Please help me figure out daycare gifts

[khalloc]

I would like to buy my kids' daycare teachers some holiday gifts. Its a small daycare, but a center. About 25 kids maybe. But all the teachers know all the kids, but at the same time I can't buy for everyone.

My son changed rooms halfway thru the year, so I think I probably need to buy his older teachers + new teachers gifts...right? In the infant room he had one woman who was with him for 3.5 days a week and another woman for 1.5 days a week. In his new room he has the same teacher full-time (but she has one or two 1/2 days each week, so she works either 4.5 days or 3.5) The rest of the time is an intern, like a junior or senior high school student that is looking to get into teaching that comes and helps out. I probably would not buy them individual presents.

Anyways, so 3 people to buy for if I get his old teachers gifts.

DD has had the same teacher all year so just 1 teacher there.

Then, there are alot of other "floating" teachers, and the 2 or so high school/college students that are there a few afternoons a week.

Usually I do giftcards to Barnes & Noble for the few individual teachers I plan to buy for, my kids' "Main" teachers. This year I was thinking of maybe trying to find actual gifts, but its kind of late for that I guess. But my son's main teacher is a huge coffee lover and I was thinking of getting her a nice coffee mug (like one of those vacuum sealed ones that keeps drinks ice cold or piping hot for a long time) and then giving her a bag of Hawaiian Kona Coffee...but then I would still give the other teachers like $25 giftcards. Then maybe buy a box of chocolates for the entire staff to share (that would take care of the floating teachers and students/interns that I mentioned before). DH thinks I should just buy giftcards for all - would it be wierd to give one person the mug + coffee? Should I just do giftcards for all? Would you do B&N or Borders? Or should I just get a Visa giftcard?

I guess I would always prefer money but sometimes I feel a little odd giving the money when other parents are making homemade items (I do have some ornaments that my DD made to give as well). I just don't really have the time or the artistic ability to put anything good together, but I would like to give something that they appreciate.

[carolinamama]

DS1 went to a daycare center before this year that had 28 kids. All the teachers knew him, he knew all of them and at times they all were responsible for his care, even if it was just for his primary teacher to get lunch or a bathroom break. Anyway, I handled it one year by giving $10 gift cards to everyone (even the floating college students since DS spoke so affectionately of them) and then $20 to his primary teacher. I had more discretionary money that year though. The following years, I simply baked goods or picked up Panera bagels and breakfast treats for everyone to have in the kitchen and gave his primary teacher a gift card for Target.

[catsnkid]

My child goes to a small center but has been in the same room all year. I gave his two primary teachers soap/lotion sets.

[bubbaray]

My girls go to a largish daycare center. The actual daycare center that DD#2 attends has 25 children and 4 regular teachers, along with a few subs and student teachers. DD#1's school age program has about 6 regular care givers, some of whom only work mornings and others who only work afternoons and yet others who work the main part of the day (she is only in Kindy for 2.5 hrs, so spends the rest of my/DH's work day with the Kindercare staff).

I was going to do GCs, but decided to do a highly popular, hard to find gift -- the 2010 Olympic mitts (http://store.hbc.com/scarves/torchbearer-adults-red-mittens/prodRTUAF915.html). Goggle 2010 Olympic mittens, they are a collossal hit here (we're the host city). Those that opened the gift early were so excited! They are sold out everywhere.

[boolady]

My girls go to a largish daycare center. The actual daycare center that DD#2 attends has 25 children and 4 regular teachers, along with a few subs and student teachers. DD#1's school age program has about 6 regular care givers, some of whom only work mornings and others who only work afternoons and yet others who work the main part of the day (she is only in Kindy for 2.5 hrs, so spends the rest of my/DH's work day with the Kindercare staff).

I was going to do GCs, but decided to do a highly popular, hard to find gift -- the 2010 Olympic mitts (http://store.hbc.com/scarves/torchbearer-adults-red-mittens/prodRTUAF915.html). Goggle 2010 Olympic mittens, they are a collossal hit here (we're the host city). Those that opened the gift early were so excited! They are sold out everywhere.

Those are really cute. I bet they did like them. Great idea!

[khalloc]

Thanks all!

I ended up getting 4 really nice Thermos leakproof travel mugs for the 4 main teachers I wanted to buy for.

Then in a separate giftbag that will be for all of the teachers, I am putting in 2 bags of Kona Coffee, 2 containers of nice tea bags, and 2 bags of Lake Champlain chocolate coins.

[wimama]

My DS has two main teachers and a favorite teacher from his old room that we bought for. We got Barnes and Noble gift cards. And I included a picture of my DS and a poem that I mounted on holiday scrapbook paper. The poem is called "Whose Child Is This"

http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/uge/adair/poem.htm

[jetrlw]

I also have a similar dilemma as my DD attends a small daycare where basically everyone (director, assistant director, security guard, head teachers, asst. teachers, etc.)is involved with the care of the child. I decided to give her 2 primary teachers lotion/shower gel and then I ordered a bouquet from Edible Arrangements for the staff to share.