End Of The Year Teacher Gifts

It's coming up to the end of the school year. In fact, Higgins is out in a week! I have to come up with some new ideas for teacher gifts.

I know several teachers and the one thing I hear is that they get a ton of  "teacher gifts" during the year (like apple ornaments, apple decorations, etc.). I've seen what years and years of these apple themed gifts can add up to...and trust me, I don't think that you could get a tree big enough to hold all of the ornaments they receive over the years. I try to come up with something that they can use and will like (such as gift cards) and try to tailor it to the teacher. I also try to keep it non-teacher themed. After all, you don't necessarily want every gift you receive to be themed to your job! (Sometimes I feel that all I do is clean up after the kids all day. Can you imagine if all I received on Mother's Day or my birthday were mops/brooms/cleaning supplies!)

• Gift card to their favorite store. I have run into a couple teachers out shopping on the weekends and if they mention that they love a particular store, I try to remember it. Target always seems to be a big hit.
• Coffee shop gift cards, maybe with a reusable mug. Of course, this only works if you know that they like coffee.
• Similar to the coffee, a reusable insulated cup for summer. Stuff it with a gift card to an ice cream place, bagel or coffee shop, or drink mixes.
• Beach towel rolled up and tied with a bow. Stuff a few other items out the top such as sunscreen, flip flops, a few popsicles (not frozen of course), or some lemonade mixes.
• A movie basket. Find a cute tin or popcorn tub and fill with snacks, popcorn bags, popcorn toppings, a gift card to a movie rental store or a movie theater.
• A handwritten note with a meaningful, heartfelt message is always a plus.
• Flowers or a plant. I like to give ones that can be planted so they will last longer. To make it extra special, have your child(ren) paint a clay pot and plant the flower/plant in the pot.
• Some teachers end up supplying a lot of the classroom supplies and books themselves, so gift cards to bookstores or places like Target/Staples/Walmart might be helpful.
• If you have a class picture, find a mat that will fit and frame the picture. Have everyone sign the mat and place a message like "Best Teacher", "We Love You", or "Thank You For Making Our School Year Great". Make sure to put the year somewhere on the mat too.
• Gift basket filled with goodies: chocolates, bags of tea or coffee, candies, etc.
• You can also call the school office. Some schools keep a Teacher's Wish List for gift ideas.
• Baked goodies. I have ton of cookie and dessert recipes on the blog, including individual Pie Jars!

Just keep in mind that they have lots of students each year, every year and they don't have a large warehouse to store all of the gifts they receive.        

DM Tip: If you are sending something breakable, remember to package it well! When I asked the teachers I know what the best and worst gifts they ever received were, the broken gift was definitely the worst. One teacher said a boy came in and said "Merry Christmas" and placed the gift on the desk. As he set it down, she could hear broken glass jiggling around. When she took out the tissue paper, the gift was completely shattered.