Updated for 2022
The pandemic provided parents and guardians a more hands-on perspective of what a teacher does every day, even though, in reality, it’s just a small sample of what teachers do each day.
And we bet you’ve never appreciated Teachers more than right now. And you can celebrate teachers any time.
Are you looking for Gifts for Teachers? You can send these gifts anytime, like at the holidays, end of the school year, or whenever you feel like celebrating your child’s teachers.
The first week in May is Teacher Appreciation Week, with that Tuesday designated as “Teacher Appreciation Day.” This year it’s on May 3rd. It’s the ultimate time to celebrate teachers! Let’s all give them the best Teacher Appreciation Week ever, with this great list of gift ideas teachers love.
And it’s not just Gift Cards!
Don’t Forget Teacher Appreciation Day this year!
Celebrate your children’s teachers with these terrific gift ideas.
Spotlight Gift Idea: Fire Department Coffee – because what teacher doesn’t love coffee? (Moms do, too!)
Teachers are the heart and soul of this great country. We honor and celebrate their hard work and dedication to educate and inspire. We cannot thank our teachers enough for all that they do. What better way to thank a teacher than with freshly-roasted coffee. It’s handcrafted by Fire Department Coffee’s dedicated crew of firefighters, first responders and coffee experts. Fire Department Coffee is veteran owned and run by firefighters. We also give back to our fellow first responders who have become sick or injured while on the job.
Special Discount: Get 10% Off with Code FDCOFFEE10
Related: MomsLA Education Guide for Los Angeles
15+ Gift Ideas to let Your Child’s Teachers Know How Much You Appreciate Them
1. Make It Public.
Share a thank you and/or favorite memory on social media. Now, more than ever, our teachers deserve to be celebrated and recognized for their dedication and professionalism.
2. Send Along an E-Card.
Or two. Or three. See if you can get the whole class to participate and send e-cards to the teacher throughout the week. And if it’s too hard to coordinate with other students’ families, there’s nothing stopping you and your child from sending the teacher an e-card each day of Teacher Appreciation Week. 123greetings.com has a cute selection available.
3. Design It in Chalk.
Send the kids outside to draw and/or write their thanks to their teacher. Take pictures and email it to your child’s teacher. It’s guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone’s face.
4. Make a Donation in Your Teacher’s and/or School’s Name.
Times are hard for so many right now. Instead of purchasing another #1 Teacher Mug, why not put that money to better use. Make a donation to a reputable organization in your child’s school and/or teacher’s name. Make sure to let your child’s teacher know.
5. Create a Class Memory Book.
By this time in the school year, especially if your child is in elementary school, there have been many school-wide and class special events. Compile your photos from these special days into a special photo memory book. If your photo collection is lacking, contact other parents and ask everyone to send in what they have. Use those photos to create a custom photo memory book. Then arrange to have the book given to the teacher. (Shutterfly and Walgreens are just a few suggestions to get you started.)
6. Write a Thank You Note.
This is the perfect “assignment” for students of any age. You can have younger children dictate to you their favorite thing about their teacher, their favorite classroom activity, or a favorite memory. Parents can participate as well. As a parent, what have you noticed or observed but maybe just haven’t thanked a teacher for? I treasure one thank you note the mother of a fifth-grade student wrote me, because after being in my class, she told me her son now liked to read.
7. Produce a Video Collage.
Get in touch with as many of your child’s classmates as you can, and ask each child to record themselves saying something they like about their teacher. Then, ask one tech-savvy parent to compile all the mini-videos into a larger video collage that can be emailed to your child’s teacher.
8. Offer Your Help.
Take the guesswork out of it. Email your child’s teacher. Tell the teacher how much they are appreciated and how you’d like to do something special. Don’t be shy; ask them what they need. Then do it.
9. Purchase a Subscription.
Do you know your child’s teacher well enough to know if they’d prefer a movie subscription (Netflix), a music subscription (Apple Music), or audiobooks (Audible)? And if not, reach out to the teacher, express your desire to purchase a subscription (also offer magazine and newspaper subscriptions) and ask which one the teacher would prefer.
If you want to purchase an Amazon Prime subscription for your child’s teacher, you can do it via our affiliate link.
10. Kids’ Artwork Never Goes out of Style.
Have your child draw/paint/collage a picture for their teacher. Present the framed artwork to the teacher.
