10 Great Ideas for Teacher Gifts

It’s almost the end of the school year (already over for others)!  No more teachers, no more books… but before school is out for summer, you want to show your appreciation for the special teachers in your child’s life by giving them a thoughtful gift. But what are some great ideas for teacher gifts?

Mugs, chocolate, soaps – teachers have likely grown tired of these standard gift ideas. Homemade baked goods – some teachers might be wary to eat them.You’ll hear parents talking about unique teacher gift ideas for end of school and scrambling to find some great ideas.

For those of you who are uber-organized – and even for those of you who are last-minute people (like me) – here are 10 great ideas for teacher gifts:

10 Great Ideas for Teacher Gifts

1.  Gift Cards

Gift cards to local coffee shops, restaurants and movie theatres are always a good bet. Don’t forget… wine stores, or the LCBO!

2.  Larger gift card

Ask other parents if they’d be interested in pooling money to purchase a gift card in a larger amount to a nice restaurant or department store. This will allow the teacher to buy one big thing that he or she really needs while being very affordable for most parents.

3.  Books 

Teachers also appreciate gift certificates to book stores so they can either purchase a book for themselves, or books for the classroom. 

4.  Blooms

Flowers and potted plants always brighten up someone’s day.

5.  Donations

Make a donation to a charity or cause on your teacher’s behalf!  SickKids Get Better Gifts are a great way to thank all the teachers and caregivers who help and support our children throughout the year – a great way to show appreciation, while also helping to brighten the lives of children!

Here are some other fabulous and creative ideas I found online:

6.  Educational materials

Teacher’s gift certificate at an online store like EducationStation.ca where teachers can buy educational materials. Or a gift card to the dollar store so they can stock up on school materials.

7.  S’mores Basket

Buy a package of graham crackers, marshmallows and a large milk chocolate bar and wrap it all up as a gift – perfect for summer!  Great idea from TheRachelBerryBlog.   You can add a note saying, “We need s’more great teachers like you!”

8.  Beach Tote

What’s cuter than a gift set for the beach? Buy a tote bag and fill it with a magazine, sunscreen, beach towel and voila – a creative gift idea from Skiptomylou.org.

9.  Movie night

Buy a popcorn bowl or tin and fill it with yummy snacks like chocolate and candy from Polkadotchair.com.

10.  BBQ set

Neat idea from Momontimeout.com; buy some grilling sauce, grilling accessories and put them in an ice bucket for a useful gift.

If you don’t have time or money to buy each teacher a gift, please do consider having your child create a handmade card – teachers really do appreciate a heartfelt note from their students!

Happy Summer!