5 lolly free Christmas ideas for the kid's classmates

My kids all like to give the kids in their class a Christmas card with a little present at the end of the year.

Most of the kids in their class hand out candy canes or chocolates but this is not something I like to do. For one you don’t know about allergies and the kid’s may not be totally aware themselves if they are young and also I don’t like to think of the kids eating all that sugar and then going into class – poor teacher.

I like to do lolly free small gifts and it can certainly still be cheap.

Ornament: You can buy cheap packs of ornaments and you could give one for every child for their tree. One year we bought plain baubles and the kids decorated them with glitter glue for their friends.
Stationary: Pencils, erasers, little note pads, there’s plenty of cheap choices at places like Kmart or a $2 shop.
Stickers: Kids love stickers and you can buy a pack of Christmas stickers or non Christmas and cut up the sheet to give the kids a few each.
Bubbles: Kids all love bubbles and you can buy packs of small bubbles.
Temporary tattoos: Buy a pack of tattoos and cut them up to give the kids.

This year my kids will be giving out Christmas pencils to their classmates, along with a bag of reindeer food which is another great lolly free gift.

What do your kids give to their friends at school?

PLEASE share with us in the comments below

20 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 14 Feb 2022
    12:32 pm
Great ideas. They get so many candy canes thats its lovely to give something else that they can keep.

- - mom93821 said
  - 31 Dec 2018
    1:48 pm
Stationary and stickers are always the way to go!

- - curlytops said
  - 09 Jan 2017
    12:33 pm
some nice ideas here. I like the ornament.

- - Shell24 said
  - 02 Jan 2017
    12:52 pm
As a teacher, I like to give a bauble with their name and the class and Year. A nice reminder of their time in our class. These are all great ideas!

- - ella12 said
  - 12 Dec 2016
    4:20 pm
I agree, I like these ideas better too.

- - rovermum said
  - 12 Dec 2016
    11:41 am
All fantastic ideas. I do love the bauble as a gift as you can personalise them with each child’s name.

- - Ellen said
  - 12 Dec 2016
    2:54 am
Nice ideas !

- - tessie said
  - 11 Dec 2016
    11:37 am
These are very thoughtful ideas.

- - mom101628 said
  - 08 Dec 2016
    8:14 pm
Sounds like a wonderful thing to do – what a great mum you are.

- - mom70876 said
  - 15 Nov 2016
    8:27 pm
Anyone know where you can get these glitter pens to write on baubles… I want to do that this year.

- - june11 said
  - 14 Nov 2016
    12:17 am
Not only do lollies contain too much sugar, some include other ingredients that a child…..or the teacher may be allergic to. It could be the colouring. It could be fruit (some chocolate has orange in it – yes I got a shock when I discovered that – confirmed by the manufacturer – only because my child was ill from gluten free chocolate)……Some lollies contain wheat (just read the ingredients – allergens on the packets. Most young children don’t know which ones contain it. Coelic Disease and Wheat Intolerance can make a child or adult very ill. Children sometimes share lollies with teachers and get offended if the teacher says “no thank you”. I don’t know why the present at school started. Yet another expectancy of children.

- - mom160421 said
  - 12 Nov 2016
    5:53 pm
My daughter has given and received Christmas tree ornaments. It’s really nice when we put up the tree each year to remember all the friends she used to go to school with as we add their ornaments to the tree.

- - Michelle L said
  - 12 Nov 2016
    1:19 pm
Kids don’t need lollies, the more you give them the more they expect. Keep them as the occasional ‘treat’. There are many more thoughtful gifts that cost the same and will last long after the day, and without the sugar rollecoaster.

- - taynik46 said
  - 12 Nov 2016
    9:35 am
i like to make christmas ornaments for my daughters to give to their friends at the end of the year – makes it a bit different to the regular candy canes that everyone gives. I love the idea of no food gifts too and your list of ideas is really good – thank you for sharing

- - mom134803 said
  - 12 Nov 2016
    3:52 am
With 4 kids the cards and gifts for the classmates can become quite dear even when you buy cheap cards and gifts, so we have been doing just cards for the classmates recent years.

- - mom70876 said
  - 11 Nov 2016
    9:20 pm
Wow, thanks! This is my first year having to deal with this… so a great idea. Thanks!

- - mom212537 said
  - 11 Nov 2016
    8:10 pm
Thank you for the suggestions these are great. I have previously given candycanes but considering how many we ended up with last year I will be on the lookout for Christmas tattoos!! Tatoos are ALWAYS a hit! Thanks again

- - mom64356 said
  - 11 Nov 2016
    6:33 pm
Great cheap ideas for your children’s friends, especially if they have heaps!

- - mom112217 said
  - 11 Nov 2016
    5:49 pm
A great Christmas idea to share! Thanks.

- - mom90758 said
  - 11 Nov 2016
    4:53 pm
We generally gave out candy canes, or small Santa chocolates. One year it was Christams themed erasers.