Are you looking for a small thoughtful gift for your volunteers? Do you need a bulk supply with a limited budget? I asked the “I Love KidMin” Facebook Group for help and here is an ever-growing Volunteer Gift Guide. Comment your ideas and they may get added to this post!

Christmas Theme

Annie Double The last two years I did a Movie Night with the Redbox Code and popcorn and that was a huge hit (that’s why I did it 2 years in a row).

Courtney Moseley Kirk Last year I gave each teacher gifts wrap, wrapping tape and a poem I found on Pinterest. I got the best response from them compared to years past. It was inexpensive and practice. https://itsalwayscrafttime.blogspot.com/2010/12/neighbor-gift-idea.html

Image courtesy of ‎Brad Waggoner‎ 

Melody McGuire Christmas socks tied with a ribbon and stuffed with candy.

Dema Kohen Advent Calendar/Daily devotions and activities. Give it every year to the families in our church as part of the Mahger Project activity. (https://www.amazon.com/Journe…/dp/1589978242/ref=sr_1_2…)

Megan McGarvey our staff has a fun photo shoot and makes a Christmas card! We also send a gift card with it. (but people love the pictures)

Jessica Pryer I’m doing fleece throw blankets. I found some for $2.50 a person, and I found Christmas themed ones for a little over $5 at Walmart. There are multiple patterns and colors. Fun present that I wouldn’t mind getting myself.

Melinda Robison We do an ornament every year so less than $1 per person on oriental trading

Dema Kohen Love this set. Bought 10 of these two weeks ago. (https://www.amazon.com/Teeny…/dp/0762460903/ref=sr_1_1…) Comes with a little book too. $8 USD

Kayla Holbrook Ornaments! I like the wooden ones from Christian Book.

Terri Johnson Last year apple cinnamon ornaments! Apple butter, Christmas ornaments, magnets. This yr I am giving a card with a small ornament.

Missy Silassy This is my first year and I’m doing cards with a personal note and ornament for the adult teachers and cards with a note and mustard seed coin for my teen helpers.

Crafts

Mark Jones Our children’s ministry team made this for each of our teachers. I barely had enough barn wood! https://mrmarksclassroom.com/blog/2017/04/18/star-teacher-gift/

Sandra Hiegel Hauenstein Bible tabs from Etsy!!! Biggest hit. Close second gourmet goodies from local shop! https://www.etsy.com/search?q=bible%20tabs

Nikki Steiner I just saw this on Pinterest and thought of this post. It was called Pick A Promise. Placing verses in a jar and rolling them up, then when having a bad day, you can pick one to read. You could do a variation of this with words of encouragement and appreciation from the kids and others in CE at your church.

Glenys Nellist The most meaningful gift was when we took photos of our teachers with the kids and then put them in a simple frame. We wrote something like ‘thanks for making a difference.’ Above everything else, or any gift, I think teachers need to know that they’re making a difference

Shelley Ward I made these Praise Jars for our Pastors and Children’s Leaders too. I decorated mason jars and filled them with inspirational bible verses. I thought this would make a good Christmas gift!

Church Merch

Casey Satterfield Last year we gave a special Seahawks style T-shirt navy blue with green lettering with our kids logo on it with Jesus had 12 men too on the back. It was a hit and requested by our new team members!!

Lynn Peters This year it will be a new T-shirt with our new kids logo and a home baked loaf of pumpkin bread

Activities

Carla Garms Wiederhold This year instead of doing gifts I have asked my leaders if they wanted to serve together at Feed My Starving Children. They love the idea … We have scheduled for January and I will donate the dollars I would have spent to FMSC

Jennifer Rath Scott I’m taking them out to a movie this Sunday. 🙂 Time together is wonderful.

Donations

Katie Storm A donation in their name to world vision

Dean Christianson I started a couple years ago, “purchasing” farm animals for overseas organizations that give them to families to provide a living for them. I write out a card to each of the volunteers and they really seem to enjoy this rather than “getting” something. They seem to buy in to helping someone rather than getting something. https://www.heifer.org/gift-catalog/animals-nutrition/index.html

Shelly Lantz Akins I donate to a local charity in honor of my volunteers. I print out a card and give it to them that a donation was made in honor of the St. Andrew’s volunteers. Then I bake cookies and give them each 4 with the card attached.

