Alternative to sending Christmas cards at school, any ideas ?

[mumto2andnomore]

We have been talking at my school (primary ) about doing something as an alternative to the children sending hundreds of cards to eachother as they usually do. Maybe getting them all to sign something ? Do your schools do anything like that ?

How do you think the parents would react, I would be pleased not to have to buy loads of cards and get my children to write them, plus it would be better for the environment.

I would love this idea but you will prob get some who send cards in anyway.
Perhaps instead of making a card for home like schools usually do they could make a card and have it signed by the rest of the class.

World Vision do a scheme I linked some details here. You could have one giant card per class.

At my school (secondary) an art class painted a huge Christmas tree, and staff pay £5 to write a greeting bauble to hang on the tree. The cash then goes to a local hospice.

We have a notice board and you just pin one card for the whole school and put some money in the charity box.

Secret Santa?

I think it's a great idea. Some parents and children will love it, some will hate it.

Thanks, I think most of the children will go for it but you cant please everyone ! Some nice ideas there I will see if we can sort something out.

It sounds a brilliant idea.

The additional problem faced as they get older is wanting to buy presents for lots of friends too. Last year I refused to buy into this whole thing and instead we did cheapo mugs with a sachet of hot chocolate, a little handful of baby marshmallows and a chocolate spoon. Am still trying to think how to get round it this year!

When I had a year 7 tutor group, we had a JW who didn't celebrate Christmas, and I didn't want her left out, so we decided not to do cards, but to contribute a couple of pounds each (less than you'd pay for 35+ cards), and we paid for school lunches for a day for a school in Africa and bought a goat for somewhere else. The cards and photos sent by Christian Aid went up on the tutor group notice board with a notice saying, we've made a difference to someone.

DD2s school did something similar last year. Children contributed what they would have spent on cards and they bough Oxfam unwrapped gifts. There were still some cards sent, but not the same as usual. Janeite, I agree the whole buying presents thing for friends is so difficult. Apart from the cost it's so easy to leave someone out, so DD2 comes home with a gift from someone we haven't bought for. Also, one of her friends Mums thinks nothing of spending £30 on childrens birthday presents, so we always end up looking tight!
DD1 and her friends all agreed to do a secret Santa last year, so that was better.

Secret Santa is a good idea.

Or would it be really mean to just bake cookies and wrap them up nicely for each of their friends?

It's not that we can't afford to spend the money on presents, it's just I think it's silly for the girls to buy a whole load of bathbombs etc which they wrap up and exchange for another whole load of bathbombs etc iykwim! And it's so environmentally unfriendly too.

a poster they all make together? or one for each class maybe

i didnt send any to, well anyone really, last year, but relevent to this conv, i didnt do school ones, then felt a bit guilty when dozens of the sodding things came in wave after wave in the book bags.
has just occured to me to pre-empt things this year and make/buy one large card for each boy to address to his whoile class and teacher and take in... then they can do whatever they want with it, and its only 3 cards, not 300,0000

dd loves making xmas cards for her friend , I won't be encouraging her not to. she sends about 10 or so