Gifts from the Whole Class

Two great ways for the group to say thanks

by Catherine Newman

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Total Time Needed:: 1-2 Hours

Who says money doesn't grow on trees? Sow a giving tree by surrounding a potted plant — we used a schefflera — with a grouping of card stock envelopes shaped like flowers. In the openings, slip gift cards donated by students in the class, then ask each contributor to write a short thank-you note on theirs.

Or, for an all-natural way to say thanks for helping kids thrive, you can give a crate of flower bulbs.

Materials

FOR THE GIVING TREE:
Needle-nose pliers
Floral wire (we used 18-gauge)
Card stock
Envelope template
Glue

Houseplant
FOR THE CRATE OF BULBS:
Flower bulbs
Gardening supplies (gloves, trowel)
Old fruit box

Instructions

SOW A GIVING TREE: To make each stem, use the pliers to bend the end of a length of floral wire into a spiral.
For the envelope, download our template. Fold the card stock, then trace and cut out a flower, as shown. Glue the edges to form a pocket.
Push the stems into the soil and add a flower with a gift card to each.
GIVE A CRATE (OR A BARREL!) OF BULBS: Ask each student to bring in two or three summer-blooming flower bulbs, such as dahlias or gladiolas. Pack the bulbs — along with gardening gloves, a trowel, and a gift card to a garden center — in an old fruit box or the like. A teacher can't help but remember the class when the flowers bloom.