Preparing Your Child For School: 4 Ways To Start The New Year On a Good Note

A new school year is exciting, but it’s a transition for both children and adults.

New teachers, new classmates and a new schedule can be daunting. You’ll want to make sure your child is putting their best foot forward in the new year. Here are a few ways children and adults can prepare for a new school year:

1. Communication is Key

Ask your children how they are feeling about the new year. What are they excited about? Staying positive is important, but be sure to ask about their concerns, too. That way, you can approach any potential problems head-on. Let them know that they’re not the only ones feeling a little nervous.

It may be helpful to arrange a playdate with other children who will be at the same school before the first day. That way, they’ll begin the year with a few familiar faces and know that they’ll make even more new friends as the year continues.

2. Lay Out Their Day

Let your kids know what’s on their plate each day. Make sure they are clear about what time they start school and when the day ends. It may even be helpful to visit the school in person and take a practice walk through their schedule before the first day.

Don’t begin and end their schedule with the school day. You can also create a checklist of things that need to be done both before and after school. They’ll feel more prepared when they know exactly what to expect.

3. Goodbyes Don’t Need to be Sad

A positive goodbye routine can make a world of difference at the beginning of each school day, leaving your child excited for the day to come instead of sad about leaving. Your routine might be a hug, high-five or secret handshake. Whichever you choose, keep it brief and be sure to let them know you’ll be back to pick them up. They’ll feel good about the day ahead and safe knowing they’ll see you again soon.

4. Look into After-School Activities

For many children, after-school activities can turn school from a place you go for the day into a community. It can be a way for both kids and adults to make new friends and become more involved in your neighborhood. Research even suggests that sports teams make kids better people!

The Hidden Power of Smencils

Smencils are one of our most successful fundraising products! They are pencils that have a scent. There are many reasons to choose smencils instead of regular pencils this school year! Scent is proven to affect the user's mood and they are made from recycled material that is better for the Earth.

What are Smencils Made From?

When the idea of scented pencils came about in 2000, it proved difficult to scent wood. So, unlike regular pencils that are formed from trees, smencils are created with recycled newspaper. 172,000 Smencils can be made from just 430 newspapers! In this way, smencils are more responsible for the environment.

Besides smencils, we also offer smens! Smencils and smens are very fun products for kids to use at school and collect or trade with their friends. Once your child has one, they will certainly want more!

The Power of Scent

Smencils’ goal is not just to make writing fun, it is also to affect the user with the power of scent! Your sense of smell can trigger memories, make you hungry, and even boost your mood! Smencils release a scent that can be your child's favorite smell or remind them of a family vacation. It is said lemon can help a person feel more alert and focused. Try a lemon smencil for your student!

Another trick to try with your smencils is studying with one particular scent, say strawberry. Then when test time comes, use the same strawberry smencil. The words and facts you have studied will be more easily remembered when you harness the power of scent!

If you or your school is interested in selling smencils and are excited to get your hands on this popular product, the best distributor is Gifts 'N Things. We offer the absolute LOWEST price on the internet plus free freight! However, seasonal products sell out fast, so order early because there is a limited supply! VISIT ilovesmencils.com or CALL: (800) 468-7511 today!

When is the Best Time to Start Your Fundraiser?

Pulling off a successful fundraiser involves so many decisions. You have to consider who your audience is, what kind of fundraiser to host, what the margins will be, how long you have to fundraise, and so many other things! One of the most important factors to consider, though, is the time of year you decide to hold your fundraiser.

Picking the Right Season

There are pros and cons to running a fundraiser in any “season” of the year. Weather, competing events, and donor attitudes are all key elements. Check out this list and this fun infographic for a brief comparison of spring, summer, fall, and winter fundraising times.

December boasts the highest giving month of the year, but weather can be troublesome in some areas. Spring and summer are usually delightful opportunities for outdoor fundraisers, but competition can be stiff and vacations take away many donors.

