7 Affordable Gift Ideas Students Will Actually Love
Have you seen the image floating around social media that reads something along the lines of “my mom deserves a private island, but I can only afford a candle”?
That’s how I feel about my students, too. With Winter Break marking the approximate halfway point in the school year, it never fails that by this point, I have grown very fond of each and every one of my students. For those of us whose love language is gift-giving, there can sometimes be a big divide between trying to show our students how much we care about them by giving them Christmas gifts and our teacher-salary budgets.
So, what’s the solution? Is there a way to financially afford to give each student a gift around this time of year?
When you think about buying gifts for your students, your holiday spirit may take us straight to the toy aisle. But when each typical toy ranges from 5-10 dollars on the low end, big dreams sometimes don’t make it too far. Don’t let hefty price tags kill your holiday joy! There are ways to think outside the box and make sure every one of your students feels loved and special this holiday season. These 7 budget-friendly gift ideas can be twisted to work for any classroom, making sure your wallet and your students stay happy.
Idea #1: Get Crafty
A lot of teachers are used to making Christmas gifts for parents in the classroom, but don’t let your creativity stop there! Use those crafty ideas to give gifts to your students, as well. This can be a great opportunity to show your students how much you are about them.
Name Ornament
This idea from One Teacher’s Adventures is a great way to show your students how much you care, while still giving them something pretty to take home with them. Fill a clear ornament with kind words either from each students’ classmates, or write up a few yourself to make it a gift exclusively from you as a teacher. If you have a vinyl cutting machine, you can add each student’s name to the ornament for a special touch.
Star Ornament
Another crafty option is to either make ornaments yourself to give your students, or you can even let them join in on the fun! This 3 ingredient salt dough ornament recipe from Meaningful Mama is simple enough for your students to do on their own in the classroom, or if you wanted to surprise them with a gift, these would be great to make on your own to decorate. Since these are star-shaped, you can always write cute phrases like, “Mrs. Durkin’s Star Student” or “Mrs. Durkin’s Shining Star.” Add each student’s name, and you have an affordable, meaningful gift for all!
Other Craft-Related Ideas
If you are not quite the crafty type, you can always provide the supplies to your students and let them make a craft on their own.
One of my favorite ideas is giving playdough as a gift and then adding in some cute playdough mats to let their imaginations run wild. To keep this idea on the cheaper side, you can always grab from playdough from Dollar Tree, the Dollar Spot at Target, or another great deal is this Kiddy Dough from Hobby Lobby.
Crayons are never a bad gift, especially if you can find them on sale throughout the year. Adding a box of crayons to a coloring book, or even a few cute, printed-off coloring pages would make the perfect gift!
Wrap these up in cute holiday gift sacks or bags and you have the perfect gift for any kid!
Idea #2: Fill their Bellies, Fill their Hearts
Sometimes the best thing you can do for kids is to simply give them a snack! Food options are perfect Christmas gift ideas for the classroom, especially if you have older students who might be harder to buy for, or if you have a large number of students.
Snowman Donuts
Grab some ribbon, construction paper, and a couple of Sharpies and follow the tutorial for Snowman Donuts from Jackie at I Heart Arts n’ Crafts to make a simple package of donuts go from a snack to a gift in no time!
Reindeer Chow
Jennie from the House Wife Modern introduces a holiday spin on this classic snack mix. Reindeer Chow would make a perfect gift wrapped in a cute treat sack. Add a bow, and this snack is a gift any student would love.
Idea # 3: Make it a Party
Most schools hold classroom parties for at least one day during the holiday season. During this time, our students are usually watching a movie and enjoying snacks anyway, so why not take advantage of this time and add in a few special treats as your “gift” to your students? As teachers, there is no doubt that we know how to plan a school party. You may even have a stash of classroom reward party ideas you’ve been waiting to use. Use this opportunity to pull out your best ideas and go all out for your students! Some party ideas that would make a fun event include:
Hot Chocolate Party- make sure to bring out all the fixin’s; marshmallows, peppermint sticks, chocolate chips..you may even buy your students a special mug or cup to drink from and then take home!
Sugar Cookie Decorating- consider baking or buying the plain cookies ahead of time, then letting your students have fun with the icing and sprinkles during the party.
Ornament Decorating- There are so many options here. Bring in some paint for wooden ornaments, or buy a whole decoration kit and your students are sure to have a great time!
Making the party your gift to your students is a very cost-effective way to make sure your students feel special. Plus, think about the fun memories they will make and get to keep with them every time they see their ornament or use their mug at home!
Idea #4: Let the Community Help
During this time of year, most people are in the giving mindset. Many people want to give, but some don’t actively seek out opportunities. There is no harm done in letting your community know that you are looking to purchase gifts for your students. It’s always good to have an idea of what you’re looking to purchase, whether it be books, gloves, socks, etc. Then, if you happen to run across someone looking to help, you can let them know your thoughts and then they can either help purchase those items, or they may have products that they could add to your gifts.
One of the most common gifts community members love to donate is Christmas Books. Sure, buying 25 books is pretty hard on one teacher, but 25 people from the community purchasing one book is a little more affordable. Keep in mind that some people who want to help may not know how to choose books that are age or reading-level-appropriate for your students, so you may consider making a list or adding books to an Amazon list that people could choose from if they do want to donate.
Idea #5: Make it Free
Who says that large amounts of money have to be spent in order to give your students something special this holiday season? Some of the best gifts to give students from teachers are those that don’t cost any money at all! This idea works especially well if you are a teacher who doesn’t give a whole lot of rewards out throughout the year. Consider giving a homework pass, a pass to sit by the teacher at lunch (with a specific date for each student), or even a take your shoes off in class pass. Kids are usually pretty easy to please!
You could also consider just writing a heartfelt note to each student letting them know how much you care. These gifts are often more meaningful than any material gift, anyway!
Whichever option you choose, you can wrap it up in a cute card or on a tag with a candy cane, and your students would never realize how much money you didn’t have to spend!
Idea #6: Personalize It
Another option to consider is a simple, personalized gift. Personalized Pencils are the perfect gift for any age of student. The For Teachers Only website even makes this process super simple by allowing teachers to upload their class roster when personalizing gifts.
A water bottle makes another easy gift to personalize. Since students often use water bottles while at school, this gift would be a practical way to make sure students know you took the time to think of them.
Idea #7: When in Doubt, Choose a Book
We know, as teachers, that it is never a bad idea to give a book as a gift. Whether you’re looking for Christmas books for 6th graders or Christmas books for young readers, you just can’t go wrong with books. A lot of teachers would love to give books to their students as gifts, but always run into the issue of books being expensive. Another factor to consider, especially in 2021, is the time it takes for the books to ship from the company. The First Year Teacher Support Facebook Group threw out some great resources to get books for students at an affordable rate. If you are a teacher who prefers to give books as gifts to students, check out Thriftbooks.com or the $1 Scholastic Books section to find great books that your students are sure to love!
No matter which option you choose as you find gifts for your students, always remember that this season is not about how many gifts we give or how extravagant the gifts are. Use this season to be an example of kindness and compassion to your students. We know they are as ready for Christmas Break as we are, so spend these days enjoying their company and helping them make holiday memories. Teach them that yes, presents are fun, but there is so much more to the holiday season. As always, if you have any questions or you have other gift ideas you would love to share, send me a message on Instagram. I’d love to connect!
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