May is almost here, which means that Teacher Appreciation Week (Monday May 5th – Friday May 9th) 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 all year long. Our Teacher Apple Gift Idea goes viral every year and, the Teacher Valentines and Christmas Tote ideas are 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.
This year I’ve got the “coolest” teacher appreciation gift idea (pun totally intended.) I grabbed each teacher one of these cute vintage mini fridges. They’re the perfect size for a classroom, and I can’t think of any occupation that might need a quick drink more.
None of the kids’ teachers like coffee, so I used our meet the teacher forms that I had them fill out in the beginning of the year. I found out what their favorite things are, including their favorite drink so I know. what to gift them. You can download a copy of my teacher survey HERE.
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.
I added a gift card to the cutest pencil key chain holder, along with mini dry erase markers and put those on the top shelf of the fridge. After cutting out my printable tags, I used a hole punch and adorable ruler ribbon to tie them onto the door of the mini fridges.
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 extras, I have a list of Free Teacher Gift Ideas to incorporate throughout the year. You can also check out 5 Teacher Appreciation Gifts that I shared in 2022.
Teacher Appreciation Week is typically Mon-Friday, the official Teacher Appreciation Day is on Tuesday May 6, 2025, 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 5/6 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.
