Inexpensive Christmas Gifts for Students from Teachers

What can teachers give their students for Christmas?

Holiday gifts for students do not have to eat away at your time or your money. Something as simple as these pop-up fidget bracelets or some festive light-up bracelets, each decorated with a snowman or a Santa, can make a perfect gift. A keychain with each student’s initials can be fun, too. These items can be purchased inexpensively in bulk and make a great gift.

What are some cheap Christmas gifts for students?

With 25 or more students in your class, buying the perfect gift for each student can be expensive. So here are six inexpensive Christmas gift ideas for your students that they’ll love more than a candy cane or a keychain:

Gift Idea #1: A New Book

Keep your students reading over the holiday break with a new book. If you’ve been reading a series that your students like, get each of them a book in that series. If there’s a particular author your class enjoys, choose a book by that author to give them. You can even write a little note on the front cover to make it even more special.

I know books can be expensive, but there are some ways to get them for less. Scholastic often has dollar deals on its books. You can even use your bonus points to get them for free. When they have books I know my students will like, I stock up on them for the next Christmas.

Book sales at libraries and yard sales are also great places to get inexpensive books. Just check to ensure they are in excellent condition before buying them for your students.

One year when I didn’t have much money to spend on gifts for my students, I went through my classroom library and chose books to give them. I selected books that I had multiple copies of and ones I knew I could easily replace with book fair money. I put all the books on the table in my classroom, and each student was allowed to choose one. They loved choosing their gifts, and many came back after the holiday break and told me about what happened in their books.

Take a look at these Top 10 Christmas Stories and Poems to help you choose your perfect books.

Gift Idea #2: The Trending Toy

Each year, it seems like there is a new toy that all the students love. While these toys may drive you crazy when your students bring them to school, you know they will love receiving them as gifts. You can usually buy them in bulk for a low price, so you have enough for all your students.

A few years ago, when fidget spinners were the craze, I got each of my students a miniature one. I got a class set of 30 of them for under $20 on Amazon. When my students opened them, they were so excited.

This year, pop-it fidget toys are still trendy. You can get a set of 20-holiday pop-its on Amazon for a reasonably low price. Go one step further and make it useful with a pop-it fidget keychain for each student.

Gift Idea #3: Art Supplies

If your students love drawing and coloring, some art supplies would be the perfect Christmas gift. At the dollar store, you can often find packs of coloring books, crayons, and colored pencils for just a dollar so that you won’t break the bank. Art supplies give your students a DIY project over the holiday break.

Why not print them off some educational Christmas Art Activities to go with their supplies? Here are some ideas.

• Let's Make a Snowman
• Christmas Word Games
• Rudolph: An American Christmas Character
• Hands & Feet Reindeer Heads

Gift Idea #4: Homemade Gifts with Your Cricut

If you have a Cricut machine, you can make lots of fun DIY gifts for your students. Your students will love receiving unique bookmarks with their names on them to celebrate the holiday season. You can find videos online that show you the steps to make them. All you need is some cardstock and a printable so that this inexpensive gift won’t break the bank.

Last holiday, my son’s teacher made the students personalized water bottles as Christmas gifts. She bought some inexpensive water bottles and used her Cricut to put their names on them. My son loves his water bottle and still uses it.

Check out these fun printable snowman faces, which you can use to decorate T-shirts, stickers, or mugs for great Christmas gift ideas. Another possibility: an adorable felt Christmas tree.

Gift Idea #5: Classroom Reward Tickets

If you’re looking for a free way to give your students gifts, make each of them a ticket book with the student’s name stocked with some classroom rewards. For example, you could give them a ticket to bring a stuffed animal to school for a day. Another coupon could allow them to choose their seat for the day or have lunch with you. These rewards don’t require you to spend money, but your students will have much fun choosing when to use their coupons.

You can use this template to make DIY “gift certificates” for your students. Or decorate each ticket to resemble a gift tag in honor of the season.

Gift Idea #6: Ask for Donations

If you’re low on money this year or want to get the community involved in your gift-giving, ask for donations for your students’ Christmas gifts. You can post on Facebook or ask friends and family members to donate gifts for your students.

Recently, I’ve seen posts on Facebook asking for books or board game donations for students. If you’re interested in doing this, here is some sample text you can post to ask for board game donations.

Christmas break is quickly approaching, and I have [NUMBER OF] students in my [GRADE] classroom this year. I would love your help with a special winter project for my sweet students!

I would love to have friends and family sponsor a student with a board game or some type of game (Don’t Spill the Beans, UNO, Trouble, Operation, Connect 4, Twister, etc.)! Most of these games are $5-$10 right now in stores!

Many students are constantly using technology. With a long break approaching, I would love to send them home with a fun game they can play with their friends and family while sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows. We, as adults, remember the fun times we spent playing board games as kids. I want my students to have those experiences, too! I would love it if my students could walk into our classroom on their last day before break and feel the love!

If you would like to help, I would like to have all items by [DATE]! I can meet you (if you are local) to pick up the game, or it can be dropped off at school or my house. You can also ship it to my home by using Amazon. Let me know, and I will message you my address. I will wrap the game and have it on their desk the day before we leave for the break! PLEASE DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO GIVE.

Thank you so much for supporting our future and my class!

This is a great option if you want to give some meaningful teacher gifts, but DIY isn’t your thing. You can also use this strategy to purchase end-of-year gifts to send home with each student at the start of summer break.

Gift Idea #7: A Homemade Sweet Treat

Kids will love these unique candy cane sugar cookies, which are easy to make using simple sugar cookie dough. You can also make delicious Christmas tree Rice Krispies treats with this simple recipe. They make the perfect complement to a read-aloud of the classic story The Polar Express… along with some hot chocolate, of course.

Bonus Tip: Take Advantage of After Christmas Sales

It’s too late for this year, but another great way to save money on your students’ Christmas gifts is to shop for them a year ahead. When stores put everything on sale after Christmas, from stickers to erasers, look for items your students will like next year. Stock up on the discounted goodies, and put them somewhere safe until you need them. That way, you don’t have to stress about what to get your students next year for teacher gifts, but you will have a great gift for every student right at your fingertips. Another idea: stock up on DIY craft supplies for end-of-year gifts now for discounted prices too.

What do high school students want for Christmas?

High school students may seem cynical, yet they too appreciate receiving teacher gifts. A personalized pencil or eraser for each student or a printed coupon to purchase special privileges make excellent holiday gifts they can use until the end of the school year.

While getting your students Christmas gifts is not a requirement, it is a nice gesture. My students are always so grateful to get something from me before the holiday break, even if it’s just something small. Whether you buy something at the store for them or make them some special DIY gift, they will love seeing that you thought of them at this special time of the year.

Looking for more great holiday ideas? Check the Teacher Vision Christmas resources hub. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to get great ideas in your inbox all year.