Every December, I loved helping my kindergartners plan & create homemade gifts for their families. We made handprint wreaths and salt dough ornaments with their adorable school photos attached using Modge Podge and glitter. Students loved having a gift to present to their families on Christmas morning (or the day school was out, as many were too anxious to wait) and families treasured these keepsakes.
Remote Learning keepsake
This year, many of us have students learning from home, making it tricky to create these physical keepsakes to send home as gifts. My first graders will still be making a special gift for their families to treasure, albeit a digital keepsake. Using WriteReader, students will create gift books for their families. I love that WriteReader is so simple for my students to use, no matter the device they have at home. Students can search and use images from the holiday copyright free photo collection (image bank), or upload their own photos and drawings.
Ideas for gift book themes
Here are some book theme ideas:
- Family Traditions for the Holidays
- My Family is the Best Because …
- World’s Best Mom/Dad/Sibling
- The Best Holiday Ever
- Their own twist on ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”
Students learning from home can personalize their books by adding real photos of their family members, Christmas tree, pets, favorite toys, etc. Students love taking photos of things that are important to them, and their families will love how personal these stories are.
Sharing opportunities
These books can easily be shared with families for the holidays by downloading as a PDF, or sharing a link. The PDFs can be printed, assembled and wrapped to put under the tree!
My first graders will be posting to Seesaw, and I will approve and publish when I want their families to see them (to keep the surprise)! QR Code Tip: If you plan to create a physical gift with your students, consider downloading the QR code from your Seesaw post. This QR code could be attached to an ornament, piece of festive artwork, or printed copy of their book, and families will be able to scan to see and hear the student’s WriteReader story!
Happy Holidays!