Teacher Appreciation Week starts May 5th. As moms, we see how hard teachers work to educate and care for our children. A thoughtful gift is a great way to show your gratitude, but choosing the perfect present can be challenging. Every year, I try to find new ideas for celebrating our teachers, and every year, I find myself panicking trying to choose something new or trying to remember what I did the year before. This is why I decided to make this list and update it yearly, and I am happy to share it with anyone else looking for new ideas.
Here are 16 ideas to help you select the best gifts for your child’s teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week:
1. Personalized Stationery
Teachers are always in need of stationery, especially if they love to write notes to their students. You can personalize stationery sets with the teacher’s name, initials, or a special message. They will appreciate the thoughtfulness and use the stationery all year long.
2. Gift Cards
Gift cards are a great option for teachers because they can choose what they want to buy. You can get a gift card from a bookstore, coffee shop, restaurant, or any other place you think the teacher would love. Make sure to add a personal note to make the gift feel more special. Consider getting a gift card for some local places to help support small businesses too!
Other great places to get gift cards are educational supply stores, bookstores, and office supply stores. These are all places teachers frequent to get supplies for their classrooms.
3. Plants or Flowers
A potted plant or a bouquet of fresh flowers can brighten up any teacher’s day. Choose a plant that’s easy to care for, like a succulent or a snake plant. A beautiful flower arrangement is also a great way to show your appreciation and add some color to the teacher’s classroom.
4. Homemade Treats
If you enjoy baking or cooking, you can make some homemade treats like cookies, brownies, or muffins. Wrap them in a nice box or container and add a personalized note. Homemade treats are a thoughtful and delicious way to show your appreciation. You can also add baking supplies if you know they like to bake.
5. Classroom Supply Gift Basket
Put together a gift basket filled with essential classroom supplies like markers, pens, sticky notes, and dry-erase markers. This practical gift will help replenish their classroom stock and show appreciation for their hard work. You can also ask the teacher if they need any specific supplies and purchase them (many of them have Amazon wish lists).
6. Relaxation Gifts
Teachers work hard and sometimes need a break to relax. You can give them a gift that helps them unwind–like a scented candle, a cozy blanket, or a bathrobe. These gifts will show the teacher that you care about their well-being and appreciate all their hard work.
7. Tote Bag/Beach Bag
A tote bag is both stylish and practical for teachers who are always on the go. Choose a design that reflects their personality or profession, and add their name or a motivational message for a personalized touch. You can even add some goodies inside, too!
Living in South Florida means having a beach bag handy. A beach bag with a cute towel or other beach accessories would make a great gift.
8. Inspirational Books
Gift a book that inspires and motivates teachers. Choose a title related to education, personal development, or a topic the teacher is passionate about. Include a heartfelt note expressing gratitude for their dedication to teaching.
9. Customized Coffee Mug
Teachers often rely on coffee or tea to get through busy days. A customized coffee mug with a meaningful message or the teacher’s name is a simple yet thoughtful gift that they can use every day.
10. A Handwritten Letter
A heartfelt handwritten letter expressing your gratitude and appreciation is a simple yet meaningful gift that will be treasured.
Also, be sure to click here for printable teacher appreciation tags to go along with your gifts!
11. Virtual Class Subscription
Consider gifting a subscription to a virtual class platform where teachers can access professional development courses, creative workshops, or educational resources tailored to their interests and needs. It’s a gift that keeps on giving by supporting their continuous growth as educators.
12. Accessories
Lanyards for their keys and IDs, a nameplate for a Stanley, or a cardholder that can be attached to a keychain are some ideas of accessories that teachers can use daily and will bring a smile to their faces when they are reminded of the child who gifted it to them. Headphones are another great accessory any teacher would love.
Last year, I purchased a crossbody phone holder with a coin purse (that fit credit cards too) from Amazon, and it was a total hit! They are great at work, travel, and any day-to-day activities.
13. Personalized Polos
My daughter had a teacher who wore a polo shirt with different embroidered images and icons every day. One day it was a smiley, another it would be supporting neurodiversity awareness, another would be popular cartoon characters. So one year we gifted him a polo with one of his favorite characters embroidered on it.
14. Socks
This one is a great one, particularly for male teachers. You can find sets of fun socks on Amazon or at Target, or Walmart, and get them in a pinch.
15. Breakfast or Lunch
Finding out what a teacher likes for lunch and having it delivered to school is a great way to show appreciation. If you want to do breakfast, you can even send it in with your child at morning drop-off.
16. Class Group Gift
Consider getting together with the rest of the class and giving a group gift. You could even organize a little something for each day of the week, whether it be handwritten notes from the kids, lunch, a photo of the class in a personalized frame, or a gift card; group gifts are a great way to spread the love over the whole week.
I hope these help. At the end of the day, know that it doesn’t have to be fancy, no gift is too small. Just the fact that you took the time to do something to say thank you is incredibly appreciated.
Let’s celebrate and thank our children’s teachers next week (and every week) for all that they do! Please share any other ideas you have in the comments below so we can add them to our list next year!
Updated April 2025
