End of the year Teacher Gift ideas?

[EcbLovesMickey]

I can't believe the end of our school year is only a few weeks away It has me thinking about our end of the year teacher gifts. I am hoping my Dis-friends can help me come up with some special gifts on a budget. So far I am thinking a mug/travel mug with a GC for coffee, but I am open to any suggestions!

 

[marcemc]

Something related to hobbies they enjoy: craft booking supplies, movie tickets, even a gift card to their favorite coffee shop or ice cream parlor.

My boys make the cards themselves

 

[daisyduck123]

My favorite are gift cards...no amount is too small. I'd rather have a $5.00 gift card than $20.00 worth of candles, bath stuff, picture frames, candy, ornaments, or coffee mugs.

I'm having my annual yard sale tomorrow & have at least 5 more coffee mugs priced at 25 cents apiece ready & waiting. Let's hope they sell because I couldn't even give them away in the Teacher's Lounge.

Honestly, even a $5.00 gas gift card is greatly appreciated. Love it!

 

[torinsmom]

If the teacher enjoys coffee, I would go for the coffee gc, but skip the mug. I am assuming other teachers are like me and have received about 50 mugs in their careers. I would have to give a coffee gc away, because I don't drink coffee and never have. Someone gave me one last year, and I ended up using it to buy someone else a gift. I prefer a card created by the student with a small gc to somewhere like Target or Walmart, as that can be used for anything from groceries to jewelry. If you can't afford a gc, just do the card. To me, just knowing the parent took the time to acknowledge my role in their child's life brightens my day

 

[3mickeymom]

I have given the teacher's certificates to a local farm/produce market/bakery that is nearby. Also to a local Italian Ice place. Maybe you have something nearby, even a Dairy Queen. Everyone enjoys a delicious summer treat!

 

[An_Island_Girl]

We had the kids write and draw... "My favorite thing about Mrs. J is..."
Then I scanned them into the computer and had a photo book made at shutterfly. It came out really sweet.

Typically all of us parents chip in $ and we combine it for gift certificates that are accepted in all of the stores and restraunts in our town. I figure gift certificates and the book will be a perfect gift.

 

[spacemountainmom]

I have friends who are teachers and they always say they'd much rather have a note from a parent than another do-dad that they don't need.

I usually go for a gift card from a coffee or bagel place, bookstore or Target. My friends tell me they appreciate the treat or being able to purchase things for their classrooms.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Come open my cabinet before you buy a mug I will give you your choice of about 50!

I agree a gift card is such a welcome gift. 5.00 to starbucks makes me happy as a lark! LOVE getting it with a handmade card with a picture of your child with it!
5.00 gift card to fast food place or even wal-mart is just fine. Want to spend more: A chain resturant card (most 25) is a HUGE treat!

Avoiding gift cards??? A beach towel, a plant, home made food( if the teacher knows you well and will eat it).

"different" gifts I enjoyed????? really cool socks, summer pj's, flip flops, beach bag filled with summer goodie.

Avoid!!!!- MUGS, candles, lotions, "teacher" items.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm going to put together a basket filled with lotions and candles I got on sale, a #1 teacher mug, some air freshener, and a tote bag.

Or maybe a note from my child, and a gc...

 

[NaLisa]

Another vote for gift cards. We usually buy Target ones, so teachers can buy something for themselves or for their classroom. We enclose them in homemade cards from my DDs.

My DMom and DSis are both teachers with tons of mugs, candles, apple ornaments, body lotions, etc. My mom received a few McAlister's gift cards for Christmas and she loved them. She and DStepdad rarely get to go out to eat, so it was a real treat for them, even if it wasn't the fanciest restaurat in town.

While gift cards may seem impersonal, I'd much rather buy a teacher something they can use and enjoy instead of something that's going to end up in the Goodwill pile.

 

[allaboutaprincess]

One year I gave my child's teacher a monogrammed bag for an end of the year gift. Large enough to use as a beach bag. Years later she came up to me and told me that she still uses it and how much she has enjoyed it.

 

[kid-at-heart]

Oh please, no more cups, our cupboards are overflowing with them. A handwritten card from the child is great or if you feel you really want to spend money on a gift, gift cards are awesome.

 

[SYDCOLEMOM]

This has been teacher appreciation week at my DD7 school. I sent $5 Sonic gift cards to all her activity teachers (Music, PE, Computer, Library & Art) with a hand written note from her. They were a huge hit !! For her Teacher she made a card and we enclosed $25 gift card to her Teachers favorite boutique. the assistant Teacher got a $25 to her favorite restaurant. All in all I spent $75 but these teachers are so wonderful and deserve it !! We also sent donuts to school for the teachers lounge one day.

 

[VanessasMom]

I sew a little and am making my daughters teachers a fabric coffee cozy to go around their Starbucks cup monogrammed with their name on it. It's easy and cheap and I made one for myself a while back and really like it. If you google it, you can find a free pattern.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I am thinking about starbucks gift card and making this cute card to put it in:

http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2011/04/thanks-latte.html

 

[paper1225]

We have really appreciated our son's teacher this year - he has gone way beyond what we have had others do! We want to thank him extra special! I see all these great "cute" ideas, but not sure a man would want them. We are getting him a $25 restaurant GC, we know he and his wife enjoy eating out.....would like to make some sort of basket, or bag with other ideas......

 

[andymattmom]

I'm going to put together a basket filled with lotions and candles I got on sale, a #1 teacher mug, some air freshener, and a tote bag.

Or maybe a note from my child, and a gc...

I quickly read through the posts...saw yours and was set to give you a hard time on the gift basket with lotions,etc. THEN I read more carefully and saw the laughing! Good one!

Agree that these lotions, candles, bath soaps, body sprays, mugs, etc. are NOT good ideas! So many allergies, etc. out there and you don't know if families are sensitive to smells either.

A good gift card I gave in the past is a gas card---with gas so high even a $5 would help, or movie gift card. Other ideas are paper goods for the class next year---napkins, cups, kleenex. I posted someplace else I was in a first grade class last week (I have middle and high school kids) and the teacher said she budgeted $10 of her own money weekly for class supplies. She was out of kleenex (down to final box) and has 5 weeks left of school. So many people whine and complain about the supply list...if you don't get items on list the teachers get stuck paying for those things...do you think it is fair for a teacher to buy supplies because someone didn't understand some supplies are needed---

Think even just a big thank you would be welcome from teachers...but advice is no smelly things, knick knacks saying teacher or NUMBER 1 TEACHER, paper holder, mug, etc. A nice pack of dry erase markers....pencils, colored chalk, hand sanitizer, etc. would be much better. Think of the item you are giving times 20---would you want 20 mugs or lotions or soaps or candles. I gave a first grade teacher (she was wonderful, young and a friend) a bottle of tequila and margarita mix (OFF SCHOOL PROPERTY though) as a end of the year gift! She LOVED IT!

 

[aliceindisneyland]

GC for Vitamin Shoppe/GNC/Vitamin World and thank you notes from my son and from DH & me.

 

[AndreaDM]

Since it's spring and planting season we usually give a nice plant or hanging basket with a nice card from DD. When this school year started, she got a nice letter from her teacher last year with a picture of how big the plant had grown over the summer, very nice of her to take the time to do that!

 

[JENOS]

Just wondering the grade that teacher's stop receiving gifts (asking teachers)
Or maybe they don’t,

DD has so many teachers/coaches, that it would get expensive to give each one of them a gift. I do help when help is needed throughout the year but haven’t given a gift since maybe 4th grade.