10 Holiday Teacher Gifts With Heart (that grandparents will love
getting, too)
Choosing and perhaps making teacher-gifts with your child can
provide quality family-time while teaching your child to give
from the heart. Here are ten ideas even busy families can use.
1. Start an amaryllis. This lovely plant starts as a bulb
that you can plant and begin watering around Thanksgiving to
bloom near Christmas. You can buy them inexpensively at home and
garden centers with their own plastic pot and potting medium.
Parents can help kids keep the soil appropriately moist. Add a
colorful outer pot or foil wrap and ribbon for a festive
presentation.
2. Make potpourri ornaments. Make a batch of these when
you want to remember multiple teachers. At a craft store, buy
clear, round, hollow plastic ornaments and holiday-colored
potpourri. Help your child pour some potpourri into each
ornament. Close and loop a ribbon through the top.
3. Mold glycerin soaps in fun shapes. Buy colored
glycerin soap bars and molds from a craft store. Melt soap
chunks in a can placed in a pot of water over a low flame. Let
the can cool until it can be safely handled. Supervising
carefully to avoid burns, help your child pour the liquid soap
into the molds. Let harden and release. Package several soaps in
a cellophane bag and tie with ribbon.
4. Shop fair trade. The "fair trade" label means the
farmers or artisans who produce an item are paid fairly. You can
find fair-trade coffees, chocolates, bath items, jewelry, home
accessories and more at www.globalexchange.org, www.servv.org.
and some local stores. In a note, tell what part of the world
your gift came from and what "fair trade" means.
5. Make "jar-mixes." Layer the dry ingredients of your
favorite cookie recipe in a jar. Tie a pretty ribbon around the
jar's neck and include the full recipe, noting which ingredients
need to be added. Hint: Use a small enough jar that the
ingredients are held snugly in place to preserve a layered look.
Visit www.cooksrecipes.com/cookie/cookie-in-a-jar-mix.html for
recipes and tips.
6. Buy a relaxation wrap. This gift is more expensive
than the others listed here. It's a soft flannel wrap that can
be microwaved for a minute to provide a half hour of warmth and
soothing lavender aroma. This is a fantastic gift for a special
teacher, especially in areas with cold winters. Available at
www.dodisturb.com.
7. Bake with your child. This one is great because your
children's participation can expand as they grow. Even
preschoolers can pour pre-measured ingredients and stir, and
middle-schoolers can take pride in baking independently with
adult supervision. Watch carefully to prevent burns, and be sure
to protect any classmates with nut allergies when delivering
your gift to the classroom.
8. Make candles. Kits are available at craft stores.
Supervise carefully around hot wax. For honeycomb wax sheet
candle kits that do no involve high temperatures, visit
www.islandtreasuretoys.com/homeschool_supplies.html.
9. Give a gift related to your teacher's children, pets or
hobbies. Would the teacher like a subscription to a magazine
devoted to dogs or cats? How about giving a copy of your
family's favorite read-aloud book for your teacher's family to
enjoy?
10. Give an "alternative gift" of a contribution to a charity
in the teacher's name. Sponsoring organizations generally
provide a card or certificate you can download or have sent.
Visit
www.churchworldservice.org/tools-blankets/alternativegift/catalog
.html or www.altgifts.org or www.catalog.heifer.org.