How To Help Kids Keep In Touch With Amazing Friends

I can barely believe it, but #thelittleone wrapped up his time at preschool last week! He’s been attending the same daycare for about 2 years now, but is now moving on to prekindergarten at a ‘real’ school in our local district. While my kiddo is beyond excited for the change, he’s also a bit reluctant to leave some of his best buddies behind. To reassure him that we would do our best to stay in touch with his ‘old’ friends, I put together a cute, simple gift that is perfect to help kids keep in touch with all of their amazing friends. Keep reading to check it out!

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HOW TO HELP KIDS KEEP IN TOUCH WITH AMAZING FRIENDS

A Gift For amazing Friends

This gift idea is actually an updated version of something I originally put together 5 years ago, when #thebigone was leaving the same daycare facility. It’s pretty clear that I’ve always been a punny, crafty sort of mama. I decided to create a free printable this time around, so others can recreate the idea easily – and let’s be honest, so it’s simple to put together when #thelastone is heading off to pre-k in a few years as well! (Work smarter, not harder, right?!)

I find that once you hit elementary school, most teachers put together a class ‘friendship list’ with parent names, contact info, etc. That often is not the case at preschools, nursery schools, daycare centers, and some other extracurricular groups for young kids. These sweet, simple little gifts are the perfect way to get your info to the other parents while adding a little touch of ‘extra’ fun for the children.

Supplies:

• Free printable maze gift toppers.
  • These print 2 to a page, so please plan accordingly.
  • They fit well on bags that are about 5″ wide.
• Scissors.
• Cellophane gift bags.
• Stapler.
• Staples.
• Small plastic mazes.
• Marker or pen.

Instructions:

1. First, gather all necessary supplies.
2. Second, use scissors to cut out each bag topper.
   
3. Third, fold each bag topper in half horizontally, creating the front and the back of each topper.
   
4. Next, add a signature and any other relevant information to the back half of each bag topper.
   1. I signed my son’s name, and included some basic contact info for both my husband and myself. (Cell phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc.)
   2. Don’t forget to include mom or dad’s first names! Chances are good you haven’t been introduced to all the class parents. No one wants to just be texting ‘Amy’s mom’, so if you include your first name, it helps break the ice right from the start!
      
5. Place one small maze in each clear gift bag.
   
6. Close a bag topper over the open end of one bag.
   1. Fold the bag over, or trim it down a bit if it seems too large for your maze and/or topper.
      
7. Secure the topper in place and close the bag by stapling each side of the topper together.
   
8. Share your goodies with friends on the last day of preschool.
   
9. Don’t forget to check your emails and texts for playdate invitations in the weeks ahead!
   

Grab Your Printables:

• Blue maze gift toppers.
• Red maze gift toppers.
• Green maze gift toppers.

How do you help your kids keep in touch with friends they may not see as often anymore? Share your tips and ideas with me in the comments below!