The holiday season is a magical time for students, and as teachers, we love to add to that joy. However, finding budget-friendly gifts for a whole class can be a challenge. Here are nine free or inexpensive gift ideas for students that will bring a smile to your students’ faces without breaking the bank.
Bookmarks - Personalized or Seasonal
Create colorful bookmarks with each student’s name and a festive design. Laminating them will ensure they last, and it’s a great way to encourage reading over the holidays. You can always use these Holiday Pencil Holders as bookmarks if you like. Instead of cutting a hole and inserting a pencil, print these out, laminate them, put a hole in the top, and slide some festive ribbon in the hole.
Mini Notebooks or Journals
Small notebooks or journals are fun to make. You can easily create them in PowerPoint with fun fonts and clip art. Print them out, staple them together, and write a note on the first page to personalize them. If you use Canva, here is a link to one I made for my students. I love giving journals as holiday gifts to my students!
Snowman Soup
Put some hot chocolate mix, mini marshmallows, and broken candy canes in a baggie. Tie it with a festive ribbon and add a card with directions on how to make it. Here is a great recipe and FREE downloadable baggie toppers.
Puzzle and Word Search Packets
Give your students something to do over the Winter Break. Print out or create word searches, logic puzzles, and even an Escape Room to work on. Staple them into a fun packet and give points to students who complete the activities over the break.
Cozy Day
Memories are always better than things! Bring some donuts (or a school-approved treat) and hot chocolate to school, and have students spend the morning reading and playing board games. In the afternoon, they can watch a holiday-themed movie. talk about a free or inexpensive gift idea for students!
Pencils - Holiday Themed or Practical
Fun pencils are always a hit! Especially if your students are anything like mine and can only keep a pencil for a short time. Amazon, Oriental Trading, and Temu (order very early!) are great sources for inexpensive pencils. I made a FREE fun pencil holder to help make the pencil gift more fun and festive.
Wrist Bands - Personalized, Praise, or Motivational
Create personalized wristbands or wristbands with motivational quotes. Here is a Free Praise Wristband resource that may help you get started.
Holiday Cards - Handwritten and Personalized
Sometimes, the most meaningful gifts are the simplest. A heartfelt, handwritten card expressing your appreciation and holiday wishes can mean a lot to your students. Here is a link to some cute free holiday cards.
Holiday Raffle
Create tickets with prizes such as an extra 15 minutes of recess, 15 minutes of free time on the computer (on school-approved websites), a no-homework day, a popcorn snack, a bring-a-stuffie day, and even a sit-by-a-friend day. During the last week before Winter Break, choose one prize for the whole class each day. Here is a free customizable raffle ticket template.
I hope these free and inexpensive student gift ideas for students help ease your budget and bring some cheer to you and your classroom! Remember, the greatest gift is the one you give every single day—YOU!
Happy Holidays.
