Gift Baskets
Theme gift baskets make great raffle items for a school fundraising event. Each classroom or grade (depending on the size of your classrooms) can put together a themed gift basket to be raffled off. Our basket ideas work for any contribution level. These can be done a few different ways:
- The PTO supplies an identical large basket, cellophane, and ribbon to each classroom. The classroom follows a theme and the school parents contribute items for the gift basket. These are generally low dollar items ($5-10); or
- Designate a classroom parent(s) to collect contributions and assemble the contributions for the classroom. Basket items can be paid for by monetary contributions made by the school parents (i.e. $5, $10, $15), donations from local merchants, or a combination of the two.
Rather than place the actual gift card or certificate in the gift basket, we recommend typing up a separate certificate card indicating the value of the certificate. Actual certificates can be given out later to the prize winner.
Because raffles are a type of lottery, there are laws that govern this type of fundraising. We recommend you first review our Raffles section for more complete information on conducting a raffle.
Following are some of our favorite ideas. You are welcome to distribute this list to school parents to give them ideas. We only ask that you reference the PTO Ideas name and page link (http://ptoideas.com/category/10/Gift_Baskets)on the re-printed copy as specified in our Terms of Use.
GIFT BASKET THEMES
Family Game Night: Board games, deck of cards, video games (i.e. plug & play games, V-Smile, GameBoy, GameCube, Playstation, etc.), tickets to sporting events (professional, college, high school), gift certificate to local establishments (bowling, ice skating, roller skating), gift certificates to local take-out pizza.
The Ultimate Medieval Castle Party: Include everything you need to throw a themed party for 12 children. Purchase our own Budget Bashes: Children's Theme Parties on a Budget - The Ultimate Medieval Castle Party and include this ebooklet in your basket. We made this basket for our Spring Auction. Here's what we included with only $60 to work with...
We also would have liked to include candlesticks & candles, cake mix, frosting, candles, colored tissue paper to make torches and an imitation fire for the fireplace.
 
Picture This: Around the holidays, many stores offer 3"x3" frame ornaments. Decorate an entire tree with these. Digital camera, photo albums, larger frames, photo printer, photo paper, photo storage boxes, gift certificate to a framing store, gift certificate for film developing, scrapbook and scrapbook accessory kits. Exposures offers many of these quality items and free shipping on orders over $125.
When I Grow Up I Want To Be:
Car Design Workshop(HearthSong.com, $24.95),
Be a Fashion Designer (HearthSong.com, $24.95),
Be an Interior Designer (HearthSong.com, $24.95),
Be an Architect (Highlights.com, $78.98),
School Days Set(Highlights.com, $32.98),
sewing machine, doctors kit, veterinarian kit, baking kit, cooking & food set, workbench & toolbox, puppet theatre. Many of these can be purchased at your local toy or discount department store or view catalogs online such as MagicCabin.com, Hearthsong, or Highlights.com.
 
Let's Dress: Costumes of all types & sizes (infant to adult), Santa & Mrs. Claus suit, snowman decorating kit, holiday aprons, baker's hat, gift certificate to local clothing shop/mall, men's ties, scarves, work gloves, baseball hat, cowboy hat. Many of these can be purchased at your local party supply store or view online companies such as MagicCabin.com, Hearthsong, ToysToGrowOn (TTGO.com), or the Disney store.
Four Seasons: Spring - gardening tools from small to large rakes & shovels, flower bulbs, gift certificates to a local nursery, florist, or home improvements store, vacuum cleaner, gift certificate to a cleaning company to spring clean windows. Summer - beach & pool toys, beach towel, barbecue tools, grill, picnic basket, gift certificate for a nights stay at the beach or lake. Fall - rakes, wheelbarrel, scarecrow, apple cider mix, halloween costumes & decorations, Thanksgiving Day decorations, gift certificate to a New England or mountainous resort to view the foliage, gift certificate for a local landscaper for residential fall clean-up, leaf-blower, outdoor portable fireplace. Winter - snow shovel, holiday decorations & lights, a gift certificates to ski resort, hockey game, or for home heating oil, blanket, DVD player & movies, sled, snowboard, skis, snowshoes.
