5 Simple Holiday Student Gift Ideas from Teachers
Looking for a simple gift you can get for your class of elementary students? From free printables, to DIY, to Amazon Prime-ing something to your school last minute, you can find the perfect easy “student from teacher” gift with these 5 simple student gift ideas.
Gift Idea #1 Classroom Coupons
Cost: Free
Materials: Cardstock and printer ink
Time to Prepare: 30 minutes (2 weeks if you order personalized pencils)
Classroom coupons are the easiest FREE print and go option. Just download the editable coupon freebie here, edit the options for classroom privileges/rewards, print on cardstock and give to the kiddos.
You don’t even need to laminate. Hooray!
Along with some personalized pencils from For Teachers Only, this is an easy go-to Christmas gift.
Gift Idea #2 Top Ten Lists
Cost: Free
Materials: Cardstock and printer ink
Time to Prepare: A few hours depending on class size (1-2 days if you survey students for Top Ten lists ideas)
Top Ten Lists are FREE, personalized, easy, and the kids love them. These are, very simply, a list of 10 things you (or classmates) like about them.
Since you’ll need to make one for every student they are more time consuming, but you can knock them out in a night.
Use the editable Top 10 List freebie here and customize one for every student.
If you have time in class you can have other students brainstorm character traits or interview classmates to see what others like about said students, but if you’re in a time crunch you can just do these on your own.
Print on cardstock, laminate, give to students. Holiday gift complete!
Gift Idea #3 Compliments
Cost: $3 for paper bags
Materials: Paper bags, paper, school printer
Time to Prepare: This is a whole month activity, but if you’re in a crunch a week will do.
Classmate compliments are FREE, don’t require color printing or laminating, and give students an extra something to do during the month (or last week) before break.
You can even use them as a writing center!
Have students decorate paper bags (we call them RACK sacks – ONE because I find the word “sack” funny, and TWO because it rhymes with RACK/Random Acts of Classroom Kindness) and put them somewhere safe in the room.
Throughout the week students are assigned or can draw names of classmates to write a sincere compliment to.
Have the kids turn these in and pass them out to RACK sacks yourself to avoid any weird anonymous compliment mayhem.
At the end of the month students have a number of nice things others have written about them to take home and cherish. Holiday gift done!
These are included with the freebie above. If you haven’t already downloaded it, click here for the compliment freebie. (The Top 10 and compliment freebies are in the same download)
Gift Idea #4 School Supplies
Cost: Varies
Crayons $15 for set of 12
Pencils $0.99 per set
Composition Notebooks $19.99 for 12 (cheaper if you get these during B2S time)
Time to Prepare: Personalized pencils 2 weeks, Crayons 2 days (with Amazon Prime), Notebooks (2 Days with Prime + 1 week to personalize)
If you have Amazon Prime or don’t mind paying for shipping, these are my cheap go to supply gifts. Amazon affiliate links ahead
If your students are in desperate need of school supplies, get them each a new box of crayons for Christmas.
You can also grab a class set of composition notebooks, make each kiddo a personalized cover, and give each kiddo a new writer’s notebook that’s nice and ready for all their stories come January.
The personalized pencil sets from For Teachers Only are another very reasonable gift, but you do have to order those in advance if you don’t want to shell out moolah for expedited shipping.
Gift Idea #5 Whole Class Gift
Cost: Varies
Time to Prepare: 2 Days with Amazon Prime (get it gift wrapped, ship it to your school, DONE!)
Gifts for the whole class are the gifts that keep on giving + you can open them up as a class and get excited about using them after the break!
A few ideas for whole class gifts: Amazon affiliate links
- A new class game or PE equipment (Speed Stacks are great for inside recess and cross-lateral movement practice)
- Noise muffling headphones (a perfect addition to your classroom tools for centers or independent reading)
- Chapter books for the classroom library
- Pillows or lamps for your reading corner
- A class picture book or two.
I hope one of these gift ideas will work for you! Let me know what you decide to do in the comments!
Have a fab (holi)day Super Teacher,