Budget-
Friendly Holiday Gift Ideas for Teachers and Therapists
Holiday
Gift Budget: Free and Heartfelt
1.
Don’t just
write a note, write a note with details.
Put what you say to friends and family in writing. "You’re the first teacher to make
school fun for Riley." "Your positive attitude motivates my son more
than any OT he’s ever had."
2.
Send a copy of your letter to their boss for their
employee file – your gift will be appreciated again at employee review
time.
3.
Depending upon your child’s age and abilities, let your
child write (or dictate) a card or letter. Let your child finish the sentence:
“You’re the best teacher because…” or “Top 5 reasons you’re my favorite speech
therapist…” Take a picture of your
child working on the project to include as part of the gift. Reading a child's
own words of gratitude is priceless to someone who works with children (and a
great lesson for your child).
4.
Volunteer more in the classroom. Ask what you can do
that will help save the teacher time. This can be a one-time occurrence or a
longer commitment depending on your availability.
5.
If you believe that your child’s teacher is “Teacher of
the Year” material, nominate him/her! This is what I’m doing this year. I organized classroom
parents to nominate my daughter’s teacher for a local news program’s “Teacher
of the Week” contest. I’m putting
copies of the nomination letters with pictures of the children in a notebook
that will be her Holiday present from the class. (I hope she doesn’t read
this!)
Holiday Gift Budget:
$5.00 or Less
6. Food of any kind. Consider sharing your
specialty instead of only giving baked goods – casseroles are nice to
take home after a day at work; home canned fruits, veggies or preserves are a
treat; chocolate covered strawberries are easy and look impressive. If you are cooking for a group, then
give individual portions. Don't
worry if Martha Stewart wouldn’t approve about the presentation, good food
tastes great with or without fancy ribbons and bows.
7. Buy a festive gift bag or box from the
dollar store, fill with assorted candies and treats.
8. Help them shop green. Buy five reusable
shopping bags, roll up four and put them inside the leftover bag, tie the
handles shut with ribbon.
9. Music
downloads can be for personal or professional use.
Holiday Gift Budget:
$5.00 to $10.00
10.
Deliver planning/work day snacks for your child’s classroom support team. If your child goes to a therapy center,
you might be able to drop off a snack to go in the employee break room for all
to enjoy. Don’t forget the note!
11. If you have an IEP meeting scheduled around the Holidays,
then bring a snack with you so all members of your child’s team can enjoy it
together. Bring extras for the
classroom aides and other team members who might not be at the meeting.
12.
A reusable, self-filtering water bottle.
13.
If you just can’t resist a coffee cup, how about a thermal travel mug with a
spill proof lid? Some have a removable liner for decoration – let your
child do the art, or have classmate’s parents email pictures to you and make a
digital collage of the whole class.
14. Let your child make a seasonal or
Holiday craft. Look in your
favorite parenting magazine for ideas (some of them don’t require a
subscription to explore their websites).
Other sites with craft ideas for all ages are: Wonder Time (http://wondertime.go.com/create-and-play/), Disney Family
Fun (http://familyfun.go.com/), or Kids Crafts
Magazine (http://www.kidcraftsmagazine.com/childrens-holiday-crafts.shtml).
Holiday Gift Budget: $10.00 to $20.00
15. Wine can be an
appropriate gift if you know it will be appreciated. (There might be rules
about taking alcohol into a school, check with the Principal first).
16. A good thermos or coffee carafe. A thermos can be a money saver for
professionals who drive between clients.
And some teachers are trapped in a classroom all day and would love to
have a caffeine lifeline.
17. Its okay to celebrate a personal event with a teacher or
therapist. A new baby, a new
puppy, a new house, or a new spouse all provide opportunities to give a
personal gift.
18.
Buy a tote bag or lunch bag and have it custom embroidered. It's not as
expensive as it sounds, and it looks great.
19.
Instead of plants or flowers, give a green thumb a really nice decorative pot.
And
the gift that can fit into any budget:
20. Gift cards!
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