Special Gifts by Special Kids
8:21 AM
It can be a
challenge finding the perfect gift for students to take home to their parents,
especially if your students have special needs. You want it to be something
that they made themselves, but not something that looks babyish or
age-inappropriate. When working with older students with severe disabilities,
finding an appropriate craft can be especially difficult.
When I worked
with middle school aged students with low functioning autism, I found myself
faced with this dilemma every year.
Students with disabilities should be able to create something to take
home to their parents, but what? Their gifts need to be on par with their
needs, but also age appropriate.
Many teachers
find themselves limited to preschool level crafts… adorable, but not really
appropriate for older students. Or they’ll take on more complicated crafts more
suitable to older kids… but then they end up doing most of it themselves. Sound
familiar? If it’s the student’s name going at the top of the paper, then it
should probably be the student doing most of the craft.
I’ve come up
with a few ideas, some of which I’ve done with my classes and some I’ve come
across on Pinterest and elsewhere. If you have more homemade gift ideas for
students with special needs, please share them in the comments. I’m sure we can
all benefit from each other’s ideas.
Seed Paper
Thank you
Pinterest for this idea. The idea of it is that you recycle paper by breaking
it down into a mush, add seeds, press it into the shape of your choice and end
up with a new piece of paper that can be planted!
I did this craft at home with
my two sons, aged 4 and 6 so I can tell you first hand that it is totally
doable.
Here’s how
you make Plantable Seed Paper:
- Tear paper into tiny pieces. You can use a shredder if you have one.
- Soak your paper overnight.
- Scoop your paper out with a flour sifter or slotted spoon.
- Blend your paper into a pulp mixture.
- Add seeds and gently mix in (Don’t blend the seeds).
- Scoop pulp out and press into your desired shape, using cookie cutters if you have them.
- Blot, blot, blot. Have lots of towels ready to press and soak up all of the extra water from your paper shapes.
- Dry your paper shapes as much as possible. Flip them over after a few hours to dry the bottom. We let ours dry for two days, flipping them over a few times to dry them evenly.
And that’s
it! You can thread a ribbon through the top of your paper shape to create an
ornament if you like. You can write a nice message on your paper or give it as
is. Your recipient can then plant the paper and grow flowers (or whatever type
of seeds you mixed in)! This one is a Pinterest win!
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Or chocolate
covered anything. I used to bring an electric griddle to my classroom to heat
up a bowl of chocolate melts off to the corner of the room. I invited students
over one by one to pick up their pretzels using tongs and dip them into the
melted chocolate. Then we’d lay them out on wax paper to cool.
Later we'd pop them into cellophane bags and tie them off with pretty ribbon. The kids enjoyed making them and the parents seemed happy receiving them. This one was always popular!
Plants
Okay, this
one probably isn’t that original. You’ve probably painted pots and plopped
seeds or something into them many times before. But hear me out.
What if
instead of the usual bright colored paints and usual flowers we made it a
little more sophisticated. How about adding some burlap and ribbon to the pot
with some pretty succulents instead?
Succulents can be expensive if you’re buying
them one by one, but if you get a couple and let them grow, they will multiply
like crazy and you’ll have tons to give away. I was gifted a pot of hen and
chick succulents a few years ago and now I have HUNDREDS of happy little
succulents everywhere all over my yard. I don’t even have enough pots to
contain them all! If succulents wouldn’t work well where you’re from, find a
pretty plant that grows well in your area and go with that. For example, air
plants would be perfect for this project if you’re from the Florida area.
I gave these succulents to my sons' teachers on Teacher Appreciation Day. Just switch out the ribbon to suit the occasion. Off white lacy ribbon always looks classy with burlap. On a side
note, if shabby chic décor is your thing, you might be into my burlap and ribbon classroom labels.
Okay, so this
one is a little younger than the others, but it’s a resource in my TPT shop, so we’re including it.
And who doesn’t love a super cute calendar anyway? It’s a calendar resource that
features fingerprint crafts along with a seasonally fitting poem.
I love this because you end up creating something that parents will treasure and it even
incorporates some language arts. Bonus: It’s super cost effective. You just buy
it once and get yearly updates for life.
Napkin Rings
I’ve never
done this one, but it looks simple. Basically you just string beads, tie it
off, and you’re done. You could even make your own beads out of clay if you are
so inclined. The only drawback to this one is that I’m not sure if parents of
nonverbal children would know what they are unless you sent home a note. But it’s
a cute idea and appropriate for any age.
When working
with students with severe disabilities, we need to be sensitive to their needs
without giving them activities geared towards babies. It can be tricky finding
ideas, but they’re out there. I tend to search for crafts and DIY that are not necessarily
designed with kids in mind. And from those, I look at the ones that look simple
enough to do with children with limited cognitive or motor skills. Then I
narrow it down more and choose the ones that look cost effective enough to do
with a whole class. If you have more ideas, I’d love to hear them! Share them
in the comments below or on my Facebook or Instagram.
Oh, and if
you’re in the gift giving mood, I also have these GoodyBag Toppers, perfect for class gifts! Fill a Ziploc bag with treats,
fold the Goody Bag Topper over, staple, and done. Easy and it looks cute. Get them here.
I hope this holiday season bring you stress- free fun with your loved ones!
Visit my blog at https://teachingexceptionalthinkers.com/ for more fun teaching ideas!
by Christy from Exceptional Thinkers
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