Gufts to Give Your Host Family Frkm America
First impressions are everything with your host family unit. Selecting adept gifts for your homestay family is an easy manner to break the water ice and first on the right foot.
While it might be like shooting fish in a barrel to put this off until the last minute, nosotros recommend not waiting to pick upward a mug or magnet at the airport a few minutes earlier you lot leave!
Putting careful idea and attention into your gift can bear witness your family that y'all are excited to be a fellow member of their household and look forward to connecting with them during your stay.
Don't forget: investing time to build a positive relationship with your host family not only helps with your connection to the local civilization, just you'll besides make leaps and premises in your language learning during your fourth dimension abroad.
Read on to find some tips and communication on choosing the best gift to bring your host family unit!
Did you know?
Host family is "familia anfitriona" or "familia de acogida" in Spanish
Why stay with a homestay family unit
Hopefully, at this point, yous accept already chosen to live with a homestay family unit during your time away.
The majority of Spanish Studies Abroad students stay with homestay families. They give yous a unique insight into a foreign culture by allowing you to become office of a family. It's the best way to practise your Spanish!
Our homestay families are advisedly selected by our on-site staff to meet our programme requirements. Many of the families nosotros work with have been hosting our students for years!
When to give your host a gift
A few weeks before departure, you lot should receive some information near your host family, their address, who volition be living in the house, and if they have children or pets.
Sometimes there might be a small-scale description of the family and their interests or hobbies. One time y'all accept this information, information technology'due south fourth dimension to starting time shopping!
Upon arrival
Giving a present every bit shortly as you lot meet your host family or arrive at their dwelling house is a keen style to show your appreciation and break the ice.
We recommend presenting them with the gift your first day or at dinner the first night when the whole family is home.
Practice proverb a phrase in the host family's native linguistic communication (for example, "Gracias por su hospitalidad"/"Thanks for your hospitality"). This endeavour is also some other way to wow your hosts and makes a bang-up first impression.
Parting gift
Looking for a simple way to say thank you to your host family and leave them a souvenir at the stop of your stay?
You might give them some flowers with a movie frame, and a photo of you with your host family or a elementary hand-written give thanks you carte in their native language.
Saying goodbye can sometimes exist hard. Many of our students class lasting relationships with their host families and continue to stay in touch with them for years to come up!
Where to discover inspiration
Gifts do not take to be expensive and should be more near the thought and personalization y'all put into it.
To help start to go the creative juices flowing, we've compiled a list of resources you can tap to get some host family gift ideas:
The Spanish Studies Abroad team
We are here to help! All of our team members have studied abroad before. They can provide examples of gifts that they take personally given or provide recommendations based on past students.
You local study away office or returning students on your home campus
Some of the best resources for recommendations are on your home campus! Accomplish out to your written report abroad office for the names of students who have studied on your programme. If you lot're going on a Castilian Studies Away programme, ask u.s.a. to get you lot in contact with i of our alumni.
A local boutique or store in your hometown
Skip the big-box chains and shop local for a unique gift that says something about your home state or town. Likewise, university gear from your campus bookstore is e'er an option!
All the same not certain? There are TONS of gift boards for homestay family unit ideas on Pinterest; there's enough content to exit you browsing for hours.
Etsy
Not all of us are skilled at making our gifts. Luckily Etsy is a one-stop-store for all things handcrafted, vintage, collectible, or unique.
Youtube
There are plenty of videos on Youtube for great ideas! You become to see first manus what other students have taken as gifts, and avoid whatsoever bad ideas. Here Kari – abroad in Kingdom of spain – talks the states through some gifts she bought her family. Nosotros similar that she idea of both the kids and Mom & Dad:
Make it personal
Adding a custom affect to your gift based on your heritage or geographic location is a thoughtful way to share a piece of your background with your host family.
Our Admissions Advisor, Kira Hakanson, is Swedish-American. She got her host family in Republic of ecuador wooden figurines of the dalahäst (doll horses), a traditional Swedish souvenir.
And when our Admissions Director Abbi Eidt studied abroad in both Argentina and Scotland, she opted to bring a piece of the U.S. South with her – hot sauce and creole seasoning!
Bringing regional ingredients or nutrient items that aren't bachelor in your host country also allows yous to fix a meal with your host family together and share a special moment – a fun and interactive manner to share your civilization with them!
What gifts non to become your host family unit
While we dear the thought of food items, y'all will want to make sure you are not traveling with non-perishable items that can go bad in transit (recollect fruit, vegetables, cheese) or that could be potentially carrying a pest (no seeds, plants, soil, etc.).
Typically, shelf-stable items are a safe bet and keep in mind TSA regulations if you are traveling with carry-on luggage.
We also don't recommend bringing vino or booze as gifts. Depending on the country yous are studying in, the host family unit may be more traditional than what you are used to in the U.S.
Given that, it's better to err on the side of circumspection when thinking well-nigh bringing alcohol into their home. Go along in mind, the Spanish Studies Abroad policy of no drinking in your homestay.
Avoid generic items that y'all might find at the airport (key chains, mugs, magnets). Host families who accept been receiving students for many years probable have quite the drove of these items.
Height eight Host Family Souvenir Ideas
- Food from your geographic region or heritage
- A recipe card and ingredientes
- A board or carte du jour game specific to your home state or region
- A t-shirt or baseball cap from your university or local sports team
- Artwork
- A hand-made item
- A photo book or album
- A blanket, scarf, or tapestry
To assistance you, the team has compiled a list of their preferred host family gift ideas. We drew from our experience studying abroad, helping prepare students to go overseas and speaking to them later they render. We encourage you to go creative!
one.Snack or nutrient item from your geographic region or heritage
Bring something unique from your area that you tin can't typically find in the state where you'll be studying (ex: maple syrup, saltwater taffy, locally fabricated chocolates, or jams).
ii.Recipe bill of fare and ingredients
Similar to the above, y'all tin take it a step further and make your favorite recipe with your family unit (brownies, pancakes, or oatmeal cookies, anyone?).
3.Lath or card game, puzzle specific to your dwelling state or region
Lath games and puzzles as well lend themselves as fun activities to bail with your host family unit.
4.T-shirt or baseball cap from your academy or local sports team memorabilia
Being a sports fan can also aid to bridge the cultural gap (for case, baseball game is popular in Republic of cuba and Puerto Rico, while in Spain fútbol – soccer – is king!).
5.Artwork
Bringing a minor print or painting of your metropolis or region is e'er welcome.
6.Handmade item
If you're especially artistic, this is the moment to showcase that. Whether you're into photography, pottery, or painting – a handmade piece is a thoughtful and unique gift.
7.A photo book or photo album
Gift a coffee table book with images of your domicile state or region or a photo album that you tin add to throughout your stay.
viii.Blanket, Scarf or Tapestry
A blanket, scarf, or tapestry made in your habitation state or region (for ex: we honey these Southwestern-inspired tapestries).
Summary
Overall, a thoughtful homestay family souvenir should be personal and relate your personality and background. It should help spark conversation with your host nearly your civilization, heritage, or geographic dwelling house.
Remember that your host family may have accustomed international students into their dwelling house because they desire to learn near your culture as much as they desire to share theirs with you lot.
Taking the opportunity abroad to interact with your host daily, acquire nearly them and their background and do the language will make your study abroad experience equally rewarding every bit possible!
Do y'all accept more than questions almost our homestays or programs? Contact us here: https://spanishstudies.org/contact/.
Source: https://spanishstudies.org/gifts-for-host-family/
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