Gifts for Daycare Children

[Spixie33]

HI...just wondering whether you plan to gift your daycare kids and if so....what?

I have got these Melissa and Doug fashion plates for my 2 three year old DCGs. They love art and barbies etc so with these fashion plates you can rub over the plates and create your own outfits/girls to then colour in.

I have no idea what to get for a 3 year old boy, a 2 year old girl and a 1 year old boy though.

My mind is completely blank. I usually budget about $20 per child.

Hoping some others will share their ideas to inspire me. I wish I had it done already.

[bright sparks]

I take a trip round toysrus generally. I was so lucky last year. They had the leapfrog fridge phonics on sale for half price, so cost $15 a piece BARGAIN!!

I also make them a stocking up with goodies. This year I got a couple of my younger ones stickle bricks from cost-co for $15 each. Not sure about the others yet.

[treeholm]

This is my first year so I haven't gone through a Christmas yet, but I confess it didn't occur to me to buy the children gifts. Now I'm wondering if this is common. I should say that my family doesn't make a big deal out of Christmas gifts as we focus on celebrating the birth of Christ. So my entire Christmas budget for my own family is usually $100 plus the cost of the food for dinner. I have no extended family. It's not that I'm cheap (well, I am, but that isn't the reason). We've just never gotten involved in the whole commercialization of Christmas, and have often taken a family trip instead of gifts (which did cost a lot more money, yes). So, here I am, wondering if it is common to buy presents for the daycare children, all of whom I like very much, but just hadn't thought about doing anything for Christmas.

[sunnydays]

I don't buy expensive gifts, but do give them a little something...either something we have made (gingerbread cookies) or a couple of little things from the dollar store...colouring books and crayons, etc. I don't spend more than $5-10 per kid as is isn't always appreciated as much as I would like and it ends up costing a lot times 5 kids. I do make gifts with the kids to give to their parents. I think this year I'll go the route of gingerbread men for each kid (maybe replace that with something else for the babies).

[apples and bananas]

I try to stay within the $10.00 mark, but I take time to look for good sales on educationtional items so I don't look cheap. LOL I find they get so many toys I don't want to just add to the clutter. I really like the crayola kits with the marker or paint that only works on their paper. The kids love it! It's mess free and it's not something that's going to hang around the house forever.

[Dreamalittledream]

Going to keep it simple (& cheap) this year...a mason jar full of gingerbread playdough with Christmas themed cookie cutters attached (a Pinterest idea) and a clear Christmas ball (ornament for the tree) with a piece of their artwork in it and their name/year stenciled on the outside.

[kidlove]

Dream, thanks for the idea of the ornament, I think I will use that for the kids to make for their parents. Awsome! :)

[DORITOSGIRL]

Chapters has awesome floor ( HUGE) puzzles for $ 10. I bought each kid a different Cat in the Hat themed puzzle, with a $10 chapters gift card. I will send home a batch of snickerdoodles ( my all time favorite cookie to eat and bake) the Friday before Christmas.

I do NOT believe in god never have and never will but I love Christmas and for us the focus is on Family Friends, Food and Fun and we do not buy big expensive gifts and we follow the
Something you want, Something you need, Something to Wear and Something to read Christmas idea.
My stepkids are greedy and I refuse to buy them more than that and I do not want my toddler growning up thinking Christmas is only about how many presents are under the tree, the less she gets the better. I asked my family to buy a toy in her honour for a local toy drive so that every Child wakes up to a suprise Christmas morning

[sunnydays]

Love the gingerbread playdough and cookie cutter idea!!! I may have to steal that one :)

[Inspired by Reggio]

I used to do gifts for the kids typically a book and something 'creative art' related to enjoy at home and tried to keep it under $15 a kid ... but they have SO MUCH stuff and well I was finding more and more they did not really 'enjoy' the stuff they got it got tossed aside when opened and they went back to playing ... children today lack a true appreciation for how lucky they are so I decided to change my focus of Christmas to promote that value!

So I decided to 'adopt an angel tree boy and girl' and I take my crew out and we pick out a gift for the child in need and place it under the tree and have a discussion about how happy this will make the other children and we are so blessed to have so much that we can afford to do this and still get lots of nice gifts.

Last year in addition to this we also sent a child to school in Africa with a donation.

I still buy the children a 'book' from me to share my love of reading with them and put a little 'quote in it' about their time here should the parent keep it as a keepsake over the years ~ but it is from the Samko Sales and usually under $2 a child.

[apples and bananas]

I Love the gingerbread playdough and cookie cutter idea! WOW! I'm doing the clear ornament for the parents. Getting some sparkles or confettie to put inside and a print of their hand on the outside. With the date and age writting on the back.

[Momof4]

I spend $15-20 per child each year, a cuddle or pj's or books. Last year one of my dcboys was telling me he really wanted a ball and glove so I got that for him at the Samko sale.

Ladies, these gifts are tax deductible you know!

