What to Get Daycare Employees?

I used to give lottery tickets, I didn't have a lot of money and there were quite a few people who took part in my kids' care. I realize some people have issues with gambling/lottery, but I never had anyone not scratch off!

I agree you cant go wrong with movie passes...or make 6 baskets and fill with popcorn and treats or baskets full of hot choc,marshmellows,or baskets full of bubble bath,lotions...fun stuff like that. I think baskets are more meaningful!!

My friend is a stay-at-home mom and also has a small gift business. Her website is www.dumontdesigns.net. She has great options. One year, I bought everyone a "cafe koozie" and wrapped it around a bottle of water (or their favorite soda). They liked that the gift was personal. See what you think! Happy Holidays!

Movie passes, a small gift card to a spa, maybe a nice robe.

As a former teacher-please no soaps! We used to laugh because we would get baskets and baskets of soaps-it used to give us a complex-were we really that smelly:))
But, seriously...Gift cards are great-Borders, Target, Kohls, restaurants, etc. Also, a nice note expressing your gratitude for their care of your daughter would probably be much appreciated.

Hi K.. In the past, I have given daycare employees a "group gift," such as a giant popcorn tin for them to enjoy during the holidays. It's not too expensive, and the tin could be used later for storage. --M.

My daughter does daycare and some of her favorite things she has gotten. Basket with microwave popcorn, pop, candy bar and movie pass. Gift card to Target, Walmart, QT. Picture of the child in magnetic frame for the fridge. Picture drawn by child with the child's favorite thing about my daughter written on it.

The best present I got last year when I worked at a daycare, was a card with a picture of their child inside. I know it is very simple, but it meant alot more than anything else. Other stuff I recieved were gift certificates to stores, a places to eat. I also recieved gift baskets with snacks inside. Good luck !

I was a provider for years. Sweets are wonderful. Homemade especially. You could put them on a little Christmas platter or a plain platter (Walmart has great prices) that can be used year round. And a card to go along with it. Good luck and God Bless and Merry Christmas.

K. -

I like to give teachers and daycare workers a hand cream. They wash their hands so often that they need a little TLC for their hands! I'm a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant and I have a GREAT gift set for only $10 that includes a hand cream, a brownie or muffin mix and a cute little plate. I personally gift wrap everything too, so you don't have to do anything but give the gift. Let me know if you want them...they are so cute and I can send pics if you like...Plus, they will receive a coupon for a FREE makeover with me too! Just a little pampering for them for pampering the kids all year! :)

K.
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I make personalized, ribbon-tied notepads that are the perfect gift for teachers. They are $5-$8 each and I would be happy to give you more info if you're interested...just send me a message. :) ~R.

Thank you for thinking of these ladies. Gift cards to a local restarant. On a tiring day not having to cook dinner can be great. Put the cards in a card with a short note about what a great job they are doing.

Hi K.-
You are so sweet to think of your day care providers!! I am a manager for a chiropractic office and even though my boss gives the big gifts, I usually like to give the girls that work with me something. This year I typed up 40 of my favorite easy and quick recipes and printed them on index cards. Then I got packs of recipe cards (20 cards for $1) at Michaels. (Although last time I was there, they were out). Anyway, the girls LOVED getting the new recipes and recipe cards and it only cost me about $3 per person. If you wanted to expand, you could turn it into a basket and include simple things that cooks could always use (a tea towel, a new dish rag, wooden spoon, timer, spices, etc...just check out dollar store!) Also, I love that now my favorite recipes are saved on my computer. I plan to print out my recipes for new brides as part of a gift. (I sucked at cooking when I first got married). Good luck!

When my kids were in a daycare we would buy a coffee mug from the dollar store and then get each of the teachers a gift certificate for $10 to Apple Bee's or some restaraunt like that. That way they can go have a nice lunch on you guys. It was alway appreciated.

K. - How about a $10 (or however much you think) gift certificate toward a massage? This is what I get my daycare worker, and she LOVES it!

M. W.

Target gift cards, starbucks gift cards, gas cards, candles, spa sets, put together a little basket with hand lotion, sanitizer and a candle from Bath and Body, popcorn and a $10 blockbuster card, Panera gift cards, Reed diffusers/scented items, Barnes and Noble gift cards,
- For the gift cards, you only have to do $10 each to make it worth it for everyone and save you from going broke!

