Holiday Gift Ideas {Weekend Warriors}

Can you believe that the holidays are just around the corner? You know what that means, time for gifts!

If you're starting to think about gifts for students, colleagues, or parents, then read on because my fellow Weekend Warriors and I are sharing some of our favorite holiday gift ideas!

While I know that giving my students a gift isn't a must, it is certainly something I like to do. :) But, of course, it can be a bit challenging when you have so many people to shop for! So, like many teachers, I turn to Scholastic. Kids love getting new books, and I can use my bonus points to purchase all of the books I need. It's a win-win!

Depending upon the group of students, and what Scholastic has available, I may choose books that meet each student's reading level, or I might just choose a fun holiday book that would appeal to most second graders.

I like to wrap the books and then top them with a bow and a bookmark. These adorable bookmarks are from First Class in 4th Grade, and they are free!

Every year, I have my students make a gift for their parents. I have a few "go to" projects. The first is this super adorable tin can snowman that a dear friend shared with me years ago. You can read more about it here.

My second go to project is another snowman themed creation. How cute is this snowman pot?

This is super easy to make! Here's what you'll need:

terracotta pots (any size)
acrylic paint: white, blue, black, and orang
wooden furniture buttons (in the wood section of the craft store)
sponge brushes
paint brushes
Hersey's Kisses (optional)

Here's what you need to do:

Use a sponge brush to paint the outside of the terracotta pot
Paint the rim of the pot blue (you could use a sponge brush or a paint brush)
Use the end of a paintbrush (the non-brush end) to paint white polka dots on the blue rim
Use the end of a paintbrush (the non-brush end) to create the mouth and eyes
Paint the wooden furniture button with orange paint and attach it to the pot with a hot glue gun
Fill the pot with Hersey's Kisses!

TIP #1: I fill the bottom half of the pot with tissue paper so that I end up using fewer Kisses.

TIP #2: To help cover the cost of parent gifts, I ask families to send in small donations, usually $1-2. I tell them we are working on a super secret project. It helps to cover/supplement the cost of materials.