With the festivity of the holiday season and winter break coming up next week, it’s time to get your gifts ready. Students and teachers are looking for meaningful items or experiences to give to friends and family, ones that don’t feel last-minute, even if they are. If you are in search of the perfect item, these gift ideas are here to help.
For some students, the best gifts are handmade.
“The best gift that I have ever received from a friend was paper flowers because I know that paper flowers take a while to make,” ninth-grader Athena Weyer said. “And she took the time to make them.”
She shared that presents made by hand stand out because they reflect intention, sincerity and thoughtfulness.
Weyer likes to give comfort items.
“My go-to gift when I am not sure what to get someone is a blanket or a nicely scented candle,” Weyer said.
Other comfort items to gift include slippers, sleep masks and stuffed animals. Weyer says socks are a fun option, recalling a time she got a pair of socks with magnets that could “hold hands.”
Junior Emmy Stewart approaches the season with a focus on simpler gifts.
“I love a good heartfelt letter,” Stewart said.
She considers personality and hobbies when choosing what to get.
“Gift cards are great. But anything that really speaks to the recipient’s interests or personality is best.” Stewart said.
Not every friend buys presents. Depending on the student, the pressure can feel unnecessary, especially when the most meaningful parts of friendships come from elsewhere.
A pair of handmade earrings was one of the most surprising gifts Stewart received, showing how creativity can make a small item more special.
Sophomore An Sen Wang has a similar view on presents during the holiday season.
“Usually, I cook or bake things for family members,” Wang said. “A personal gift is going to be a lot more impactful than a piece of clothing or a gift card someone doesn’t really need or want.”
He often opts for fewer material gifts.
“My close friends and I don’t really do gifts, honestly,” Wang said. When they do give gifts, they are usually “along the lines of a gift card or a good book.”
Among the friend groups that do plan holiday gift swaps, there can be many ways to format them. White elephant gift exchanges and Secret Santa are common choices. With many holiday activities moving online lately, these exchanges have evolved from slips of paper to online apps.
“I’ve done a gift exchange in the past where we pulled names out of a hat to decide who gave gifts to who, but this year we are using an app called Elfster,” sophomore May Williams said.
The free gift exchange generator keeps everything organized and can be used to make holiday wish lists. Williams and her friends are planning to each get Jellycat plushies for one another.
