Christmas is such an exciting time in a school, with so much going on. One consideration teachers need to make each year is... will they get gifts for their class? If this is you, then we have some ideas for you! We’ve put together some fun yet affordable gift ideas for teacher gifts that your students will love, so have a look at our ideas for class gifts from teachers to see if any catch your eye…
Book lucky dip
Don’t scroll past this one! We are definitely not suggesting buying an entire class worth of brand new books, we already know you probably spend enough of your own money on resources for your class. But if you’re a regular in charity shops, you can keep an eye out and pick up some affordable books every so often. Over time (or over a Saturday spent in all the charity shops in town!) you can collect a class worth of books for a good price. Some charity shops also do offers – we saw a YMCA charity shop offering 8 books for a pound recently. Find a big basket and pop the books in to do a lucky dip. You could wrap the books, or to save some time but keep the element of surprise, you could offer the option of wearing a blindfold when they pick their book. We love this idea as it means each child gets to bring a gift home, but it’s a gift that will be used and encourages them to read at home.
Christmas postcards
We have to shout out our Christmas postcards! These offer a way to give each child a personal message which could really mean a lot to them. Write them a note congratulating them on something they’ve achieved this year, or tell them why you’ve enjoyed having them in your class so far, or why you’re looking forward to spending the rest of the school year with them. You could also offer the postcards with a simple but handwritten message as an accompaniment to another gift, so each child could get a lucky dip book plus a ‘Merry Christmas from Miss TPTC!’ to go with it. These cards are ideal if you are pushed for time and you need something delivered right to your door – like if you’ve been chosen to run the nativity this year! Click here to view our Christmas postcards.
Personalised bookmarks
Depending on how crafty you are, handmade bookmarks could take a little time to whip up, but they are a super affordable option and means each student will get something personalised, which is always exciting. Plus, a bookmark is also a little reminder to read at home! Use your cutter at school to cut up some card into bookmark-sized pieces. Cut an A4 sized piece in half so you have two pieces of A5, then cut each of these lengthways into three – repeat with more card until you have enough. You can then doodle and write their names on each one! Alternatively, you could design them on the computer – add a coloured background and type out their name in a fun font, then print and cut out. You could also add a holepunch in a corner and add a little tassel made of yarn for some extra flair.
Homemade biscuits
Every school has different policies on food, but if you’re able to then homemade biscuits always go down a treat! You can buy some fun Christmas-themed biscuit cutters, like a tree, a candy cane, a stocking or a gingerbread person. Make up some super simple biscuit dough and cook in batches until you have enough. If you’re creative (and have a steady hand!) you could also do some decorations to bring your Christmas creations to life. You could offer them to children at the end of the day so they can take them home, or offer them during the day as a special treat. There’s something children find so exciting about eating food in the classroom!
Throw a party!
Sometimes, although the thought is nice, maybe the best present is an experience rather than a physical object. We’re sure some parents would appreciate one less item being brought home! So consider throwing a Christmas party instead – this could work especially well on the last day of term when children are often too buzzy to manage good quality learning anyway. If you want to give the children something, you could make invitations to your class Christmas party and hand these out at the end of the school day the day before. There are lots of good videos on youtube which play Christmas music with a wintry or Christmassy image in the background, so you can put one of these up on the whiteboard for instant atmosphere. You could start off with a few craft activities so the children can each make a Christmas decoration and find somewhere to put it around the room. Then you can play some class games, do a bit of drama by splitting the children into groups and giving each a Christmas-themed scenario to make a little skit about, and have a Christmas dance-off! Make sure to include some quieter activities in between, like some Christmas colouring, to manage energy levels and allow some children time to regulate.
Do you give gifts to your class at Christmas? We’d love to hear about it!
