens on their desks and he saw lots using the cocoa and coffee and tea.

 

[ec1014]

We get the kids teachers $25 AMEX gift cards each year. Very flexiable and taken in almost all places