Gift for a childminder

[kerliv]

Our daughter starts school in September so won't be going to our childminder any more. She's been fantastic for the last 2 yrs and I really want to get her a couple of gifts, one from our daughter (i was hoping to find a kids book about childminders that we could write a message in but I can't find one anywhere) and something special but appropriate from us to say thanks. Any ideas would be gratefully received.

[spanner7853]

how about something nice that she can keep, say a bracelet?

[loulou32]

do you happen to have a photograph of your childminder with your daughter? Or how about just one of your daughter in a really nice photoframe. Photos are always a nice gift I think! Or you could get your daughter to do a hand print with the date and her age on it and put that in a picture frame. I did this for my mother with all the grandkids hand prints on it with ages and their names beside each print. Four years on it is so lovely to look at and quite often the kids will measure their hands up to it to see just how much they have grown.

[sense4all]

Apart from your sensible present how about one with earplugs, slippers, an eye mask, paracetemol and a chillout cd. Now she has 'retired' from looking after your little one.

[CiderMonkey]

if she has a garden, how about a tree or bush. When one of the girls my mum used to childmind left she bought my mum a eucalyptus tree which is now huge and my mum says it's a really nicce reminder.

[lynlockwood]

We bought our childminder a set of nice crystal wine glasses after 5 yrs sterling work as well as gift tokens for her teenage boys who were also good with our daughter.

[kerliv]

Thanks everyone, some lovely ideas. I will definitely get my daughter to make something as they did a huge amount of creative activities together so it would be an even more personal touch. And I think she's definitely appreciate the not so sensible suggestion sense4all!

[wildsheep]

How about taking your daughter to one of those paint your own pottery places and get her to paint a mug or something. The childminder will be reminded of her whenever she has a cup of tea.