Beach Party: Fill a sandbox or kiddy pool with beach & pool toys and floats, boat, lawn & beach chairs, volleyball net & ball, sandbox trucks, surf board, snorkel, swim mask & flippers, gift certificate to a beach or lake resort, gift certificate to a water park.
Road to Reading: Bookcase (a two-shelf bookcase is approximately $30-40 at your local home improvement or discount department store), books for all ages and interests (infants, beginning readers, chapter books, classics, mystery, romance), cook book, atlas, wall maps, globe (approx. $10 at your local discount department store), magazine & newspaper subscriptions, computer games & reference materials (i.e. online encyclopedia), gift certificate to local bookstore, LeapPad Learning System (approx. $40), phonics products & games, chalkboard, Let's Play School kit (TTGO.com, $39.95), flashcards, journal, clock, cash register.
Ultimate Tailgate: Gas grill with tank, Charcoal grill with charcoal, folding table & chairs, cooler, radio or boombox, walkie talkies, gift certificate to a grocery store (steaks, hotdogs, hamburgers, etc.).
Pampered Mom: Lotions, soaps, shampoo & conditioner, candles, plush bathrobe and bath towels, books or a gift certificate to a book store, gift certificate to a local spa (massage, facial, nails, hair), gift certificate for an overnight stay, gift certificate for an evening out to dinner or a prepared dinner delivered to your home, CD player and soothing/relaxation CDs, gift certificate to the mall for a day of shopping.
 
Backyard Fun: Kiddy pool or sandbox filled with volleyball or badmitten net, horsehoe, bocci, or crochet set, any type of sporting equipment (see Sports), bicycle, scooter, rollerblade pads, lawn chair, frisbee, skate board & ramp, archery set, pogo stick, sprinkler, Slip & Slide water slide, swing set (metal swing sets range from $100-$300), tire swing (MagicCabin.com, $89.95), boat for pool, trucks for sandbox, teepee, fantasy canopy (MagicCabin.com, $89.95; Hearthsong,$74.95), parachute, jump rope, hammock, butterfly net, sidewalk chalk.
Team Spirit: Sports items representing your state's professional and college teams. Apparel such as hats, helmets, and jerseys, Equipment such as football, baseball, baseball bat, soccer ball,etc. (autographed if possible). Framed photographs, tickets to a game. See Special Events: Team Spirit Night Out for a links to locate your local teams.
Home Improvement: Tool box, tools, paint brushes, rollers, paint scrapers, paint buckets, sander, drill, jigsaw, wheel barrel, trash barrel, shovel, rake, broom, sprinkler, hose, mailbox, leaf blower, weed whacker, freestanding shelving unit (metal or plastic), extension cord, light bulbs, batteries (AA or 9V for smoke detectors), gift certificate to local nursery or home improvement store, gift certificate for an afternoon of landscaping.
Party Time: Include everything you need to throw a themed party for 15 children. Purchase one of our Theme Party Ideas and include this booklet in your basket. Then include themed decorations, paper plates, cups, napkins, plastic silverware, balloons, helium tank, candles, invitations, thank you notes, linens or paper tablecloths, wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift tags, ribbon, cameras, serving trays & bowls, aluminum foil. Make gift bags and fill them with candy and small toys related to the party theme. Actually make up a few of the decorations yourself (i.e for an Old West Party include a teepee or tent and make the campfire according to the instructions; for a Medieval Castle Party make the coat of arms banners and torches to decorate the "castle"). Include or make a a few items for the games & activities (i.e. for the Amazon Expedition party include a box of expedition supplies - water, binoculars, hats, survival packs; for the Medieval party make knights costumes). You may also want to include a certificate for two volunteers to help setup or clean-up the party. You will get hundreds of ideas for this basket from our party booklets!
