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FREE LIFE SKILLS SCOPE & SEQUENCE
BLOG: Community based instruction holiday activity for special education (with freebie)

Dollar Store Secret Santa Gift Exchange

Is your class able to take trips in the community?  Here’s the perfect holiday CBI activity and why you should do a secret santa gift exchange with your students!

  • Promotes kindness
  • Age appropriate
  • Opportunity for students to experience the gift of giving (and also receiving a gift!)
  • Opportunity to express interests and likes/wants
  • Opportunity to go out into the community!
  • Practice shopping list skills
  • Practice budgeting skills
  • Practice making transactions in the community
  • Gift wrapping
  • Filling out a holiday card
  • Practice social skills – saying “thank you”, “I love it!”, “It’s just what I wanted.”…etc.
Dollar store secret santa gift exchange for special education students visual learners

We are all on a budget, so going to a dollar store pick items helps keep the budget to a reasonable price!  Set a $5-$10 limit.  Remind students they will also need to budget for purchasing wrapping paper or a gift bag and tax. (Maybe include a card!)  There is also a variety of awesome items to choose from at dollar stores.  I typically ask parents to send in a $5 donation to help cover the cost of the activity.  You can choose to keep the items in the classroom after the exchange, or send them home depending on what they are.  Often times students pick a treat/snack or school supply, so it works out to keep those items in the classroom.

Dollar store secret santa gift exchange for special education students visual learners

Here’s a Visual Secret Santa form for special education students!  Often times I find that my students have a hard time coming up with things they want (to be honest I have a hard time filling out secret Santa questionnaires because I start to draw blanks!)  On the form are common items found at dollar stores; easy to circle and require no writing (except for name).

Want the Visual Secret Santa form?  Click Add to Cart below!

Product Reviews

from special educators

Theresa S.

This resource has been extremely beneficial. I teach students with moderate to severe disabilities who are on a certificate of completion for high school. This resource was helpful in establishing a routine for my students. Students remained engaged and enjoyed many of the activities. The consistency of the warm-ups allow for me to introduce students to working together appropriately and seeking help and support from peers not just teachers. The differentiated levels help save time and support students varying levels. Students remain engaged and it quickly hits on different life skills reviews.
Life Skills Daily Warm Up Worksheets BUNDLE

Christine S.

I love everything about this resource. There are enough activities to last a year. The lectures and digital activities are my favorite with the real photographs. My students are learning and there seems to be enless materials in this bundle. I also love the creative CBI (community based instruction) ideas that go beyond the typical scavenger hunt.
Vocation Units 1-12 Full Year MEGA Bundle + Supplemental Materials

Kaitlyn Dini (TpT Seller)

Adulting Made Easy makes the absolute perfect resources for my Life Skills students who are about to graduate. Her resources teach practical skills that they will use in their lives and they don't view as being too immature for them (which is common in sped). Thank you so much for creating these resources!

Stacey S.

As a teacher new to the role in vocational education, Adulting Made Easy's vocational products work great! It was an easy way for my students to understand various aspects of job searches and employment.   The vocational units saved me a ton of time by not having to create items on my own.

Erica B.

This was awesome to use with both my at-home learners and my in-person learners. I could use specific ones with our weekly theme during my vocational skills class. It was especially great at keeping my at-home kids engaged when I wasn't there to watch them.
 
Independent Skills - Boom Cards & Interactive PDF BUNDLE

Teaching Tiny Bugs (TpT Seller)

My students love using this resource for their morning work. I have many non writing students, so being able to engage in a lesson with them using drag and drop and visual icons is the reason this have become one of my favorite resources this year.
 
Morning Meeting Interactive Slides, Activities and Worksheets