Christmas on a budget this year

I always get my daycare kids something for Christmas. I also do a gift from the child to the parents. I have traditionally spent $10 on each child, $15 on my b/a school child. So I usually get away with $60 - $70 and I'm done. This year I have a few part timers and a cross over over the Christmas season so I have 7 to buy for this year. ( they aren't all here at the same time of course ) 2 are school age which usually translates to a little bit more $$.

I'm trying to find ideas for a DIY gift for the kids. I was thinking scented play doh with dollar store play doh cutters all done up in a nice package. I'm at a bit of a loss for the big kids.

I was also thinking about a fingerprint neckless made just like the handprints, but smaller of course. This is good for mom, but doesn't really cover the dads.

Anyone have any amazing (cheap) ideas for gifts for the kids and gifts from the kids to the parents?

Personally I don't do gifts for the kids. I know for my own, they get so much crap for Xmas it's ridiculous, and I think most kids get plenty of gifts too. Although for their birthdays i will do a very small gift, and spend between 5-10$ (usually a book or coloring book) for Christmas I send each family home with cookies I've baked and a nice card and that's it. I think doing lots of fun activities and crafts in December is expensive enough to begin with, but really I find it's all the kids need.

I just buy them a book and maybe a little treat bag ( Christmas cookies). I just ordered a set of 12 Christmas books from scholastic for $20, I will pick out 6 for the children and I will keep the rest for the daycare.

I like the scholastic idea, I did it for Halloween. I bought a set of 10 books for 9.99. I gave them 2 each wrapped in orange ribbon and put a home made tag on it that said "happy Halloween" So much better then giving them candy, in my opinion.

I've made up little coloring page packages with a few pages to go with the holiday and a few markers - tie it with a ribbon and it's done! I also saw an idea on Pinterest to do homemade play dough in Christmas flavores (peppermint, evergreen, hot chocolate) and give it in a jar. I think I might do that instead... Send it as a "few of your favorite things" from the day home.

I usually do birthday gifts but I'm also finding it a bit much to do Christmas, considering the cost of craft materials and special treats, as well as having to get gifts for the whole family.

I make a lot of the resources we use in the daycare and often I make things we use such as at Halloween I had finger puppets I used for poems and songs and they got turns to use them. I then let each one take one home and gave them a page with a couple of the things on it we had done. It is a way to let parents know what we are doing, gives them something I know they don't have and costs very little especially when they are now "used". Problem I run into of course is I always have to remember to make more each year.

I won't be giving presents either, but we will be doing fun activities and I will probably do something like make and decorate cookies with them and then we will eat them together - perhaps they can decorate some extras to take home and share. I would rather spend my time, effort and money on doing things with the kids than sending home stuff that I don't even know will be used or enjoyed. I don't give birthday presents either, though we do have a small celebration on the day. The only parent gifts I do are for Mother's day and Father's day.

The daycare provider I used for my first daughter actually had parents buy birthday presents for the other daycare kids, so we had to buy presents for kids we didn't even know. And my daughter was only a year old so she didn't know what was going on. My daughter got presents as well from the other dc parents, but I really didn't find it necessary. It was optional, but we felt obligated to participate. Does anyone else think that is a strange thing to do?

Yes, that's a strange thing to do and puts a lot of pressure and possibly financial strain on other families.
Personally, I think less is more. Last year the parents received a Christmas ornament their child made and all of the christmas theme crafts we had been doing and I really feel that this was sufficient. I give the children a copy of a book that they enjoy reading in daycare for their birthday. Parents want to know that their child is well taken care of and is having fun in your care - the crafts show them that, in my opinion.
When my oldest attended a daycare centre we always received handmade gifts and I still cherish them. I pull them out every Christmas and display them in my home.

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Originally Posted by gravy_train

Yes, that's a strange thing to do and puts a lot of pressure and possibly financial strain on other families.
Personally, I think less is more. Last year the parents received a Christmas ornament their child made and all of the christmas theme crafts we had been doing and I really feel that this was sufficient. I give the children a copy of a book that they enjoy reading in daycare for their birthday. Parents want to know that their child is well taken care of and is having fun in your care - the crafts show them that, in my opinion.
When my oldest attended a daycare centre we always received handmade gifts and I still cherish them. I pull them out every Christmas and display them in my home.

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Yes, I agree. I would much rather just send home the arts and crafts that the children make.

Pinterest has lots of good ideas for DIY gifts. One of my favourites to do and give away was baskets filled with ice cream toppings and cones with a little note that said 'just add ice cream". I used it as a going away gift for 3 families and they all loved it and said it wouldn't be wasted. It also helped that they all left at the beginning of summer so ice cream was sure to be had!

In the past I have gotten great gifts from the families for Christmas, my birthday, ECE week and going away gifts so I like to return that. I give the kids Christmas and birthday gifts and treat bags for halloween, easter and valentines day. Depending on my income during those times affects the price. I enjoy giving gifts though so I do plan for it throughout the year to help.

I can't imagine any parent not loving anything you and the kids make :)

I love all of these ideas and it's starting to spark my imagination.

I always buy my dck presents. I usually spend $5 per child. It can get pricy. With my part-timers I have 6 gifts this Christmas to get. I usually get puzzles or books. Now that my daughter is in pre-school I can order books from scholastic so I am excited about that.

I don't actually get the kids to make a gift for their parents. We do arts and crafts in December for Christmas that could all be keepsakes.

I do a lot of baking for Christmas and will do it during the daycare day to get it done. The little ones either play or watch and the older ones help a little but mostly it is me doing while they have access to Christmas themed activities at the table where I can see them while I work. Most things are a 9x13 pan so we cut a few squares for each to take home - one for each member of family.

Oh ya, I forgot about baking! I do the same as you playfelt but I send it all home. I don't need it lol. I also buy daycare food separately so I bake with that stuff.

I also do nuts and bolts and send that home in these clear christmas themed containers from the dollar store. The parents love it and always ask for the recipe :)

So, are you going to share the recipe with us?

Sure :)

Heat the following in a pot on the stove
1 1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder and celery salt
2-3 tsp worchestere sauce

I don't have an exact recipe for the following but fill a large roasting pan of the following...
-bugles (I like the nacho flavoured best)
-cheerios(did honey nut one year and it was a hit)
-shreddies/life
-cheezies (the hard kind, I use Hawkins)
-peanuts
-cashews
-goldfish
-pretzels

Pour the sauce so all the toppings are covered and give them a toss. Bake in oven at 200 and mix every 30 minutes for 2 hours. Let cool and serve!

I usually help the kids with something sweet for the parents and they also make a card. This year we'll be making Turtles. I usually get the kids 3 presents. I find there are usually reasonably priced items at Costco.

I have done things in the past like buy each child a thick colouring book and their own box of crayons which they use for the Christmas season at my house - they get their book and crayons while I make lunch. They are free to colour on any page, just look at the pictures, etc. Then the book with most pages unfinished and the box of crayons goes home with them on the day they start their vacation days - parents appreciate an item that fills time over the holiday and I got to make use of it at daycare. The books are rarely expensive. The crayons depends on their age and ability with the little ones getting a box of the fat crayons and the older ones getting a box of 24 or more depending.

I got this cookie cutter set at winners. it make amazing snowflakes. you use the big cutter for the outline and then smaller ones ot make the intricate designs of the snowflake.

this would be great for your big kids to make a beautiful Christmas tree decoration. the set was 6 bucks and making that over ready dough is super cheap.

Buy a s*** load of dollar store sparkles to decorate and your done.

With I could show you a picture of this cutter set. its serious. it definitely won look like a baby made decoration. good for mom and dad!