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.

5 Tips for Your Child's Fundraising

Make Fundraising a Fun Learning Experience

Fundraising can be a daunting task, especially to young children and can cause them a great deal of anxiety. With a little push you can help your child be more comfortable fundraising and make it an enjoyable experience for everybody involved. To do this, Gifts 'N Things has provided the following tips to make your child's fundraising a fun and successful one.

1) Know The Product
One of the most important things when fundraising with children is that they know what they are selling. We don’t mean they know they are selling candy bars, but rather what is in the candy bar and how it tastes. This is impressive when a young “salesperson” can show knowledge of their product.

2) Go along for the Ride
Going door to door with your child is one of the best ways to have a successful fundraising campaign. By going door to door (preferably in your neighborhood), your child will be able to show their knowledge about the product with your neighbors and work on socializing with people they may not know that well. Most of the time they are more than willing to help support your children.

3) Buddy-Up!

When it comes to children and having to do something outside of their comfort zone it helps to have at least one other child with them. Our next tip is work in pairs or groups. This is a simple way to help make your child more comfortable and you can help the other children with their fundraising too.

4) Don't take over

Often times we see parents doing the selling for the children. Let your child do the work they are given to do. There is a good chance that they fundraising they are asked to do directly benefits them and is given to them for a purpose that cannot be achieved if you do it for your child.

5) Don't Bail Them Out

Our last tip is in regards to your top clients. More often than not, your family and close friends will be more than willing to help your child out. The great thing about seeking support from friends and family is that your child will be more comfortable around them. More often than not, parents end up buying too much of their children’s product. This does help your child meet the minimum requirements for selling but then you have an overabundance of something that cost you money. By setting limits on how much you will buy, your children will be able to know how much they must sell. Approaching close family and friends is a great way for your child to start tackling her or his additional quota.

By following the tips that we gave you you can make fundraising an overall successful experience for both you and your child. Good luck and happy selling!

Teach Your Kids the Gift of Giving

Children Learn the Gift of Giving with Lil' Shopper's Shoppe

This holiday season, like any holiday season, there will be a lot of shopping. While gift-giving is a key element in the holiday season, how can you get your children to learn a valuable lesson without becoming addicted to their shiny new toys? Teaching your kids about giving is very important. Now is the time for them to learn about spreading warmth and helping others. Lessons you can teach your children this holiday season include:

Thoughtfulness for Others
Witnessing the gratitude of others is a great way to help a child’s thoughtfulness grow and it’s a feeling they will want to repeat. Personalizing a gift is a great way to add a little extra touch and to give a child pride. Whether it is something as simple as wrapping the gift in the child’s artwork,or adding a personal message, small touches go a long way. Make sure to ask for your child’s input. Ask what they think would be best suited for siblings, grandma, grandpa, cousins, etc., and be sure to let the child “present” the present. Feeling included in the gift-giving process is essential to making the child understand thoughtfulness.

The Value of Money
A fun and fantastic way to teach children the value of money is to involve them in the gift buying process. If planning a surprise gift for a child, it may be difficult to include them. However, you can easily incorporate their own wish list into a lesson about value and money. You can teach children about shopping around for the best price and how to get more bang for your buck. This will not only make more thrifty shoppers, but also teach your child about worth and value.

Gratitude and Values
Of course kids love receiving presents at the holidays but what truly makes the season special is the goodwill around them. Perhaps most important of all, a child learns gratitude when receiving gifts. When you involve a child in the buying and giving process, it helps them to better understand the effort behind receiving a gift from others. Incorporating your child in gift giving helps them to appreciate what they receive and be thankful. Children learn to express thanks for big and small gifts, not just the ones at the top of their list that year.