- MERRY CHRISTMAS!

You could always try gift cards to places to eat out. I know Wal-Mart has ones you can buy with 4 different places to choose from. You could also do candles with different scents, or make a little spa like gift basket with mini soaps, candles, lotions, maybe a body scrub or face mask. Also just baking some homebaked goods like cookies, or fudge etc is always apperciated! You could also have your child make an ornament, or another type of keepsake like a hand impression etc... Or even gift cards to a teacher type supply store, or Wal-mart to buy more supplies so they don't have to use their own money (I know sometimes teachers end up doing that), or even donating an amount of money to the day care in their names?

Gift Cards from food places or even from the local grocery or gas stations-these are always welcomed and used as fast as they are given. They require very little wrapping and lots of love when given by the "little one". I can tell you it is very appreciated! Any amount is lovely! Have your little ones help mqake a card and envelope to put them into.

Gift Cards are always great. My favorite was I recieved a dozen roses from one family. You wouldn't have to go that extravagant, of course. You could go with a single or a trio arrangement for each.

Gift cards. Bread co is good. And if you need to lower the price, go for even $5. They realize you are buying for a bunch of people. They don't need 30 ornaments, mugs etc...I used to do coupons for Tippin's pies when they were open. Teachers loved those.

Good Morning K., How about gift cards to a nice restaurant, a nice bag of coffee beans or flavored ground coffee. For the ones retiring perhaps you can get a picture of all the kids and put it in a frame. Of Course there are always the little tree ornaments with to a Great Teacher on them. Or make one with your Little Angles picture on it to give.

Hope this helps a bit.
God Bless and Have a Wonderful creative time.
K. Nana of 5

Lots of responses..........I taught preschool for many years and have now been providing inhome care for the past 7. First - thank you for thinking of your care providers! Depending on how well you know them the gift cards to a store they frequent would be great. Nearby (the daycare) eateries would be nice too - take a lunch break....I really don't recommend soaps, lotions, candles, etc. unless you know their favorites. As much as the "thought is what counts" - that's partly true, but you know you don't really appreciate a gift as much if you just have to give it away to someone else. Although - I'm planning a silent auction for Jan. and I'm counting on people to give those!!! :D Have a wonderful Christmas!

I sell a product called Wildtree we are an all natural peanut free food company. We have great dipping oils made from grapeseeds which are very healthy oils we also sell nearly 100 other products like beer breads, seasonings ect. I always give my girls teachers an oil and bread or our Chili gift set which includes a beer bread and our chili mix or our Tortilla soup mix. They always love them and it is something they don't have be afraid of displaying every year they have so many kids over the years and those things are very poplar I am sure so giving them food or gift cards would be the way to go. LEt me know if you would like more info. good luck.

Not sure what others have suggested, but could you buy them lunch one day? I have worked in child care for many years and we always loved it when a parent bought/had delivered lunch for us that day. It doesn't have to be expensive, and it might work best if they pick the day. Like right now, they might be bombarded with other snacks and food for the holiday, but they could pick a day shortly after the holidays are over if they wanted.

K.,
Daycare teachers are like nurses constantly washing their hands. A bottle of lotion is always appreciated or maybe a gift they all can share like a platter of baked goods or a tin of popcorn and/or other snacks. I picked up goodies for my kids teachers during the summer sales at Bath and Body Works.

Good luck,
Alex

You have gotten some great responses. What about a nice ornament. I saw some that said teacher the other day.

I do a movie night basket. I get a $5 gift card to block buster, a box of popcorn, soda, candy and a card made by the kdis. They have everything they need to rent a movie and stay in. If you want to do more, you could do a gift card to pizza hut.

Try QVC.com the always have little gifts for not that much that usually come 6 in a package. I know Valerie Par Hill has a set of 6 candles that all smell really good. My Mother-In-Law always gets silver Jewelry for my Sister-In-Law and I and then splits it between the two of us. Most of the time they are under $20. Actually if you look in the guide usually they have a show around this time of year called gifts under $20, and the gifts are almost always prepackaged in a gift bag or with a bow. Here is a link to the page with the candles they are $32.16 but there are 7 not 6 like I thought. Hope this helps and good luck.
M.

