I still can’t believe how quickly this school year is passing! May is almost here, which means that Teacher Appreciation Week (Monday May 2nd – Friday May 6th) will be here before we know it. If you follow along with me on Instagram, then you know that I love to share fun ways to treat teachers throughout the year. Our Teacher Valentines and Christmas Tote ideas were wildly popular. We also gift fun Teacher Welcome Baskets at the beginning of the school year, and while not a necessity, it is a fun way to treat our educators and ring in a fresh start to the year.
For me, that is what Teacher Appreciation Week is all about. It’s about treating the people who pour so much into our children every day. I want to mention that teacher gifting (and really any gifting) is rooted in sentiment. I also know we don’t always have the space in our budget for these extrasI I have a list of Free Teacher Gift Ideas to incorporate throughout the year.
Teacher Appreciation week is typically Mon-Friday, the official Teacher Appreciation Day is on Tuesday May 3rd, and I’ve seen caregivers celebrate in a variety of different ways. Some send in little notes or treats (think a donut or coffee) every single day, and some choose to send in one gift on 5/3 or to start or end the week. When it comes to this kind of thing, it’s best to do what serves your schedule and budget. My plan is to do a gift basket on May 3rd and bring the teachers their favorite iced coffee one morning.
I did a huge teacher poll on Instagram, and out of hundreds of responses the #1 favorite gift teachers loved was gift cards. I believe most of them really appreciate the flexibility of getting something they love. Target, Amazon, Starbucks or local restaurants were the most requested gift cards. Personalized gifts, handwritten notes and artwork were next on the list (although gift cards still dominated BY FAR). Things teachers said time and time again that they didn’t enjoy receiving: MUGS (this was the most popular answer, by far), candles, perfume/cosmetics, and handmade baked goods.
Mom Hack: I love gifting Starbucks gift cards, because they’re actually pretty versatile. If the educator doesn’t like coffee, they can get tea, a fun frappuccino, a quick snack/breakfast, or bakery item.
I am sharing a few fun gift ideas, with the above considerations taken into account. I typically spend the majority of my budget on the gift card, and then I add in a little extra fun. I know a lot of us feel like gift cards lack sentiment, so it’s always fun to sprinkle a little bit of extra in there. I LOVE giving my gifts in a reusable tote or basket, as those things can be a part of the gift. Stores like HomeGoods (like the basket I featured here), Marshalls and Dollar Tree are great places to find cute reusable containers.
My favorite shop for hand lettered personalized tags is Chalk Designs by Me. All of the fun printables you see below can be found at The Ever Co. which is a veteran owned business that gives proceeds from these back to the military community. I printed them on plain white cardstock at Staples.com.
I’ve numbered each of the ideas/products. Just click on the highlighted title, and you’ll be directed to the affiliate link. As always, thank you for your support, and allowing me to bring in income for our family through these links.
1. Flair Pen Pouch
This is another example of the packaging being a part of the gift. These clear makeup bags are so cute and versatile. I added in a pack of the infamous Flair Pens and a Target gift card. I finished it off with fun yarn and a punny “You’re So DePENdable” tag.
Feel free to make these your own, or cater them to your teacher’s preferences. You could do expo pens, writing pens are sharpies.
Clear Bags HERE
Flair Pens HERE
Chunky Yarn HERE
Tags: The Ever Co.
2. Painted Flower Pots
My girls were SO excited about this project. I think it is a really cute way to add a ton of sentiment to gifting. The girls chose what flowers they thought their teachers would like, and painted their pots with pretty pictures and words of thanks. We got all of the gardening supplies from Lowes.
We attached a popsicle stick to our gift card with hot glue, and stuck it in the soil to act as a cute plant marker. You could also sub the gift card for a little tag that says “Thanks for helping me grow.”
Terracotta Pots HERE
Acrylic Paint HERE
Popsicle Sticks HERE
3. Pencil Gift Card Holder
We included these in our Teacher Welcome Baskets, and my community on Instagram has since fallen in love with these. I have gotten a ton of feedback from teachers who say they’d love to receive a gift card and treats in one of these. The best part is they have room for a ton of different things: flair pens, candy, etc. There’s even a notebook paper shaped tag that you or your child can add some hand written love on.
Gift Card Holder HERE
Flair Pens HERE
4. New Classroom Library Book
I love to gift new books to the classroom library. I think it’s a special way for their teacher to remember them even when they’ve grown up, and its something other students can also benefit from. Add in a handwritten note, or piece of artwork, and a gift card—and BAM! So easy. Here are a few favorite titles:
- A Letter to My Teacher HERE
- Last Day Blues HERE
- A Letter From Your Teacher On the Last Day of School HERE
- Thankful HERE
- Our Class is a Family HERE
5. Gumball Machine Jar
I had fun with this creative little gift. Once again, I love that we are gifting a vessel that is reusable. I simply filled these gumball dispenser shaped candy bowls with chocolates, a gift card, and finished them off with a tag and yarn.
- Gumball Machine HERE (I found the red one in store) I’ve also heard these are sometimes available in the Target Bullseye’s Playground.
- Tag: HERE
- Yarn HERE
6. Apple Gift
I spend most of my budget on the gift cards! After a poll, I found gift cards are still preferred by most educators!
- Apple Containers HERE
- Ruler Ribbon HERE
- Mini Post-It Set HERE
- Red Paper Shred HERE
- Teacher Tag Printable HERE
- Chick-fil-a Gift Card HERE
- Dunkin Gift Card HERE
- Starbucks Gift Card HERE
I hope this sparked a few fun ideas as we head into Teacher Appreciation week. As always, if you have any questions at all, please leave them below! I am happy to help!
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3 Responses
Hi I don’t see the teacher tags from the gumball idea , Thank You!
Hi Laura! I believe that design may be discontinued this year but TheEverCo.co has new sets this year! Hope this helps. -Shakira