[kelleyg19]

I went to the Samko sale tonight and bought all my daycare kids something for Christmas. I spent roughly $20 on each child, ranging from books, puzzles, barbies and games. This is my first Xmas with having a daycare and I think all my families will appreciate the thought.
Does anyone buy a small gift for the parents? Debating if I should buy parents a $10 bottle of wine.

[Momof4]

kelley, I did buy gifts for the dcparents the first few years I was in business but stopped because nobody said thank you so I took that to mean nobody cared or appreciated the gift. Instead I've switched to having the children make lots of crafts for their parents and put it all into a big container, all different every year to put under their tree for their parents from them personally. I still don't get any thanks but oh well, at least I'm teaching the children that Christmas is about giving.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I make my clients a photo calendar with photos of their kiddies ... thier child helps pick the photos to put in each month so it is sort of from both of us in that they helped, also help kids make a handprint keepsake ornament, card and homemade wrapping paper for gifts plus we do a few decoration type crafts to hang up at home over Christmas like a paper plate wreath, salt dough ornaments, etc.

I am grateful that all my clients have been appreciative and have the courtesy to say thank you and teach their kids to say thank you ... but I do not do it for that reason ... I do it for the kids ...the calendar is a great time for us to reflect on our year together one on one and all the other things they get all ecxited about the concept of making something and giving it that will be a surprise for mom and dad on Christmas Day.

[sunnydays]

Yeah, I think it is truly the thought that matters and involving the kids in the process. I don't spend very much as I find it a difficult time of year to spend even more, especially when it isn't appreciated. I have rarely been thanked for the gifts I make with the kids either....but I think of it like Reggio, it is more for the kids as they love to give something to their parents. I make a bunch of homemade things from the kids and put it in a christmas tin from the dollar store (including some type of handprint thing).

[Spixie33]

Well I took a few trips to Toys R Us to look around and Ebay and other online store like Chapters, amazon etc to see what was out there and I am done 5 out of 6 of my dck. Woohooo. I just really want it out of the way.
I ended up between $18-$25 a child.

When I had my two kids in daycares - the Dcproviders always sent home a gift each year and they were usually toys around $10-$20. It was a nice touch and felt good. So every year I started doing it since I had my daycare and it seems to get appreciated. Also....it is just in time to still count for my yearly tax write offs so it is good.

I do love that gingerbread play dough and cookie cutter idea. I was thisclose to doing it but I went the commercial route when I imagined myself having to make 6 batches of it on my time off. lol :laugh:

It is great hearing what everyone else does

[Spixie33]

No, I have never gifted a parent. They get crafts and keepsake ornaments that the kids make.

This year I am making a photo bookmark for the kids to wrap and give their parents. Hope the link works....http://pinterest.com/pin/166914729910934373/

I have already been trying to take the pics of the kids. That is a bit tricky for some. lol


I should also add that even gifts you buy for your own kids can often be tax deductible if they will be used at all by the daycare or passed down to the daycare in the coming months, etc

[Momof4]

No, I have never gifted a parent. They get crafts and keepsake ornaments that the kids make.

This year I am making a photo bookmark for the kids to wrap and give their parents. Hope the link works....http://pinterest.com/pin/166914729910934373/

I have already been trying to take the pics of the kids. That is a bit tricky for some. lol

Let us know the secret to getting one year old children to stretch like that please? Very cute idea!

[Spixie33]

Let us know the secret to getting one year old children to stretch like that please? Very cute idea!

I have 1 of the 1 year olds down. I tied a string to the wall (just out of reach)and pointed and told them to grab it. They try for a millisecond so you have to be ready. This week comes round #2. I actually had a harder time with getting some of the 3 year olds to do it and look at the camera.

[DORITOSGIRL]

I love love love the idea of sharing is caring with the daycare kids.. We already adopt a family for Christmas ( food hamper and gifts for the kids) and I am going to get my daycare kids involved in choosing the gifts.
I am unable to take them shopping ( I do not drive and the closest walmart is 3 buses away) but we can look at the catologues/flyers and toy websites.
Thanks for giving me this idea

[daycaremom9]

I have 1 of the 1 year olds down. I tied a string to the wall (just out of reach)and pointed and told them to grab it. They try for a millisecond so you have to be ready. This week comes round #2. I actually had a harder time with getting some of the 3 year olds to do it and look at the camera.

What a great idea! I'm going to try that craft here.

[daycaremom9]

Personally I wouldn't buy alcohol for a client; unless maybe you knew that they drank. JMO

[Momof4]

Well, I want to thank the poster (sorry, can't remember who you are) who posted last month about adopting a needy family for Christmas.

I sent out a letter to my dcparents and we are going to do this very thing, helping with food and presents for the children for the family we're adopting. I'm excited about this because I was a single Mom for many, many years with my 4 little ones and I know about poverty and juggling finances from paycheque to paycheque.