What Are You Giving Your DC Children This Year?
 

I'm really stuck for inspiration this year and a wander around target proved fruitless. So, I'm looking for inspiration for small gift ideas for my little ones. I have 10 kids, mostly aged 2-3 years, plus a baby and a one year old.

I'm going small this year :)
Bought felt totes with snowman 'appliques' at Target $1 each
Bought snowman beanie baby type toys, safe for all ages Dollar Tree $1 each
Clementines $4 total
Small candy cane, rice krispy snowflakes, chocolate gelt $5 total
Dover winter/holiday activity book at doverpublications.com $1-1.50 each
Gingerbread cookie decorated to look like them :lol: ?$5? total

I painted their names on the side of the totes, along with a few snowflakes.
Done :)

Originally Posted by SignMeUp:
I'm going small this year :)
Bought felt totes with snowman 'appliques' at Target $1 each
Bought snowman beanie baby type toys, safe for all ages Dollar Tree $1 each
Clementines $4 total
Small candy cane, rice krispy snowflakes, chocolate gelt $5 total
Dover winter/holiday activity book at doverpublications.com $1-1.50 each
Gingerbread cookie decorated to look like them :lol: ?$5? total

I painted their names on the side of the totes, along with a few snowflakes.
Done :)

Everyone is getting a 100ct mega blocks set that I found at Walmart for $5 each lol. Girls get pink boys get blue

I don't get them a gift. They get a book at our book exchange event (provided by parent).

I bought a book for each at Toys R Us on Black Friday(actually Thanksgiving day...3pm, geez). $5.99 for a big hardback Disney book with dozens of stories. I also set up a Secret Santa for each of them to give a friend a gift.

I'm doing books, found some on super clearance at Barnes and Noble. I've also gotten book sets at Costco and split them up amongst the kids in the past.

I'm doing Night Before Christmas boxes. Cute gift boxes from Dollar General, a pair of jammies, a book, a Christmas movie, a bag of microwave popcorn and hot chocolate packets. They're supposed to open them on Christmas eve. Got it all for 6 kids for under $120 on cyber Monday.

I love your idea Wednesday. Wish I could afford it this year? I am giving them each a highlights calendar I scored for free. Maybe next year I will do a $5 gift. Mine all had birthdays recently so I am sort of presented out

The same as every year, a couple of books (free using my scholastic points), a pair of pajamas each ($3 on Black Friday), hot cocoa packets and some homemade goodies. I think I'm also going to make some peppermint and gingerbread play-doh if I have the time.

Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
The same as every year, a couple of books (free using my scholastic points), a pair of pajamas each ($3 on Black Friday), hot cocoa packets and some homemade goodies. I think I'm also going to make some peppermint and gingerbread play-doh if I have the time.

I know it's to late for this year but how do scholastic points work?

Originally Posted by Stepping:
I know it's to late for this year but how do scholastic points work?

Each time you or your daycare families buy books through the Scholastic book clubs, you earn points. The more you spend, the more you earn.

They also have "2x and 3x the point" specials and bonus points ALOT!

You can use your points to buy books instead of pay money for them and classroom materials, equipment and teacher items.
I got a nice wood puzzle rack last year for a pretty small amount of points.

The more your parents order, the more you earn so....

Here is the Scholastic Book Club link:
https://clubs2.scholastic.com/

Here is the page that explains how points work:
http://clubs2.scholastic.com/rewards...ds_index.shtml

Each child gets a pair of Carter's footie pajamas ($7.99) and a Melissa & Doug puzzle ($4.99).

I usually spend about $20 on each child, but decided not to this year.

A crochet hat tailored to their interests, a small playdoh set, a book and a paint set!

A Duplo garden set for the girls and a Duplo race car set for the boys. They were about $20. I have 9 kids so I spent $180.

I spent about $25 each child. I have 19 kids but I'll write it all off so I'm ok with it Santa comes and gives gifts.

