Fall is a fun time wherever you are! Here in the Midwest, it means leaves changing colors, bon fires and sweater weather. Your school year is in full swing and you are in a good routine. Routine is good, but sometimes you need a brain break. With holidays around the corner, why not combine a break with a lesson on making your own gifts? The older I get, the more I appreciate something hand-made. It shows me that the giver took time and talent to think of just me. How special is that? Gifts from kids are just the best, aren’t they? Parents don’t always have the time (or energy, or desire) to cruise the Internet for ideas, so I have some partially home-made ideas for you and your kids to play around with using blanks.

Blank Books come in a variety of sizes and shapes, hard or soft covers, with lined or unlined pages. Your child can create an original story, write a story about your family, draw pictures, use stickers and whatever else they may choose to put into their books. With the recipient in mind, they can create a wonderful, and inexpensive, gift from the heart. I definitely recommend these adhesive vinyl book protectors for their masterpieces.

Blank Puzzles also come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Kids can color the puzzle with crayons, markers or colored pencils, take them apart, put them in a cute little box and give them to a friend! When the friend puts the puzzle together, they have the joy of seeing a secret message or drawing done just for them! Also, these are super inexpensive, so have a few spares lying around for when your little giver has a notion!

Blank BookMarks come in a pack of 35, either in all bright white, or an assortment of 7 fun colors. Simply attach a colorful ribbon or even a piece of yarn with some chunky beads on it to hang out of your book and you have a lovely gift for the reader. With the multi-packs, children can make them for a group of friends, classmates, family or even neighbors. It shows the giftee that the gifter knows them well. When your children ask if they can make a bookmark for someone special, you will have the basic art supplies and blanks to let them express their feelings for someone. It becomes a personalized keepsake. I mean, the sweetness!

Blank Paper Fans come in a set of 20, so not an expensive gift, and can be painted with watercolors, dyed with food colors, or simply colored with crayons, markers or colored pencils. Use your calligraphy markers or cool lettering pens on them too! Not to show my age, but I often get a little toasty and would love a little fan in my purse. How cute to pull out one that a child decorated just for me!

Lastly for your gifty stash, is a set of 6 blank frames. Kids can decorate the pretty scalloped cardboard frame with stickers or paints, tape a photo of themselves to the back and add some magnetic tape. You can even mail these to someone who misses that little face! Give one to a grandparent or a special babysitter. Keeping these sorts of things around will inspire your children to be givers. They will love the reactions they get and want to make more! It feels good to give something you made: a one of a kind gift! Keep these ideas in mind for the holidays, too!

Blanks also have value when added to your lessons. Blank Dice can be customized easily. Write a state abbreviation on each side and roll to say the capital. Again, these are really inexpensive, so you can make a set for a lesson and hang on to them to use over and over. Write historically important dates on them, roll and discuss. Draw a simply emotion on each side, roll a die and act out the emotion. Say a time when you felt sad, angry, happy, etc. Sooooo many options!

Blank Playing Cards can also be used to make your own games to go with your lessons. It can be really simple, like learning the alphabet or more sophisticated, like using royalty of the past and matching kings and queens. Kids can create an original game to play or give away using a secret code of letters, numbers and symbols. This set is white on both sides for more options.

Blank Flashcards and Study Cards can be used for new vocabulary words, matching games in a foreign language, math formulas, and general fact memorization. By isolating a single word from a list, your brain “takes a picture” and it becomes easier to recall. Keep a stack of these in the car, by your child’s bed, in a purse or backpack, and in a waiting area when students are supposed to quietly wait their turn with a parent/teacher. This is a study habit they can take from elementary school to university.

Enjoy the fun of filling in the blanks!