11. Send Them a Meaningful Gift.
Now that schools are open, you can drop off a physical gift to your child’s teacher. You can find a variety of Teacher Appreciation Gifts from our Amazon shop. (These are all affiliate links.) These great T-shirts, mugs, quotations, and monogrammed bags are just some ideas for your favorite teachers!
12. Host a before-school breakfast.
Try to organize a special breakfast for teachers (and all school staff) at least one morning during Teacher Appreciation Week. Check with school administration to find out about any restrictions due to health and safety protocols. If food can’t be served buffet-style, think individually wrapped food items (bananas, granola bars, individually wrapped pastries, small bottles of juice, etc.). This can be something your child’s class coordinates or depending on the size of your child’s school and the level of parent involvement, a different grade level can be responsible for “hosting” the breakfast each morning of Teacher Appreciation Week.
13. Surprise them with a sparkle.
Pool resources with other parents and pay to have a mobile car wash come to school to clean teachers’ cars (exteriors only). What a treat to end the school day and head for home in a freshly-washed car.
14. Decorate classroom doors.
With permission from the school principal, show up late in the afternoon (after your child’s teacher has left for the day) or early in the morning (before your child’s teacher arrives), and decorate the classroom door. Add photos, thank you notes (as simple as a collection of colorful Post-it notes), and balloons as a very colorful way for teachers to see their efforts are acknowledged and appreciated.
15. Upgrade the teachers’ lounge.
Find out what teachers would most like. A new microwave? Toaster oven? Coffee maker? Blender? Work with other parents to purchase these items as a way of expressing your appreciation.
16. Furniture.
Does your child’s teacher have a piece of classroom furniture on their wish list? Something they’d love to have, though it’s not exactly necessary. Maybe a new swivel chair? Drying rack for art projects? Seat cushion?
17. Pampering.
I think we can all agree that teachers could use some pampering. Is there a local salon/nail shop nearby school? Find out if they offer gift certificates. Then you’ll feel doubly good knowing you’re supporting a small business and your child’s teacher can select a pampering session — maybe a mani/pedi or a neck/shoulder massage.
18. A Month of Treats.
Who says Teacher Appreciation only has to last a week? Make a plan with your child’s teacher to drop off lunch each Friday for a month. Or, get their Starbucks order and deliver it yourself each Monday morning for a month.
19. Coupons for Future Help.
Create some fun coupons writing out promises to help do some of the “less glamorous” tasks required of a teacher. Vacuuming the rug in the library corner. Sharpening pencils. Refilling the soap dispensers.
20. Make It Personal.
Have your child fill out our free printable “The Best Things About My Teacher” sheet below and email it. She or He will love to see the effort your kids make. Or get crafty and creative with your kids and make your own list. We’ve got a couple of color choices, too.
(Click on each to download or drag and drop.)
BONUS: 25 Gift Card Ideas for Teacher Appreciation
Gift Cards are fool-proof. You most likely have your teacher’s email address. Use it to send them an e-gift card – or if you know their mailing address, you can obviously send them the real thing. These gift card ideas are for stores and restaurants we think every Teacher will love.
Related: Teacher Appreciation Ideas from Office Depot
1. Amazon – see the list above? If you can’t mail your teacher an actual gift, send them an Amazon card and let them pick something out for themselves.
2. Target
3. Starbucks
4. Paper Source
5. Hallmark Stores
6. GameSTOP
7. Whole Foods
8. Ulta Beauty
9. Lowe’s
10. Best Buy
11. Google Play
12. Fandango
14. Netflix
15. Uber
16. Doordash
17. iTunes
18. Sephora
19. Uber Eats
20. GrubHub
21. VISA Gift card
22. Chipotle
23. Lakeshore Learning
24. Nordstrom
25. Michael’s
Bonus points if you can help support a small, independent or local business by purchasing a gift card from them.
However you choose to celebrate Teachers this year, we’re sure they will be grateful! We’re all sure grateful for them!
Related: First Day of School Apple for the Teacher
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Wendy Kennar is a mother, writer, and former teacher who has lived her entire life in the same Los Angeles zip code. You can read more from Wendy at her website WendyKennar.com where she writes about books, boys, and bodies (living with an invisible disability).
