Being organized ahead of time can help ensure that this year’s class gift exchange goes smoothly. Read on for ideas to make a Christmas gift swap the best it can be.
Talk to the Kids about What Kind of Gifts to Bring
Talk to kids about buying presents before the gift exchange happens. This can even be made into a lesson for kids, by having “The Price is Right” kind of activity. It can be especially good for younger kids as they are still learning about how much things cost. Bring in a number of different items ranging from a 25 cent gumball, to a box of chocolates (without nuts!), to a basketball, to something expensive like an iPod. Then get kids to guess how much things cost at the store.
Then brainstorm with kids about what kind of gifts would cost $5 to $10. This helps kids not only learn about the value of things but it also sets their hopes for what kind of gift they will receive at the gift exchange at a realistic level. And of course, this will also help students with being more active in shopping for their gifts with their parents.
Talk to Kids About Choosing Appropriate Gifts
It’s also good to talk to kids about what is an appropriate gift. For example, $10 worth of shaving cream or a pair of men’s size 13 sandals are not appropriate gifts for most elementary school students. It’s also important to go over any school rules that may also impact gift choices, such as no T-shirts with a controversial message or swear words.
Send a Letter Home to Parents About the Gift Exchange
Send home a notice to parents as early as possible, and send a reminder closer to the date as well. Outline what amount of money should be spent on the gift and the importance of students bringing age-appropriate presents that adhere to school guidelines.
The notice should also outline some examples of presents. Also, make a note that if any families will have trouble with affording a gift, they can contact the teacher through sending a note, making a call or coming in to school. If a teacher is working in a community where this would be financially difficult for a large number of kids, then another idea would be to have kids make a present for a gift exchange.
Have Back up Gifts for the Gift Exchange
Make sure to have some back up gifts. This is a good idea for a number of reasons. This is to buffer the fact that at least one student will forget to bring his or her gift, or in case there is a problem with a gift (like it’s broken or just a plain terrible gift). If a teacher has the kids doing a traditional gift exchange, make it so that at the end of the game the teacher has the right to take anyone’s present and give them a new one. That way if a child has ended up with a gift he appears very upset about, the teacher can swap it.
Teacher Needs to Know His or Her Class When Doing a Gift Exchange
When deciding whether to do a gift exchange game with a class, it’s important to weigh a number of issues such as the age of the children, the general “feel” of the classroom and any social, economic or religious factors that could come into play. Traditional gift exchanges can be difficult for very young kids. Some kids can be very upset if they don’t get the present they wanted.
For older kids, there can be cliques, so make sure that the issue of buying appropriate and not mean gifts is talked about. Also, if one is teaching in a place where people in the community don’t celebrate Christmas, this activity should just be done as a gift exchange for fun.
Give Kids Time to Play and Share After the Present Swap
Provide time for the kids to check out and play with their new gifts; they’ll be doing it anyway. Let them share their gifts and talk to other students about theirs as well. It’s also a good idea to think about activities scheduled after this game. If gym class follows – great. If a test follows, it can be more difficult for kids to focus because they are still excited from the game.
Tips for making a gift exchange a positive experience for kids include talking to kids about what kinds of gifts cost about $5 to $10 and what kind of gifts are appropriate for the present swap. Send home a letter and then a reminder letter to parents and have extra gifts ready for gift exchange day. A teacher needs to think about the age of the students, and the classroom and community environment when deciding what kind and whether to have a holiday gift exchange. It’s also important to give kids time to play and share their gifts.
Also check out Best Classroom Holiday Gift Exchange Games, Best Christmas Games for Kids and Making Homemade Heartfelt Christmas Gifts.
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Tami Nicholson - Tami is the Topic Editor for Parenting Methods at Suite101. She is a mother of two with a background in education and journalism.
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