Children enjoy giving and receiving gifts, and the winter holidays are traditional times for this activity. Adding a gift exchange to a classroom holiday party can add a level of fun and excitement, but requires some forethought to make sure that all children can be included. This not only includes differences in religions but also the cost of the gifts and any school or district rules concerning the holidays.
Once the decision has been made to host a present swap consider putting an educational spin on the gift giving. Students can be provided a specific type of item to bring or provide something for a class-wide gift. The gift itself can even be created by the class, with each classmate receiving a copy.
Ideas for Educational Theme Gift Giving
Whether drawing names out of a hat or bringing anonymous gifts adding an educational theme to the gift giving can prevent some problems. Some families have restrictions as to certain types of main stream characters, others might limit sugary treats, and still others may not celebrate holidays. Avoiding potential parental conflicts can make the class party easier for everyone involved.
Educational themes can be broad and still allow for children to choose something special. Books are a popular theme for all ages, as are puzzles. Children can bring a picture frame which then would have a class photo added to it. Another idea is to have students give scrap books for saving school work, or exchange sheets of motivational stickers.
Gift Exchanges That Involve the Entire Class
Instead of swapping individual gifts, another option is to have students bring something that will be shared with the entire class. A few weeks in advance children could bring their favorite healthy recipe, drawing, poem or short story. Each piece would be put together as a set, bound and given to each child as a gift from each other.
Another is to host a Yankee Swap or white elephant exchange. In this case, students would bring a silly or unwanted item from home that is wrapped but unlabeled. Students then would choose a random or pre-numbered gift. They then would be allowed to swap gifts once or twice with other students.
An educational spin of classroom gift giving can make the class party memorable and fun. The gift swap can be between individuals and themed, such as swapping books or class photos, or include the entire class, like making a class book or a class-wide exchange.
For more classroom party ideas, read Healthy Classroom Treats.
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