Before I begin today's post, I would like you to watch a video. This little girl's reaction to a simple gift is inspiring. I hope you'll take the 55 seconds to watch it.
Gift giving doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Some of the most meaningful can cost little to no money. And I've learned over the years that children have a greater appreciation for thoughtful gifts than we give them credit for. This little girl is a perfect example.
Our students' holiday recital is this Saturday and in addition to being proud teacher I will also be emcee, caterer, director of our grand finale, and Chief Elf (aka gift maker & giver).
I like giving my students something tangible after a recital. It's one thing to walk away from a performance with a feeling and another to walk away with a feeling and something to remind you of that experience.
Over the years, recital gifts have been anywhere from $4-$10 per student. At each time, the cost wasn't a big deal because I didn't have that many students. I also didn't have to pay for the recital hall or the reception food because we held it at a student's house and the parents all chipped in for a potluck, which opened up more resources for gift giving.
More recently, student gifts have cost less, have been DIY, and have ended up having more meaning to the kids because they know more thought was put into it's creation. Now with an even greater number of students and more recital expenses, I've had to get all the more creative with my resources.
I have a Keurig at the academy that anyone who walks in the door is welcome to use. The most popular beverage by far with kids & parents is hot chocolate.
I decided to take advantage of this knowledge and make "snowman soup packets" for Saturday's recital gift. Thank you Pinterest!
Here's a breakdown of what you need and their price:
- Cello/Cookie Bags - $1.99 for 20 at The Christmas Tree Shops (I bought 2 bags) = $0.10/bag
- Candy Canes - $1 for a box of 12 at most stores (I bought 3 boxes) = $0.08/candy cane
- Hot Chocolate Packets - $5 for 60 packets at BJs = $0.08/packet
- M&Ms - $2.88 for 1-11.4 ounce bag at Walmart = $0.12/serving*
- Mini Marshmallows (I bought 3 bags) - $1 per bag at ShopRite $0.07/serving
- Poem printed on paper - I can't really estimate how much this will cost as the paper and ink costs will vary from person to person.
Receipt Grand Total = $17.86
Packet Grand Total = roughly $0.45
(* The total per serving is $0.36 and I used about 1/3 a serving for each soup packet)
These packets were quick & easy to make with ingredients that can be found in almost any store.
One thing that I've found to be extremely important when giving recital gifts: Never forget the siblings!
I know it may seem excessive or unnecessary, but a small gesture to students' siblings goes a long, long way. This recital they're getting Treble Clef Candy Canes.
These guys have been a bit more challenging to make...which is also why my post is later than usual :) ... hopefully I'll be done before Saturday!
I'm really excited to give these gifts to my students & their siblings! I'll let you know how they went over next week.
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