I Know It's Not Even October Yet But...

[Josiegirl]

Last year we made snowman ornaments I'd found on pinterest. You put the baby's handprint painted in white, onto a blue or red Christmas ball, the bottom of her hand near the bottom of the ornament. Then you paint on little hats, scarves, eyes, carrot noses, black buttons. I did it and I'm one of the least creative people I know. they came out adorable.

[butterfly]

I buy clearance the year before.

Me too! I usually give a $1 book from scholastic and a clearance item that I had bought previously.

I've done all the same items or mixed it up to their personal likes.

One year I found lunch boxes on clearance for a dollar, so they each got a lunch box. The girls used them as purses and the boys tended to put their cars in them. They never really got used for lunches, but they really loved them!

I don't spend much and I keep the reciepts to write it off at the end of the year.

[Blackcat31]

I do not buy my daycare children Christmas gifts.

Instead of the children getting something, we do a charity drive and the children are encourage to GIVE rather than get.

This year we are raising funds and/or items for our local animal shelter.

Christmas is a wonderful time to educate children about giving to the less fortunate verses simply expecting something from every adult in their life.

[SilverSabre25]

I generally get the daycare new stuff. If I give gifts at all it's something like a book, or a batch of homemade playdough, or something like that.

[melilley]

I buy clearance the year before.

Saves a lot of money!

[Josiegirl]

Thanks for all the replies and ideas.
Blackcat, how do you go about raising funds for giving to a charity? I really like that idea and truly would love to get away from the kids and their gimme attitudes. I don't know how many times I've had a child look at me after opening gifts and say is that all there is? I want to change that somehow this year. I'd still like to get them each a book. And the playdoh idea is great too; lots of different ideas for scented ones out there.
But with giving to a charity I could make a list of local ones and let them pick one.

[Cradle2crayons]

I do not buy my daycare children Christmas gifts.

Instead of the children getting something, we do a charity drive and the children are encourage to GIVE rather than get.

This year we are raising funds and/or items for our local animal shelter.

Christmas is a wonderful time to educate children about giving to the less fortunate verses simply expecting something from every adult in their life.

I agree. Except this year my daycare kids are in need of a charity drive themselves. That's what I'm trying to figure out.

[Cradle2crayons]

Last year we made snowman ornaments I'd found on pinterest. You put the baby's handprint painted in white, onto a blue or red Christmas ball, the bottom of her hand near the bottom of the ornament. Then you paint on little hats, scarves, eyes, carrot noses, black buttons. I did it and I'm one of the least creative people I know. they came out adorable.

Great idea!! Thanks!!

[Blackcat31]

Thanks for all the replies and ideas.
Blackcat, how do you go about raising funds for giving to a charity? I really like that idea and truly would love to get away from the kids and their gimme attitudes. I don't know how many times I've had a child look at me after opening gifts and say is that all there is? I want to change that somehow this year. I'd still like to get them each a book. And the playdoh idea is great too; lots of different ideas for scented ones out there.
But with giving to a charity I could make a list of local ones and let them pick one.

I usually choose an organization to give to, contact them and ask what things are on their wish lists... Then I write a letter to my DCF's and let them know that during the holiday season we are going to be giving instead of receiving. I then give each family a copy of the wishlist and ask that any donations to this cause be brought into daycare by xx date.

Once we have collected our items/money, I take a photo of the kids with the stuff, write a little blurb about what we are doing and submit it to the local newspaper. The kids (and parents) LOVE seeing their kids in the paper so they can brag.....

In the past we have collected:

• coats for kids
• school supplies for kids
• hats/mittens for church drives
• smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for the fire dept to give away to families without
• goodies for our "adopted" grandparents in a nearby nursing home
• care boxes for soldiers
• calling cards for soldiers away for the holidays
• an entire Christmas dinner for the food shelf
• ornaments for nursing home residents
• gas cards for our local cancer group that helps fund families who travel for cancer treatments
• flowers for those in the hospital over the holidays
• toys for kids in the hospital
• toys for needy kids
• blankets for homeless
• general food items to local food shelf

HTH

[julie]

Here are some ideas for handprint ornaments.

http://funhandprintart.blogspot.ca/2012/12/handprint-and-thumbprint-christmas-ornaments.html

http://theimaginationtree.com/2012/12/salt-dough-handprint-christmas-tree.html

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/11/salt-dough-hand-print-ornament-by-kellie-from-this-blessed-nest-ornament-no-4.html

http://megduerksen.typepad.com/whatever/2010/12/christmas-craft-1.html

I am going all out for Christmas this year. The kids are each getting a book and gift, and the parents are getting a gift made from the kids and a photobook of their time here. I am closing my doors at Christmas though, and I will really miss these kids and parents so that's why. Usually I get the kids something small and the parents a card and the kids make them an ornament. I also take the kids to see Santa at the mall annually, and before we see Santa we go shopping for a Santa's Anonymous Present for a child in need. We put the toy in the box before we even think of going to Santa.