Need ideas for gifts for their classmates

In their preschool, when it is someone's birthday, my boys usually come home with a gift bag from the birthday boy/girl. It could be a varity of things from a coloring book with crayons, a bag filled with dollar store toys, mini bubbles, or a snack.

To be completly honest, they really never play with the toys for more than that day and then it usually gets broken and thrown in the trash. We have a TON of crayons and coloring books.

Their birthday is the week they return to school from winter break. So most of the kids will still be playing with the toys they got from Christmas. I'm pretty sure a bag full of cheap toys will hold their interest as long as it does in our house.

So, I am looking for some ideas. As a parent, what do you like to see given to your kids. I will have to buy for a good 30+ kids (they are in seperate classrooms and I don't want to spend a ton of money.

 

What about those mini containers of play-dough? McD's or Wendy's coupons for a treat? a small craft from the dollar bins at Target like making a frame, growing a plant, etc.

 

an inexpensive book (1 dollar) from a place like amazing savings. or a coloring book and crayons if you can get it cheap, or bubbles, or play-doh.

 

I was thinking book. Or an ice cream cone gift cert.

 

There was one today and they just had 3 cookies in them. Empty in 2 minutes, no junk, I was happy!

 

I like the idea of food if you're allowed, or a gift certificate to a local ice cream/cupcake place. That way you're not overloading the other families with useless junk (I agree that those gift bags of cheap toys are the worst!). And if you decide that you need to give an actual gift, pencils would be my choice. For some reason my four year old daughters and all of their friends love pretty pencils.

 

I like the cookie or a small treat idea. Pencils are a good one too. My kids love pencils, I think it because it feels like their own big kid writing utensil. Honestly, in our kids preschool class most parents will just send in a treat for the celebration of the birthday. I think my kids only came home with a goodie bag two times.

One year my friend sent in a small treat bag with 3 Hershey kisses for each child in her son's class.

 

Mini bubbles, you can get 5 packs of matchbox cars cheap right now, tootsie pops, whistles, glow necklaces (dollar store has 12 for $1).

One thing you may consider: Donate books to each preschool room in lieu of bags. Honestly, the other parents will never know it was your kids birthday and you never sent home a goody bag.

 

I used stickers (bought big sheets and cut them into smaller sections), bandaids (2/bag) and pencils last year in my kids goodie bags (and the kids even helped me put them together!).