The holiday season in the classroom is a very fun and exciting, but stressful and overwhelming time for teachers! On top of all of the fun activities and crazy kiddos, teachers are also thinking about Christmas gifts for their students to give their parents and maybe even gifts that they can give their students!
Thankfully, their are tons of simple and fairly inexpensive ways to partake in the gift giving tradition with your students!
Parent Gifts From Students
If you remember anything from elementary school, I’m sure you remember making some hand-made crafts to give to your family for Christmas. And of course, parents absolutely love receiving these gifts! I’ve had students create several different ornaments and such over the years, and I’m here to share the top ones that received the most compliments from parents!
Handprint Calendar
This is by far my favorite gift for students to make for their families. It is also the one parents have talked to me about the most. Students make a calendar with different pictures for each month using their handprints. Not only is it sentimental, but it can also be enjoyed for an entire year by parents.
It also doesn’t require you to spend much money. Most schools already provide paper to print the calendar on and paint to make the handprints. And if you’re lucky, your school might have a binding machine like mine. But if not, you could totally just use binder rings to hold it together.
I will say though, if you decide to go with this option, it does take a little more time. I often can only get through one or two handprints a day, and with student absences, it can take a while. So, definitely not something to wait until the week before winter break to start.
Fingerprint Ornaments
This is another sentimental gift that parents will love! I just get clear ornaments and use students’ fingers to paint snowmen on the ornament. I’ve also seen reindeer and Christmas lights done too. Then, on the back I write the child’s name (or you could have them write it) and the year. Finally, I like to make it even more special by placing a ribbon inside the ornament that is the same length as the student is tall. This will work with regular ornaments, but I love to use plastic pull-apart ornaments to make it easy to get the ribbon in and out.
Snow Globe Ornaments
Snow globe ornaments are another cheaper option that still turn out so adorable. First, I take a picture of each student outside in their coats. I print them and cut them out. Then, you just need laminating sheets. You open up the sheet, trace circles (however big you want the ornament to be), and paint a snowy background. Then, glue the student’s picture on and add a cut out piece of paper with their name and the year for the base of the snow globe. Finally, you just close the laminating sheet and run it through the laminator, cut it out, punch a hole in the top, and tie a ribbon through it.
Christmas Gifts For Students
Teachers are in no way obligated to get their students gifts. However, many teachers want to do this to make their students feel special. But when you have 20+ kids, the cost can add up quickly. So, here are some inexpensive options that I have done.
Hot Cocoa Kits
Assuming you don’t have any allergies in your class, hot cocoa kits are a great option and students will love it. You can grab a few boxes of hot cocoa mix packets, candy canes, and a bag of mini marshmallows at the grocery store. Then, I put the items into cellophane bags to make individual hot cocoa kits and give them to my students. Students get so excited to go home and make their hot cocoa and the whole thing costs me about $10 for my entire class.
Books & Holiday Goodies
In the past, I used to always get my students a book for Christmas. Scholastic often has some books for $1-2 or bundles of books that average about $1 a piece. If you have rewards points on there, this can help purchase these too. But, you can also check the dollar store, thrift stores, and several other places for cheaper books. I love this option because students don’t always have books at home. And then if you want, you can pair the book with some fun holiday goodies that you might find in bulk at the dollar store or Target dollar spot or even Oriental Trading.
Wrapping Presents
At the end of the day, students aren’t really going to care what you get them. Just getting something from their teacher at school is special in itself and your students will be thrilled no matter what.
But, one way I like to make it more exciting is by wrapping their presents and putting them under our classroom tree. Then, they day before winter break, they get to pick their present out from under the tree. You can choose to either have them open at school or take them home.
The most important thing when it comes to Christmas gifts in the classroom, is to not stress yourself out or spend more money than you want to. Even the simplest gifts can be so special and meaningful for your students and their families!