Over 3's are getting games and books, under 3's are getting animal backpacks and books. :)

4 yr old dcg - Barbie clothes
4 yr old dcb - two Ninja Turtle action figures
5 yr old dcb - a Nerf gun and a Transformer
Sister of 4 yr old dcb - a purse that she gets to color
4 yr old that I drive to preschool also - a purse to color

The kids are going nuts with all the presents under the tree :) They don't get them until Friday, Dec. 19.

Kelly

Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
I don't get them a gift. They get a book at our book exchange event (provided by parent).

Yup. I did break down and buy scholastic gifts and extra books in case parents forget to bring a book for the exchange, with a plush for each child with bonus points. Total cost to me= $0. :D

Depending on the child -
puzzles with their favorite character
memory game with favorite character
and ear buds with their nfl team for the 2 s/a boys.

Each age group gets different things. The girls in my class (age 2) are getting everything Frozen, bags, socks, a necklace, and a book. Everything was found in the dollar section at Target. We usually don't do character things, but it was too good of a deal to pass up, and all the girls love Frozen. We only have one boy in our class, he is either getting trucks or balls. We usually spend about $5 per child.

The Family Dollar store and Walgreens has good deals. A couple weeks ago, the Family Dollar had all their toys 25% off, and some of them were buy 2 get 1 free. And a lot of Walgreens toys are been buy 2 get 1 free for the holiday season, last week, they were buy 2 get 2 free.

My 4 preschoolers are getting:
pjs (got on bf for $4.50 each)
a mug personalized with their name ($1 each at Dollar Tree and I used ceramic markers to write their name on them)
a reindeer hot chocolate packet (like these http://everydaysavvy.com/easy-diy-gi...e-instuctions/)
a reindeer candy cane.

My 3 school agers who are only here on teacher workdays will get the same as above except no pj's.

Our $ Store closed last year:(
This year I went to Target and bought each child a coloring book with characters they are interested in. The two SA boys got a Ninja Turtles activity pack. Total cost - $9 for everyone.

I don't do gifts for the kids but we always do a bunch of take home food stuff Christmas Eve. Last year it was bread and a couple types of cookies, this year it will probably be homemade noodles and a pan of cinnamon rolls to bake Christmas morning.

two girls 4yo- frozen tea sets
two boys 3yo- hot wheels cases with a few hot wheels trucks to go inside
two boys 1.5- stuffed giraffe with "Giraffes Can't Dance" book for one and stuffed cow with "Counting Cows" book for the other
infants (2) shape sorter toy and rattle
I still have one 2yo girl that I haven't found the perfect thing for!
I keep it around $15 per child

We have a Christmas party at daycare where the kids have lots of holiday goodies and fun activities and also a book exchange as well as bring gifts for whatever charity we decide to donate.

I provide the activities and goodies but no gifts.

I don't buy gifts for all my nieces and nephews so I certainly don't buy my daycare kids gifts.

I do give each family a personal Christmas card but I don't buy into all this "obligated" gift giving and don't believe kids need to get gifts from every person in their lives.

Just like school teachers....if gifts are given, it's usually to the teacher. Teachers usually don't buy each of their students a present just because it's Christmas.

For the time period that a family is in my care, I try to focus on giving not receiving.

For those of you who do give your daycare kids gifts, I am NOT dissing you. I am simply sharing why I don't personally do any of that. :)

I usually alternate between pajamas and books. Last year was pj's so this year they each are getting 2 books. I buy on amazon and try and get the recommended/best seller books in themes I know the kiddos are interested in.

My 6mo dcg is getting a small soft dolly and for my 2yo dcb on the spectrum I got a soft toy with buckles (like highchair buckles) because he really likes them.

This year I went super easy for my 2 year olds to 7 year old age group. I got an idea off Pinterest for taking a $10 roll of quarters & wrapping them up to look like candy. I put that and some chocolate kisses and bite sized Reese's in a cute little red bag with a Santa tag.

