Gifts for Room Parents

Room parents deserve gifts as special as the classrooms they help create.

In addition to being full-time parents to their own children, room parents donate their time and energy to making the classroom and class experiences as stimulating and fun as possible. Their efforts should be rewarded with a gift that honors them and shows how grateful you are to have their help.

Gift Certificates

Say "Thanks" to your room parent with a card and a gift certificate.

After a school year full of field trips and class parties, give room parents a break with a gift certificate that lets them relax and enjoy themselves. Get to know your room parents throughout the year so you'll have a better idea of what they would like. Bookworms will appreciate a gift card to a bookstore. Worn-out room parents may deserve a gift certificate for a massage or facial. If you have a couple serving as room parents, consider a gift certificate to an elegant restaurant so that they can enjoy a kid-free evening together.

Handmade & Homemade Gifts

You supply the canvas and let the students supply the creativity.

Nothing communicates thoughtfulness and effort like a handmade gift, especially if you let the students take the lead. For room parents who enjoy cooking, have the students decorate an apron. Other options include a large, student-painted blank canvas; decorated rocks, perhaps from the school playground, that are large enough to line a walkway (for the room parent's home or garden); and a T-shirt decorated with each student's hand or footprint. Even a binder full of individual students' artwork presented to the room parent is a touching way to commemorate his involvement in the class. Homemade food is a great way to say "Thank you" to anyone. Try a batch of homemade cookies, a made-from-scratch pie or cake or an invitation to dinner at your home.

Decorative Gifts

An attractive vase will last for years.

A decorative gift will communicate gratitude and help make a room parent's home more attractive and inviting. A colorful vase or an artificial hanging plant, which needs no maintenance beyond the occasional dusting, are perfect gifts for especially busy room parents who may not have time to redeem a gift certificate. Other decorative gifts, such as a wall hanging, a set of throw pillows, some sweet-smelling candles and a picture frame will all add warmth to the room parent's home and be a reminder of your gratefulness for their time and effort.

Sweet Gifts

Tempt your room parent's sweet tooth with a chocolate or two.

Sweets are a relatively inexpensive way to express your thanks, and almost everyone likes them. A box of chocolates and a card work just fine, but you can get more creative and still keep costs down. Find a shoebox and cover it (including the cover) with attractive, colorful wrapping paper. Fill it with a variety of chocolates and candies and purchase a card to go with it. Turn it into a chocolate buffet by inserting small cardboard dividers (two or three are enough) between each type of candy. For the room parent with a sweet tooth and a diet, try a gift basket of fresh-cut fruit or a box of chocolate-covered strawberries.

References

• Rolling Idea: Thank You Gift Ideas
• Great Schools: Teacher Gifts with the Homemade Touch
• The School Run: Say Thank You With Our Teacher's Gift Ideas