Volunteers at holiday gift shops for elementary schools always show up excited to help students pick out gifts. Enthusiasm is half the job, but they also need to know where to stand, what to do, and how to help a student who needs a little extra guidance. Without clear expectations, even a well-planned event can become confusing for students and volunteers.
Use this 15-minute prep plan to give your volunteers what they need for a fun, stress-free holiday shop!
15-Minute Volunteer Prep at a Glance
- First 5 minutes: Explain the purpose of the shop and walk through the student shopping experience.
- Next 5 minutes: Assign volunteer roles and review the checkout process.
- Final 5 minutes: Discuss common student situations and how volunteers should respond.
What Should Volunteers Know Before Students Arrive? (5 Minutes)
Start your volunteer prep by emphasizing that the holiday shop is an opportunity for students to experience the joy of choosing gifts for family and friends while practicing valuable skills like budgeting and decision-making. Volunteers are there to guide, not decide.
Let volunteers know they are there to help young students understand how much money they have left, talk through gift options, answer questions, or reevaluate choices due to budget limitations. But the students should always be free to make their own decisions.
Then, quickly walk volunteers through the experience from a student’s point of view. What happens when a class enters the shop, how students browse and select gifts, and where they go when they’re ready to check out.
What Role Should Each Volunteer Have? (5 Minutes)
Give each volunteer one primary responsibility so there’s no question about who handles what when a class arrives. Depending on how many students will be visiting the holiday shop at once, you may want to assign multiple people to the same role.
Here are some roles to assign:
- A greeter who stands at the entrance and makes students feel welcome.
- A guide to keep groups of students moving through the shop without making them feel rushed.
A shopping assistant who offers budgeting guidance and helps students compare gift options without choosing for them. - A merchandise helper who keeps displays neat and restocks gifts as needed.
- A cashier (or cashier’s assistant if you have an older student volunteering for this role)
After you assign roles, make sure each volunteer understands their responsibilities. Walk cashiers through the checkout process using the Cash Register App and pre-coded gifts. Check your Chairperson Portal for more information about running and managing the checkout table.
How Should Volunteers Handle Common Student Situations? (5 Minutes)
Use the final five minutes to prepare your volunteers for the situations they’re likely to encounter.
- A student is unable to purchase everything they want. Encourage volunteers to review the student’s budget and purchases together, but let the student decide what to put back.
- A student can’t decide what to buy. Volunteers can ask simple questions like, “Who are you shopping for?” or “What do they like?” to help narrow down the options without telling the student what to choose.
- A student needs help counting their money. Give the student an opportunity to count first, then provide as much help as needed based on the child’s age and comfort level.
- A student isn’t keeping pace with their class. Remind volunteers that some students may need extra time while others may feel overwhelmed by the choices. Volunteers can offer some patient words of encouragement or ask the student’s teacher to step in.
By guiding students rather than shopping for them, your volunteers will help them practice independence and build a sense of accomplishment. Most importantly, remind everyone to have FUN!
Simplify Your School Holiday Shop With Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe
15 minutes of preparation can make a big difference! When your volunteers know what to expect ahead of time, they can focus on what matters most: creating a fun and meaningful experience for children.
Running a holiday shop for elementary schools doesn’t have to be stressful. Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe provides pre-coded gifts, free supplies and shipping, a Cash Register App, online gift certificates, and no-count inventory to make planning and running your event easier. Schools pay only for what they sell.
