9 Memorable Gift Ideas - Article.
So there is a child in your ministry going through a tough time? Maybe there is a birthday looming.. you want to get them a gift that will show them that you care, without showing your ministry budget the meaning of the phrase, ‘in the red’. Here are 9 memorable gifts you can give your students on their without breaking the budget.
1. Art supplies: almost all kids enjoy crayons, markers, stickers, colored pencils, gel pens, special papers and scissors, sidewalk chalk, water colors, homemade rubber stamps, “how to draw” books calligraphy instructions, or origami instructions and colored paper. Art supplies guarantee the creative side of your students will emerge from the vacuum of TV.
2. Books are always great gifts for any age: you can get musical or squeaky books for the little ones, short stories for preschoolers, adventure books for 9-11 year olds, and so on: there is a book for every taste. With a quick phone call to mum find out their interests, books about jobs and careers and hook them up with something valuable.
3. A classic movie, which never goes out of style, great for when friends come over, or on that day when they are bored and nothing else could help. Skip the new releases and head for the discount rack. Make sure to sign the DVD with a marker to make sure they never forget who gave it to them!
4. For older boys, a tool kit would be great: gives them the opportunity to work side by side with dad. This is brilliant for those with Dads in a trade… they get to connect with Dad, or even the son of an accountant… THEY get to connect with… tools (boys like tools right?)
5. For older girls, beads could mean hours of fun. Sit down with them and create a masterful bracelet creation.
6. To the chef in the house, give a roll of sugar cookie dough from the grocery store, along with a couple of cookie cutters, and a rolling pin. You could even stick around to cook it with them… and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
7. For the nature lover, a gardening kit with a couple of small pots filled with potting soil, some seeds, and a plastic watering can give countless hours of fun, while caring for the plants, and watching them grow.
8. A disposable camera will give that photography a chance to blossom. Offer to develop the photos for the student if they bring it to church with them on the weekend. Add a small picture album, and you’ve instantly created wonderful memories.
9. Children crave attention from important people in their lives, (mom, dad, grandparent, aunt, older sibling). Give that special child the gift of time: a day out with you complete with lunch, a movie, and/or shopping for the gift of their choice.
These ideas are brilliant when you need to just hang out with a student. For example, turning up at their house holding cookie dough creates an easy 40 minutes of hang out time waiting for the dough to cook. And the student knows how long you are going to hang out for and takes away any awkward ‘How long do I have to stay for?’ moments.
Enjoy these tips and let me know any great stories you get from trying them!
This is a great list! Another idea for your consideration: Last year I taught a grade six girl and her father died in a car accident. The first class we had after that, I gave each of her classmates a piece of paper and markers and they could either draw a picture or write something for her. Some kids drew happy pictures to cheer her up, others wrote poems about their favourite memories of her father (a popular guy at church) and one boy wrote of his own feelings when his father died three years ago. Then, I compiled all the pages into a book, had it bound, and gave it to her at the visitation. This is a great, personal reminder to a kid that their peers are thinking about and praying for them.
Another idea, perhaps for a long “sick spell” or a hospital visit, is to videotape classmates’ (and maybe pastors’/leaders’, too!) greetings, special messages, and perhaps some of the Sunday School program, as well. Then, you can take the tape to the child and watch it with them. Again, this is a nice reminder to the child that their friends care about them.