It can be challenging to think of the right teacher gift, whether for a birthday, Christmas, or other special occasion. It’s especially overwhelming if you are in an environment when gifts are desired for multiple teachers. But, you can do it! You can come up with a good teacher gift solution that won’t break the bank.
Every year I say I’m going to start earlier with Christmas shopping so I’m not teacher gift-searching right up against the actual holiday, but you know how it is, life gets busy. And I doubt mothers will ever be un-busy. Right?
Top 7 teacher gift ideas
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Buy local.
I love supporting local businesses. Not only does it stimulate my local economy, but I can always find unique teacher gifts that don’t exist at big box retailers. Like chocolate-scented, homemade soap! In my town, we have a mercantile that contains some of the neatest homemade items I’ve ever seen by a variety of crafters. Buying a local, customized gift for your child’s teacher is a win-win. Help local merchants; give a unique teacher gift. During the holidays, there are a ton of craft fairs, so consider these too to find a creative and unique teacher gift.
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Donate to a worthy cause in their honor.
I also love donating to worthy causes. I’m passionate about orphan care and preventing human trafficking. Find out if your child’s teacher has a cause they care about and consider making a donation in their honor. Maybe your child’s teacher loves cats. You could make a donation to the ASPCA or local human society in their honor. Considering teachers may get gifts collectively from students during the holidays and on their birthdays, making a donation in their honor is sure to be a unique gift and one that may have special meaning to them personally.
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Gift card.
Depending on your budget, I absolutely love giving gift cards. First, they are easy. Second, they are simple. Third, they don’t require a lot of gift wrapping. Fourth, the teacher can use it when they want on what they want. My child’s teacher recently shared with me that it’s a big deal to her to get to eat lunch out, when that opportunity may present itself to be away from school. So, give a restaurant gift card the teacher can use to enjoy at their leisure. There are tons of gift card options, so it doesn’t have to be a restaurant. But if you’ve ever had school cafeteria food or get tired of packing your lunch at work, you can relate to the treat of eating out.
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Make something.
Teachers love kids, so they’d surely appreciate something made for them by the little hands they teach. Your local craft store will have tons of options for your child to make something special for their teacher. This could be something for the classroom or for them to take home. A picture frame. An ornament. A bird house. The range is wide, so have fun being creative.
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Bake.
This is a good solution if you need to provide gifts for several teachers or support personnel. Of course you’d need to be mindful of allergies, but perhaps that is solved by baking a couple different options should someone have a gluten or peanut allergy. Baking is a fun activity you can do with your child and the teacher will know you put some time into making this special gift for them. You can find cute containers at your local craft store to store and deliver the food in to your child’s teacher. I vote for fudge or cookies, but perhaps some of you are more creative with baking than I am.
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Homemade cards.
You don’t have to buy expensive gifts to make a teacher feel special or remembered. Teachers teach because they love kids, so homemade cards decorated by your little one would be special and a forever keepsake.
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No gift.
It’s not mandatory to give gifts. Maybe your family budget doesn’t permit it this year, or any year. And that’s OK. While I can’t speak for teachers, I can say it is wonderful for someone to simply take the time to let me know they care about me or appreciate me. If your family budget is tight, having your child write a letter to their teacher, or if they are too young, you writing a letter to the teacher, still gets the job done. It’s not the cost of your gift. It’s the thought and emotion behind it.
The big thing is to keep it simple and don’t stress. Use this as an opportunity to teach your child what giving to others is about. Feel free to share your ideas for a great teacher gift in the comments below.