Another topic to consider when choosing the time of year will be whether your organizers have ample time to lead and market your fundraiser appropriately. For example, the holiday season between November-December may mean your main participants are very overwhelmed. After all, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

When to Begin Planning

Planning is perhaps the only thing more important than when you host your fundraiser. Beginning to plan well enough in advance is the ticket to success. With summer vacation wrapping up soon and school starting just around the corner, the time to start planning your fundraiser is NOW - even if you won’t be hosting it until the winter or spring. You’ll be able to work on planning details here and there around your busy schedule over several months, rather than trying to throw it together crash-course style in a couple weeks. We all know, regardless of the season, life will always feel busy! Having a great plan in place is sure to help you reach your fundraising goals.

When it comes down to the best seasons to promote a fundraiser, our picks are simple:

• Product Fundraising - Start in September or October. These fundraisers correlate best right after the "Back to School" season.
• Holiday Shop - Between Thanksgiving and the Holiday break. These fundraisers can be done earlier in the school year, but this is the time that people have the holiday season on their mind. 
• Thons - Spring is overwhelmingly the best time. Summer thons work well, too, but your kids will be out of school and will have a disadvantage in communication. Spring is also the time when people are most excited about being outdoors and most enthusiastic about joining a thon.

Planning can seem rather daunting and overwhelming, especially if you have a small group doing the work of organizing or if you’re doing it alone! Why not let Gifts ’N Things do what we do best? We’re professional fundraisers and we can help ensure planning is fun and stress-free for you! Click here to get your FREE informational kit so you can start your fundraiser off on the right foot, no matter the time of year.

Gifts to Give Your Child's Teacher for Back to School.

Teachers are some of the most underappreciated people on the planet.

They work hard to make sure our children’s education is always top-notch and push them to become better people day in and day out. Every now and then, teachers deserve some recognition.

It’s always good to start off on the right foot with your child’s new teacher, so getting them a gift is never a bad idea. Some of the gifts could be a simple craft project that you and your child did or other practical options that you can just purchase.

Here are 10 ideas that you can consider:

1. A gift card. It’s simple and you don’t have to work too hard on this one. Teachers can always use $10 to a coffee shop or a nice $20 gift certificate to one of the nicer restaurants in town.
2. School supplies. Teachers can always use some extra pens, a stapler here or there or some colorful Post-It notes to help them out during the year. Teachers usually have to buy their own supplies, so getting them this simple gift will help them save money out of their own pocketbook.
3. Homemade Cookies. If you want to get to a teacher’s heart right off the bat, give them some junk food. What teacher wouldn’t turn down a fresh box of chocolate chip cookies? Besides, teachers never get enough time to eat during the day. They’re lucky if they get 15 minutes for a lunch break. A box of chocolates would also work!
4. Supply Cup or Jar. Teachers always need places to store pens or other school supplies. If you can get them a crafty cup to hold their pens, they would be very grateful. Your kids can help personalize it by painting or decorating it to add a special touch.
5. A photo album. This is a little retro, but some people still like to keep their photos in albums. This keepsake will help teachers keep track of photos with each class that they teach. What teacher wouldn’t love that?
6. A plant. Putting a simple seedling in a cup or pot would be a special gift from your child to their teacher. They can both watch the plant grow over time and help take care of it together.
7. A bulletin board. Teachers have to fill out endless amounts of paperwork and have to keep track of everything that is going on in their personal lives at the same time. A bulletin board is a simple thing to give them to keep track of everything that is going on at school and at home.
8. A tote bag. Bringing in loads of items to school every day is the norm for educators. A simple bag or tote bag that will help them carry their supplies would be more than welcomed.
9. A water bottle. Staying refreshed during the day is something that teachers don’t always think about. They go from class to class and forget to eat and drink during the day. Having a water bottle in front of them will be good for their health and remind them to stay hydrated.
10. A good book. Endless grading and research go into teaching lesson plans every day. Teachers can always use a break from reality. So, why not give them a good book to read on the weekends? They will appreciate the thought that went into buying something a little more personal.