I would suggest a simple gift basket that would work for all of them. Such as healthy snacks, energy boosting,immune boosting, ect and then split the supplies up between all of them. so all the baskets are the same and i am sure ALL of them need help with their energy and to fight of colds, flu ect. I would say you could make all 6 of them baskets for under 10.00 a pc.

restaurant gift cards

How about a gift certificate to a book store or a garden center or the mall.

I too have to buy 7 daycare gifts. I had 5 to buy last year. I went to Target and got gift cards. Those women make so little money that I figure they could use a little extra. You would have to judge the amount of the gift cards by your personal income. I did (and will do again) $25 each...I know that sounds a lot, but I can afford it and they take care of my most precious possession. I gave it to them a couple weeks before Cmas so if they wanted to use the money for their own shopping, they could.

Someone else mentioned a lunch, and I do this at Thanksgiving for the daycare. I get a couple sandwich platters at COSTCO, some cookies and chips. It is always a big hit and they send home a thank you note signed by all the teachers.

You could get them the little bath/body baskets...so they can go home and relax after watching children all day, LOL!!!!! Happy Holidays.

I'm a middle/high school teacher and we get lots of edible stuff. Too much, really! It's just a gesture to acknowledge the teacher/childcare worker's effort on the part of your child. What I do for daycare and Sunday school teachers is get them each a Christmas tree ornament. At the end of the season, I buy a whole bunch at half price and save them for the next year. That way, they are nice ornaments, but maybe only $2 or $5 each. Another year, I got everyone a bag of holiday pasta (pasta shaped like Christmas trees, snowmen, snowflakes, etc.). It was edible, but it wasn't sweets and it was something a family could enjoy together. I wrap each gift individually and include our family's holiday card with a nice, personalized note.

I bought spices from a store called Antoine's in Independence. We do not live close but it is worth the drive! They have a 1 oz container that is a decent size. I put gourmet garlic, charbroil seasoning, and apple wood smoke rub together in a cellophane bag for the male custodian. I chose pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice and mulling spice for the ladies. Each bag of 3 spices cost about $2.25- They could be as cheap as $.50 a container though depending on what you choose. I thought this was a nice inexpensive gift. Their website is www.antoineseed.com. I would give them a call before you go because their hours are a little strange.

I would go for the gift card idea...if you KNOW a place they go to (i.e. get their hair or nails done, or a favorite shop) taylor it to each one of them. If not, pick a favorite restaurant (maybe one that would have different options like Darden Restaurants (where you can use at Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Mama, and Smokey Joe's) or something similar. I think those would be greatly appreciated!

I'm a teacher and I LOVE gift cards--you can usually get them in any amount ($10). Some say they're impersonal, but unless you know the person REALLY well, you run the risk of getting them something they don't want/need. Get them a $10 gift card for someplace they can get something for $10 (like the movies, Starbucks, Panera Bread, Barnes and Noble, etc.). $10 at Macy's (for example) may not actually buy them something.

I worked in daycare for 6 years and when we recieved a gift from the parents,it meant alot.It didn't matter to me what I got,it was the thought that counted and it told us we were appreciated.If that takes any pressure off.
You can get a thing of chocolates,You could go to bath and body works and get a bottle of lotion (they usually have 3 for $20.) You could get them a nice jar candle,(they have really nice smelling ones at wal-mart for 5.00.) One year a family got us a cookie bouquet,that was really nice and personal.I've had some families bring me ornaments.One brought us a little snowman ornament with our name on it.You can find teacher ornaments.The only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is going to wal-mart and they have all those neat little gift sets in the seasonal isle starting at $5.00,thse are nice.If you don't get everyone's gift identical then I would let them choose.And make sure they are similar gifts,like all gift sets.The thing with us was if we got something different we felt they were choosing favorites and there were hurt feelings.The only cases that didn't happen is if they were all similar gifts and they wouold say the child specifically picked out that one for me and that one for Judy...etc...Then it was special.Hope this helps,remember don't stress,even something small lets them know you thought of them because only a few parents get gifts.

I agree with the gift cards...Bath & Body Works is great for all ages...and all women love to pamper themselves!

i worked at a daycar/preschool, for five years and the most meaningful gift that i ever recieved was a christmas ornament. they make a lot of teacher ones you just have to look for them and they are not very expensive. just n idea.