Still looking for the perfect teacher gift? With everything else going on at the end of term, time is precious and it can be difficult to find the perfect way to say thank you to our children’s teachers. (You can read my advice on organising the last few weeks of the school year here).
How often have you grabbed mugs, candles or a generic bubble bath gift-pack from the supermarket in a last-minute rush? How many children do you see eagerly clutching a big bunch of flowers on the last day of school, knowing that teacher will be jetting off on a well-deserved break as soon as the final bell rings, leaving the flowers to die?
10 teacher gifts that they will really love!
To help you get more organised at this busy time of year (and avoid cluttering poor teacher’s overflowing cupboard with yet another mug!), here is your go-to teacher gift list. I asked the teachers that I know about the gifts they love to receive, and this is what they came up with:
A heartfelt thank you: The simplest gifts are the most thoughtful. Ask your child to draw a thank you card to show their personal appreciation to their teacher, and take your time to come up with a heartfelt message. Andrea, a teacher in South London, explains “For me, a card with a personal message means just as much as any gift a parent can buy”. Claire agrees: “My best gifts have been words” she says. “It is lovely to receive a card, but when it includes words that give specific examples of how you have made a difference to their child, then you hold that close”.
Framed poem or quote: Australian teacher Sue received this framed quote from a pupil. She has taken it with her from class to class through the years. “It’s my most favourite gift ever!” she told me. Look on my Pinterest board for some ideas that you can copy and frame. Gain extra marks by getting your child to copy out the quote and decorate it.
Scrapbook or photo book: Compiling a small scrapbook of the class is not just a memory of that year’s children. It’s a snapshot of your teacher’s life to be treasured for years to come. I am a huge fan of the Becky Higgins Project Life scrapbooking system, which helps you to easily and quickly compile memory books and albums for loved ones.
Coffee: Fill their mug without cluttering the cupboards – give them a gift card for their favourite coffee shop.
The gift of relaxation: Pick up a gift card towards a beauty treatment, massage or grooming session. For a bigger gift, club together with the whole class and buy teacher a well-deserved spa day. A thoughtfully put together basket of pampering treats and chocolates works too. Many teacher friends that I spoke to mentioned this as a favourite.
Celebrate their hobby: Find out what makes your teacher tick outside school. Claire’s favourite teacher gift was a garden centre gift card which she spent on a rose for her garden. “Every time it blooms I think of that pupil” she says. “His mum found out who my friends were and asked what made me happy. It was lovely that she went the extra mile”.
Stationery: Teachers often buy school supplies out of their own pockets. Pay back their generosity and gift a voucher to a favourite stationery or book store. Teacher can then choose whether to spend it on more supplies for the class, or treat themselves.
Books: Instead of giving teacher more clutter, how about donating a book for the class library? A cute message inside from your family can inspire pupils for years to come.
Gifts with meaning: Is there a particular interest or memory that your child shares with the teacher? This one might need more thought, but if you have time, brainstorm it with the other class mums. Teacher Zoe’s favourite teacher gift was from one of her history classes, who gave her two Pandora charms. One of the Brandenburg Gate and a tiny silver crown – both symbols that meant a lot to her and the class that year.
Your time: Time is precious, but also free. Volunteer your skills to your class teacher and help the school at the same time. The end of the year is a busy time at school, or offer to help setting up for next term.
What are you giving your children’s teachers this year?
Or if you are a teacher (thank you!) – what would you add to this list?
What lovely and thoughtful clutter-free gift ideas! Teachers do spend a lot of their own money to stock their classrooms, so the idea of a gift certificate to a stationery store is a great one. I also like the idea of a gift certificate for spa services or coffee shop.
Thank you Linda – I hope that the list has given some parents a few ideas at what can be a stressful time of year!
Love all the ideas. I liked giving gift cards, so the teacher could get something she needed.
I love all of these suggestions. I am keenly aware that teachers often buy supplies with their own personal funds, so I think a gift card makes a wonderful offering. No matter what you give, a thoughtful and specific note means so much. Teachers may not know what you really appreciated as a parent during the year, and kindness is never a wasted effort!
I always feel sad for the teachers having to say goodbye each year to a class that they have nurtured and supported. It must be very hard… so a heartfelt thank you is always top of my list too.
At my children’s school, they suggested the children buy a book that was either put into the school library or the classroom library. I think they time to read a few of them on the last day of school. It is a great idea with all the budget cuts that schools are facing now.
One of my favourite ways of celebrating as a class! We did something similar to mark children’s and teachers birthdays at our old school – such a lovely idea and a brilliant way of building up the class library.
Great clutter-free gift ideas! I would help out in the classroom during the year and took pictures of the class activities. Since I was the editor for the yearbook, I was able to share in the yearbook some great photos of that class. I also emailed the teacher some of our favorite photos of the class for that year. She appreciated it.
As a documenter and scrapbooker I LOVE that idea Sabrina, thank you for sharing!
Love these ideas! Sharing this article on my FB page!
Thank you Latika! Happy that you found it helpful.
Great ideas! I always tend to buy things the teacher can use or their families can enjoy. Love the quote.
Thanks Abigail. Including the teachers’ families is a lovely idea. Teachers spend so much time working for our families, at the expense of their own.
Loved it. I will make a card with my little one for her teacher. Thank you for valuable tips.
That sounds fun – I’m sure her teacher will love it!
My personal favorite: coffee; cause their truly cannot be anything more relaxing!
Such a simple gift – but so appreciated by teachers I have given them to!
aww, these are sweet gestures 😍 teachers are indeed great influences and truly deserve to be reciprocated with sincere appreciation 💕 not about the material gift, it’s the thought that matters 😉
Someone special needs something special, love the ideas 😍. Will share the article to my facebook’s friends 🙂
Thanks Ayu! Good teachers play such an important role in our lives, they deserve a thoughtful thank you!
Love the framed quote idea!
I admit it’s not really clutter-free… but at least the teacher can repurpose the frame if they ever get tired of the quote! Or if they are lucky enough to collect a few, wouldn’t they make a beautiful gallery wall?