For the 3 one year olds I decorated a small canvas bag with an iron on decal and painted their names on them. Filled those with 3 pairs of slipper socks from Walmart, a card board book and My first markers- made for that age.

I didn't want to get the kids something to add to the bottom of their toy boxes so this year I covered their next round of tuition for music class. It's $60 per child for 10 weeks of classes. I take the kids every week and they love it!

I'm a big fan of membership/tuition/savings account sorts of gifts for my own daughter…we don't need any more STUFF! :D

Attachment 3138

I decorated little ceramic mugs this year. Planning on filling them with Hot Cocoa mix, Snowman shaped marshmallows, and a Candy Cane.

I picked up a wooden plaque, printed out and colored pictures to suit their interests and modge-podge it to the plaque. Painted their names and added a bracket to hang it.

Originally Posted by KSDC:
Attachment 3138

I decorated little ceramic mugs this year. Planning on filling them with Hot Cocoa mix, Snowman shaped marshmallows, and a Candy Cane.

Where did you get the ceramic pen? I assume a craft store, but what section of the craft store. What is it exactly called?

Gifts?
 

we always make a DVD of the daycare kids. I record things all year long and compile them into a long video of tidbit highlights set to great music. we have been told every year that parents love it because they can see things their kids do all day long. from craft time, napping, meals, playing with friends inside and outside, and much more. It is awesome to pull a video out from 5 years ago and seeing someone who was a baby then....they laugh. Parents say it is priceless. very time consuming but not expensive to make.

I always spend more on birthdays than Christmas, I give kids a coloring book and crayons every year and added an age appropriate puzzle for each kid this year. All my kids love to color and it's one of their favorite things to do every day.

I got a hard cover book and container of play dough for each child. Play dough is a huge favorite here but oddly none of my parents have any at home.

In each gift bag for my two-year-olds I'm giving a puppet, pack of stickers, and a book. The parents are getting a framed photo of the kids at play. The whole pack cost me $15 per family, nice frame included.

Originally Posted by hope:
Where did you get the ceramic pen? I assume a craft store, but what section of the craft store. What is it exactly called?

I get mine through Amazon. They are easy to draw with, come in tons of colors, and you can fire them in your kitchen oven. Here is a link to the red marker:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Originally Posted by Baby Beluga:
I got a hard cover book and container of play dough for each child. Play dough is a huge favorite here but oddly none of my parents have any at home.

Same here. The kids love play dough but none have it at home. 1- they don't have it at home because some parents don't want to deal with that mess, and 2 - not having at home is prob part of the reason they love it, nevermind the fact that it's fun to play with.

I usually do some type of Melissa and Doug type puzzle or toy. This year I got some vinyl labels with their names for $5 each (normally $20 each!) and found some cheaper wooden puzzles in Tuesday Morning for another $4 each so $9 per kid.

We used our scholastic points and got all of the children books and then we gave them candy and some other goodies to go into their stockings that they made themselves. They loved it!!

No gifts for children. It is parent's responsibility. Last Friday my day care was open till 9p.m. and parents had extra time for whatever they need and children with siblings had pizza, free play and TV show. All were happy.

Books, stickers, and a candy filled candy cane.

Nothing for the kids, but I'm going to write a card for one family I have. I am pregnant and they have been so understanding and accommodating about my appointments (I have extra due to preterm labor risk). They are just all around great and I want them to know it. We are also doing finger print necklaces for the mommies.

Originally Posted by ColorfulSunburst:
No gifts for children. It is parent's responsibility. Last Friday my day care was open till 9p.m. and parents had extra time for whatever they need and children with siblings had pizza, free play and TV show. All were happy.

That is an awesome idea for a PARENT GIFT! :)

Thanks for all the ideas!
A lot of my families are traveling for the holidays so I made up busy bags for their journeys with small coloring books, sketch pads and puzzles.
I think I'll do scholastic book points next year :)

I always buy different gifts for each of my children. I love picking out something that fits their age, interests, and personality. But that's just me - no judgements if that's not your thing!