Teacher's Holiday Gift Ideas.

You can send a note home asking for donations. I don't think it's appropriate to put an amount on it. Some parents do their own thing gift wise. Some don't celebrate Christmas. Regardless of what you do if you do a class gift you need to let all the kids sign the card. It is not the kids fault if a parent opts not to send money.

I usually head up a collection of gift cards. I put them on a tree, make a bouquet or add them to a wreath.

But I always emphasize that participation in the class gift is not expected, just that I will collect the cards if they choose to participate. We have kids who already have personal gifts they are giving. Kids who don't celebrate Christmas. There are families who can't afford to contribute. And there are families who just don't believe in teacher gifts. I have NEVER put a donation amount. With gift cards, the families can choose what to give anonymously. Some will give $5 and some will give $50. I never track who gives and who doesn't. If a family wants to be acknowledged, they can write their family name on the gift card.

Other ideas include stuff for the classroom they the teacher may not be able to get with the budget. A few years ago, I collected money and got bean bag chairs for the teacher's reading center. Last year we debated getting our teacher a camera for her class (but decided to go with the bouquet instead). Ask your teacher for ideas...she or he will be more than happy to tell you what they would like in the classroom!

I would get a gift card to a bookstore. That way, she can use it for herself if she wants or she can buy supplies for the classroom. I think $10 per child is a good amount to ask for, as long as it's not required.

We don't do group gifts, so I have always given $25 to Barnes and Noble plus something I bake (like a dozen cookies or so).

Gift card.

$10 is awesome but good luck getting all the parents to donate that much. $5 is reasonable and you might get a better response.

This was my response when someone else asked a similar question a couple of days ago.

As a teacher, I prefer gift cards to teacher supply stores, bookstores, coffee shops, local bakeries, ice cream shops. As little as $5 is appreciated. Anything more than $10 and I start to feel uncomfortable. A bag of sticky notes, stickers, fun markers, white board markers, and other school supplies are also fun to get. Cute Christmas ornaments are fun to get too. Books for my classroom are also a great gift! In general, if it isn't books for my classroom I prefer things that I can use up. I NEVER expect gifts though.

I don't like getting scented candles, scented lotions, scented soaps, etc. I am sensitive to some scented things and most of them I really don't like the smell. Candy is OK. I'm a little iffy on homemade foods. If I don't know the family really well I am sometimes hesitant to eat it. Even if I know the family I might not eat it. With cold and flu season I don't like to chance it. (I also saw the kitchen full of cat hair where my own grandma used to bake cakes for people. Yuck!) I don't like getting knick-knack type things or personalized things. If I got 20 things like that ever year I would end up on Hoarders!

Last year my daughter's teacher had a new baby so we gave her a cute picture frame box that we found at a craft fair. For Sunday School teachers in the past we have given small stained glass window hangings that I found at our Christian bookstore. We have also given them cross shaped ornaments. Although I don't necessarily like to get homemade food items, I like to give them. I have given homemade bread, cookies, and candy. One year I also did home mixed meat rubs. For daycare teachers the kids have made ornaments. We have also given them small gift cards to our local ice cream shop. In general though, I give the same things that I prefer--gift cards, ornaments, books, classroom supplies.

I do what S B does with the tree or wreath. Teachers love it. I try to stay away from school supplies which is often suggested and try to get something the teachers can enjoy just for themselves. I wouldn't put a price on the gift card. When I did it for my daughter's class two years ago, I got gift cards ranging from $5-$50. This way those that can only afford less aren't excluded and those that would of given more would now only give $10.

Candles
Starbucks gift cards
Small bright LED flashlights - EVERYONE has a use for them - you can never have too many!

I will get gift cards to Hobby Lobby this way they can either buy something they might want for themselves or for the classroom.