In addition to preparing the turkey, shopping, and trimming the tree most teachers have started thinking about what they will be doing in their classrooms for the holidays. Teachers everywhere are thinking of what gifts to have their students make for their parents and what gifts they will give to their students. I have compiled some ideas for you below:
For Parents:
Happy Holidays Picture- The first gift idea for parents is in the picture above. I took a holiday photo of my class every year and it was always a HUGE hit. You can have the kids make popsicle stick frames for these or if you have a budget buy dollar store frames. Wrap these in a holiday dish towel from the Dollar Store and you have a super simple gift that parents will treasure forever.
Ornaments- What parent doesn’t love a holiday ornament their own child made? If you have students who do not celebrate Christmas you can make the popsicle stick shown above and put a magnet on the back to convert it into a star magnet. For detailed instructions visit the Holiday page at Pre-K Pages.
Handprints- Parents love anything with their child’s handprints on it! See the Rudolph picture above, after it’s dry we roll it up and tie it with red yarn and write To: and From: on the outside so the kids can leave it under their tree. For detailed instructions visit the Holiday page at Pre-K Pages.
Peach Tea: I made this one year for my co-workers, it’s very good! Visit the Volunteer Page at Pre-K Pages for the complete recipe. If you have muslim students make sure you use decaf tea, their religion prohibits consumption of caffeine. The students can bring in the ingredients and help you mix them all in a large bowl. They can also help you fill the containers. I used holiday containers from the Dollar Store and tied red and green ribbons around the lid. Add a cute tag and you’re good to go!
For Students:
No-Sew Fleece Scarf- This is an excellent idea, but unfortunately one I never got around to actually doing 
I think it would be even cuter if you selected one pattern or color for the girls and another for the boys.
Snowman Soup- This is a great inexpensive gift idea
Magic Reindeer Food- Another fun, inexpensive idea
Scholastic Bonus Point Books- This is the tried and true classic that most teachers prefer. You can use your Scholastic bonus points to order books for only $1 to give to students. I always gave each of my students one Scholastic book in addition to one or two other things. Give this gift a personal touch by writing a personal dedication and the date on the inside cover of each book.
Mini-Stockings w/Candy- Mini-stockings can be found 2 for $1 at places like Big Lots., fill them with Christmas kisses and mini-candy canes.
Don’t forget the Thank You cards for the gifts the students will be giving to YOU. I make these in Vista Print, they come in very handy every year! Since they come in sets of 100 they should last you for a few years.
DISCLAIMER: Every school, teacher, and child is different. Before using any of these ideas please evaluate your own teaching situation to make sure it is o.k. to use the ideas posted here. If you teach in a diverse area and have students of many different religious affiliations the ideas for the popsicle stick snowflake, Snowman Soup, Fleece Scarf, and Scholastic books are the safest choices.
I was recently introduced to the 
. You can read all about the items pictured below and ideas on how to implement both areas on the 
by Tom Paxton. The illustrations are spectacular and grab the reader from across the room. This book is actually based on a song written by Tom Paxton which I had never heard before. I was looking for a book that would fall into the memoir genre to read aloud to my students. After reading