 
Movie Night: Portable DVD player, home DVD player, DVD movies, popcorn, candy, gift certificate to the movie theatre, video rental store, and dinner at a restaurant.
Automotive: Gift certificate for oil change, gas card, car wash, or to the local auto parts store, car mats, car cleaners, wash bucket, car sponge, shammie, jumper cables, blanket, sunglasses, map book, portable DVD player, washer fluid.
Gardening: Wheel barrel, gardening tools (rake, shovel, hoe), gloves, hose, sprinkler, flower bulbs, window boxes, planters (glass, metal, plastic), lawn ornaments, garden bench, solar lawn lights, gift certificate to local garden shop/nursery.
Holidays: Decorations for every holiday. Plan early and shop after-holiday sales.
Toy Chest: Toy box filled with toys for all ages. Board games, video games, racetracks & cars, trucks, train tracks & trains, stuffed animal, doll, pots, children's pans, dishes, & appliances, pretend food, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, Legos, gift certificate to a toy store.
 
We Got The Beat: CDs of every kind - rock, pop, country, holiday, kids bop, classical. Radio/CD Player, Clock Radio, iPod, MP3 Player, CD case, kareoke machine, wireless microphone, music books, drum sticks, harmonica, tamborine, flute, drums, keyboard, guitar, or other instruments. Gift certificate to a music or electronics store. Gift certificate for lessons (piano, drum, etc.).
Trains: Train engines, boxcars, and caboose. Train tracks and accessories. Polar Express movie (visit Target.com or BarnesandNoble.com).
Baker's Dozen: Include items for pretend play and Mom's kitchen. Children's Kitchen - Kitchen sink/stove/refrigerator, baking pans, apron, baker's hat, oven mit, dishes, play food. Mom's Kitchen - Mixer, toaster, blender, under-the-counter radio, small kitchen TV, serving spoons, measuring cups, measuring spoons, spatula, wisk, pie cutter, cutting board, apron, dish towel, recipes, recipe cards, recipe box, rolling pin, cookie cutters, cookie sheet, muffin pan, gift certificate to Crate & Barrel or William Sonoma.
Toy Treasures: Pick a single type of toy and decorate with many sets of it - Legos, Lincoln Logs, Disney Fairies, MegaBlocks, Barbie dolls. Gift certificate to a toy store.
International Basket: Make this a basket of items from one particular country or several different countries. The basket can be featured around the countries the students discussed in class during the year. For example, offer an Italian Dinner basket that features boxes of pasta, sauce, large pot to boil pasta, baking pan to bake lasagna, serving spoons, Italian breadsticks, gift certificate to an Italian restaurant or for pizza, apron, pot holder, red wine, recipes. Or, a Mexican basket that features chips & salsa, taco kit, Mexican cookbook, serving tray, bright colored table linens and dishes to have a fiesta, hanging lanterns, sombrero, magharita mix & glasses, and a gift certificate to a Mexican restaurant.
Build a Bigger World: clay, Playdough, model kits, puzzles, Legos, blocks, Lincoln Logs, doll house kit, bird house kit, tool box with kids tools, tool belt, toy power tools, workbench, beach toys to build a sandcastle, snow toys to build an igloo, Knex, 3-D puzzles, Playmobile.
All Sports: All types of sporting equipment. Baseball glove, bat, baseball bases, home plate, pitcher mound, hockey stick, hockey/soccer nets, basketball net, volleyball net, fishing pole, skate board, tennis racket, baton, field hockey stick, lacrosse stick, balls for baseball, football, soccer, volleyball, tennis, and hockey. Gift certificates to sporting events (professional, college, high school), local batting cages or race tracks, for swim lessions at the local youth center.
