Practical Gift Suggestions for Daycare Teachers

Here's O. idea: Go to a great bakery and get a HUGE platter of Christmas cookies. Drop them off at the Daycare a day or two before they close for the holiday. You could also include a dozen or so cello bags so that when they are done enjoying them at work, they can divvy them up and take them home to share with their families! We had a salesman where I work who used to bring a ginormous Christmas tray of cookies from Patti Petite cookies and everyone loved it. If there's a primary care giver that you think should get something extra, how about a Panera gift card, gas card or grocery store card. Include a note with something to the effect of "so you have fuel/coffee/etc. to get to XYZ Daycare to continue the fabulous job you do there" or something like that. Thank them with an accompanying card for their excellent care throughout the year.

One year I did gift cards to wawa. they loved them!

Don't bother with mugs or candy, stuff like that. I have many relatives who are teachers, and they do not need any more junk.

I, too, have children in daycare, and struggled with the idea that so many people are caring for my kids, how do you afford a decent gift without resorting to the junk?

For the past three years, the parents of my daycare have hosted their holiday luncheon. We pool all of our money, and get lunch from Olive Garden. A different person has been the coordinator each year. Each family contributes what they want, and only if they want to. Some families like to give the individual gifts. Each year, it seems to grow, and we have enough leftover to give gift cards to certain places, like Target. The teachers seem to really appreciate a $50 gift card and the lunch rather than lots of little junky gifts that collect dust. Often, someone donates something to the luncheon that is then raffled off, like a Mary Kay gift basket. Another mother bought restaurant.com gift cards.

I find on the internet some sort of pretty thank you poem for care takers, we print it up on holiday paper, and that is our card. Often, that is the item that gives us the greatest amount of appreciative feed back. So, if you have no cash, finding something that really puts into words that you understand just what it is that they are doing each day will be appreciated. I promise you.

giftcards are the best. You can pick them up in CVS,Lowes,Walmart etc. they have many different selections

Hi K. -

What my son did was - I took him to Kohls when they were having a big sale on their ornaments and he picked out an ornament for each of his teachers - They LOVED them!!! With the sale, I think the most I paid for one was $2! So it was a very thoughtful and inexpensive gift. Hope this helps :)

L.

I think the best present would be a gift card to either staples or to AC Moore/Michaels.... that's what i'm going to do!

I would do some gift cards. most ladies like starbucks and like bath and body works. It is nice because you can decide on the amount you want to spend on each person. may be a little more for his main teacher. I feel this way that they can get what they like and you do not have to drive yourself crazy trying to decide what to buy.

Maybe Tastefully Simple products? Everyone loves food and no teachers (as a former teacher, trust me on this) need more coffee mugs, lotions, or candles!

M.

www.tastefullysimple.com/web/mauvil

while I was a daycare teacher/director... my favorite present was one year all the parents in my class got together to buy flowers. Each family bought a different flower(s) and they put them all together ... it was very beautiful and symbolic.

YOu might want to make a donation to the school so they can buy some playground toys, art supplies or sandtable or something like that.
Choose a special children's book for the teacher plus a gift card to Barnes and nobles. and make a book plate with your child's name on it.
Some nice ideas for teachers are photoalbums of the class through out the year, or what about a photo book of all the kids plus document what they like best about their teacher or their favorite activity for the year.
A magazine subscription to a teaching magazine, like Family Fun or Mailbox Magazine, you could go to a teaching supply store and ask for ideas.

I like homemade gifts, if you sew you could make a pillow for the reading area of the class with cute fabric and your child's handprint on it.
The clear acrylic fridge magents are AWesome slip in a pict of your kid, and add some nice holiday scrapbook stickers around the border behind the picture facing the magent part you could write a note on nice paper that says how great a teacher she is.
gift cards are great, supplies for a hobby,

I think food is the best choice, cookies, cheese tray with crackers. Something they can snack on during the day together while at work.

Give them food ~ Tastefully Simple has over 50 gourmet foods, everything is either open & eat or takes just one or two ingredients... teachers love our things. Give them a key lime cheese ball mix & a bag of the twisty grahams to go with. Or a box of one of the soup mixes in a dollar store soup mug. Lots of ideas; oh, my favorite idea is a Nana's Apple Cake Mix (one of our best-selling items) in a gift bag with two apples. There's a cute poem to go with. Let me know if I can be of help with other ideas - there are so many yummy products & teachers DO love them. Plus, there's no nick nacks to dust :>) M. ____@____.com www.tastefullysimple.com/web/mmazer ID# 15230

Hi K.,

I worked in a daycare for nearly 10 years. I'm sorry if I repeat anything, I haven't read the responses.

I think the best gifts are something small and homemade by your son, with a card that he signs his own name in (or scribbles in). Or cash--daycare workers make minimal $$ and cash is always great for the holidays. Even if it's just $5 or $10. Gift cards--something practical (grocery store, restaurant, etc.).

Don't fall into the gift basket. We got SO MANY baskets of cookies, candies, snacks...we could never eat it all and were so sick of all the junk. Something personal is better if you want to go the food route, like a small banana bread wrapped up and give one to each teacher. Or if you really want to do a basket for everyone, do a fruit basket. It always went faster because everyone was sick of all the candy!

Also, stay away from Christmas tree ornaments (unless your son makes it). I had way too many 'favorite teacher' or 'best teacher' ornaments to even put them all on my tree. Stay away from lotion, soaps, coffee mugs with candy--oh please, no coffee mugs. I could open my own Christmas coffee mug store! That's all just easy, typical stuff that we get millions of and ends up getting wasted.

Truly, a gift card or cash is the best bet for a happy teacher!

Good luck!