Christmas gifts for teachers

[supercalifragilous]

I'm trying to get a jump start on my Christmas shopping this year instead of the usual last-minute frenzy so I'm looking for ideas...

What are you getting your kids' teachers for Christmas? How much do you spend? I need presents for school teachers (2), gym childcare staff (3), karate teacher/staff (3) and some others so I can't afford to spend tooo much-I'm thinking about $10-$15 each at most.

[Jen841]

This is what I give, a set of passes with a package of 'movie' candy. I figure it is a night out for them, or they regift it. I don't care. We always get a lot of thanks. Do it for DH's staff too. For some we give more, for other's we give less (1, 2 or 4 passes.) I buy them via Working Advantage.com, but you can get them a variety of places for discounted prices and they have various levels.

My Aunt and Uncle go to the movies weekly... so guess what we give them.

[newbiemom]

Usually gift cards; maybe some edibles - chocolates, gourmet cookies
Definitely no candles or knick-knacks!

[DrSally]

DS' attends a mother's day out program. I'm thinking of trying to organize the parents to give $10 each toward a Walgreens giftcard for film developing. The one teacher takes a lot of photos of the kids in action and prints them out and puts them in little albums for us to take home and look at. She also does posters with photos of special days. It really is nice of her and I'm sure she doesn't get reimb. With $10 each, it should = $110. I hope I can pull this together. There are 2 teachers, so I'm planning on presenting it to both of them as a class gift. Is that ok?

[kransden]

My child makes cards for her teachers and then I give Target gift cards with a little treat on them. The treat is either something like homemade cookies or a chocolate bar.

[WitMom]

One of the mamas on this board turned me on to wristlet key chains. There is a seller on etsy by the name of JimmyPickles that makes them. I've given them and gotten great feedback on them. They aren't too expensive, so that's what I'm doing for DD's preschool teacher and dance teacher, and I will add a $10 Starbucks card to it.

[bnme]

This year I think I am doing B&N gift cards. I have a teacher, director and assistant to buy for. Last year I did gift kits for personalized stamps from paperangel.com. The teachers are still mentioning them to me this year. Wish I had another unique idea.

Then their is my older sons Kindy teacher. Not sure what the protocol is there yet (?)

[thomma]

We're making a donation of shares of animals for the Heifer Project. Dd and ds are going to pick out which animal they want for their teacher and their classroom aide. (We live near a learning center so planning on tying it into a visit to their living nativity) I'll probably combine this with some homemade kahlua fudge. Will probably do a giftcard to BN, Target or Staples for each as well. So $20 spent on each.

ds&dd 5/03

[kedss]

make cookies
photos of your dc in an ornament- michaels
starbucks cards

[snowbunnies300]

This year it will be a gift bag with a calendar, and homemade fruit butters (a jar of each pear, apple and pumpkin butter). Making and canning your own fruit butters is really easy and inexpensive. The jars are your main cost but at $6.25 for 12 half pint jars its not much. I have 22 teachers, therapists and aides to buy for this year. Next year should be a little bit better. My second son changed therapists in Sept so we are buying for his old ones and the new ones he has only had a couple of months. Hopefully there won't be any further changes!

[alexsmommy]

Gift certs to either bookstores or Target. That way they can use it for themselves or things for the classroom. I have DS make a card and homemade wrapping paper and put it in a little box. I am excited this year - in preschool he had two main teachers and two aides. Only one teacher to buy for this year and we love her, so I'll probably do a $25 gift cert.

[lorinick]

Money is super tight this year. So I'm only doing choc. cover pretzels in a cute gift box. My son's teacher has a real sweet tooth. I do not purchase gifts for reading specialists or aids/ gym teachers. That would just get crazy. So no. My son does see a reading specialist at school four days a week for an hour. But I'm not going there.

[bubbaray]

What about a Starbucks GC and a coffee sleeve:

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title&search_query=coffee+sleeve

[DrSally]

What about a Starbucks GC and a coffee sleeve:

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title&search_query=coffee+sleeve

Those coffee cozys are really cute

[SASM]

I bought both DS's K teacher & DD's pre-K teacher a Mo Willem's Pigeon book from SortFloor and a plush Pigeon from Borders to accompany. I also made peppermint hot cocoa and Oreo truffles (from allrecipes ~ they ROCK!). I was just planning on going with the book and plush but they both mentioned that they LOVED food gifts (I guess they are in the minority, according to the Bargains post from a few week ago) so they also received homemade goodies. The teachers aides are getting the cocoa and truffles. Oh...I also give them a $1 reusable bag from Whole Foods, instead of a gift bag, and the kids make them a card. :)

[Bean606]

We are doing magnetic calendars with DS's photos on them that cost about $3 each from Vista Print (and they are a Upromise vendor), and the Driinn cell phone holders for about $7 each http://www.theafternoon.com/255433.html. And, I'll probably do a Dunkin or Starbucks gift card and/or some sort of edible treat.