Music

Yancy Wideman Richmond I have a lot of churches give my “Roots for the Journey” CD for this.

Carla Champ-Hefner Jumpstart3 Cds Jeff McCullough

Mary Rice Hopkins I will send you CD’s or DVD’s for $5.00 a person plus shipping. Most popular one has sold 1/4 of a million copies. Great deal. Message me.

Books

Becky Wescoat A Journey to Bethlehem: Inspiring Thoughts for Christmas and Hope for the New Year http://a.co/gj1Flel

Theresa Plemmons Reiter The book Simply Pray by Archie Buie. It is the only gift my volunteers thanked me over and over.

Shawn Howell ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas https://www.amazon.com/…/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_9aycAb7XA6M3X

Kimbell Dicken Botto This is awesome. It’s like the rip off calendars but it’s not dated (so you don’t feel bad if you miss a day) Beautifully illustrated and has short story with Bible reference to read more and a couple questions to get families talking. Amazon sometimes has the price as low as $12-15. http://a.co/hClZBlR

Food and Drink

Marta Cortez Two biscotti with a coffee gift card packaged nicely in a reusable Starbucks cup.

Lauren Webb Rtic 30oz tumblers are only $7 right now on their website! Then you can cut a logo or something out of vinyl!!

Lauren Webb I bought the Christmas mini loaf pans from Lifeway. They are on sale right now for $3 each. I’ll bake some kind of bread and wrap them in a cellophane package.

Dana Sartin Find a candy shop or someone who makes. Gourmet Apples. Mine love them!!!

Tom Bump We made a sweet spicy Chex mix. Put in gift bags with a nice card attached. The team loved them. We made 110 bags. Was a lot of work but so worth it. We had 0 budget so I purchased it out of my own pocket.

Andrea Joy Rossignol Homemade fudge or cookies or something like that. It’s likely to be something everyone will enjoy, won’t create clutter in anyone’s house, and you’re giving of yourself rather than something from a store. The downside – you’ll have to MAKE all those treats!

Mandi McKibben I made freezer meals for my volunteers one year…talk about a gift that was appreciated!

Nicole Underwood I made salsa last year for them.

Christine Gerard Garner Wendy’s frosty tag!!! https://davethomasfoundation.org/contribute-through-wendys/

Libby Rinne We made these cute cocoas for our volunteers, cheap and cute!:)

From The Store

Sue Edgerton We like to have teens fill out brief questions about their favorites at the beginning when they serve. Questions like: your favorite soda, your favorite candy, your favorite sport, your favorite color. These come in very handy when wanting to give a little thank you or a Christmas gift.

Jennifer Martin Burks Chick-fil-A calendars, blankets from Kohl’s (add initials for fun), travel mug with logo, anything with church logo really. Maybe a T-shirt with it on there.

Monica Piszczek Bath and Body Works soaps. I got 6 bottles for $19.00. Wrap it in cellophane or tissue and put a bow on them. Who can’t use soap!!!

Kate Sweitzer Wanted to share a truly last minute idea. I have a few young adult volunteers and I’m gifting them these EOS lip balms for Christmas tomorrow.

Other Resources and Sites

Corinne Noble Here are some ideas I have used! https://www.kidmincorinne.com/blog/8-easy-ways-you-can-appreciate-your-volunteers?rq=appreciate%20volunteers

Lori Todd Baker Check out CTA, Inc. They have some very affordable gifts for all occasions. http://www.ctainc.com/

Melody McGuire I go to Harbor Freight and purchase an inexpensive tool tie with ribbon and candy.

Brad Waggoner I am going to do succulents in a fun little container. I haven’t decided on the container yet though…lots of options depending on budget. I get the succulents here…they are great! https://thesucculentsource.com/

Beth Kuhar Welman www.ctainc.com has great nativity-themed products for kids & adults (And seasonal stuff, with devotionals). Also, Oriental Trading has faith-based crafts & goodies.

What would you add to this list? Comment to be added!

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