Man's Best Friend: Dog care items such as collar, leash, food & water bowls, poopper scooper, crate, gift certificate to a pet store, chew toys, dog biscuits.
Stationary Note cards, stationary sheets, envelopes, holiday cards, stamps, pens, journals.
Everything Chocolate Boxes of chocolate, chocolate sundae sauce, ice cream scoop, ice cream bowls, cherries, chocolate sprinkles, hot chocolate, white hot chocolate (see Simple Craft Ideas for homemade recipe), mugs, marshmallow, spoons, chocolate & white chocolate pudding, gift certificate to a chocolate shop or for a sundae at an ice cream shop.
Lottery Tickets: Lottery tickets of all types.
Starry, Starry Night: Telescope, glo-in-the-dark ceiling stars, spaceship, space shuttle, planatarium light, flashlight, moonwalk (or a gift certificate for a 1-day rental of a moonwalk for a birthday), gift certificate to the plantarium.
Halloweentown: Halloween costumes & accessories, witches hat, masks, imitation spider webs, loot bag, black & orange lights, door & window decorations, cauldron, capes, candy, halloween music, black & orange placemat, table runner, table cloth, halloween cups, napkins, plates.
School Supplies: School supplies including chalkboard with eraser & chalk, desk, bookcase, summer reading books, workbooks, pencils, pens, paper, construction paper, erasers, protractor, calculator, ruler, crayons, markers, notebooks, binders. Find all school supplies at Office Depot.
Backyard Barbecue: Gas or charcoal grill, charcoal, grill utensils, apron, lighter, gift certificate to a meat market.
Car Wash: Bucket, soap, cotton rags, chamois, brush, sponges, paper towels, glass cleaner, Armor All cleaner, car wax, air freshener, gift certificate for 5 car washes.
Arts & Crafts: Paint, colored pencils, markers, frames, canvas, craft idea book, gift certificate to a craft/art supply store.
Sew Simple: Sewing machine, thread, instruction manual, yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, needles, common pins, safety pins, gift certificate to a fabric store.
Safety First: Safety products for the home and car. Plug covers, flashlight, battery operated motion detector light, window alarms, jumper cables, car air compressor.
Fish Tales: Fishing rod & reel, fishing line, tackle box, fish tank, fish food, colored rocks and fish tank accessories, vest & hat, gift certificate to purchase fish.
Aspiring Author: Journals, notecards, stationery, envelopes, pens, pencils, dictionary, lap desk, laptop computer.
Rainy Day Relaxation: Board games, cards, crossword puzzles, movies, DVD player, pillow, blanket, soup, tea, cookie making kit, book.
Mr. Clean: cleaning supplies, glass cleaner, polish, white vinegar, vacuum cleaner, Dust Buster, mop, broom, Swifter Sweeper, dust cloths, sponges, air freshener, gift certificate to a cleaning service, window cleaning service, carpet cleaning, or chimney sweep.
Camping Crew: Tent, kayak, canoe, portable grill, lighter, sleeping bag, cooler, ice packs, s'mores (marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate), bug spray, gift certificate to a camping/hunting store like LL Bean, Cabella's, Eastern Mountain Sports, etc.
Guy's Night: Small TV, poker tabletop, poker chips, cards, chip & dip platter along with chips & dip, cigars, beer mugs, coasters, tickets to a sports event.
Birthday Party: Two sets of party supplies - one for a girl's birthday and a boy's birthday. Balloons, cake pan, cake mixes, frosting, cake toppers, cupcake pan, cupcake cups, theme papergoods (plates, cups, napkins), theme decorations, large rolls of colored streamers & ribbon, wrapping paper, party favors, digital or 35mm camera, photo paper, photo printer, 5-foot folding table, table cloths, juice boxes, gift certificate to a party supply store.
See our Great Deals page for special offers (discounts, free shipping, etc.) from all of our sponsors.
Note: All prices listed about are estimates and are subject to change.
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