Teacher appreciation Gift

[danielocha30]

to all Teachers please give ideas of what is a nice gift to say thank you! Next week will be Teachers Appreciation Week and I'm dry on ideas. I'm planning to give the teachers a little care package maybe with some coffee and biscuits, last year made a sanck package with peanut butter and apples, would love to hear what will you like to get.

 

[mjkacmom]

Gift card.

 

[danielocha30]

Gift card.

yeah that will work, but my children have 6-7 teachers between all 3 of them, gifts cards will be too much, specially when I'm not giving them $5 giftcard, is a joke!

 

[aprilchem]

We are giving each teacher a $10 gift card to Target, attached to a fancy hand soap with a tag on it with some witty saying (I can't remember what). I found it on Pinterest. I have 3 kids but luckily only have to buy for 4 teachers.

 

[mjkacmom]

yeah that will work, but my children have 6-7 teachers between all 3 of them, gifts cards will be too much, specially when I'm not giving them $5 giftcard, is a joke!

I get it, I have 5 kids, with 2 in college already. Gift cards and letters of appreciation are the best, candles and mugs the worst (plus body lotion, homemade goodies, #1 teacher anything...). Nothing wrong with a $5 gift card, especially for teachers, who receive a lot of gift cards.

 

[Klayfish]

DW is a Speech Therapist at an elementary school. First, she'll say it's incredibly thoughtful of you to do something like that. It's certainly not owed at all, but is truly appreciated. I agree with PP that a small gift card goes over well. Sometimes she gets things like soaps, which she may use depending on if it's something she likes. I also agree that while the gesture is always very kind, candles and such are rarely used...home made goodies are given to our kids as DW doesn't eat them.

If you have a lot of kids, with a lot of teachers (we have 3 kids, so we know the drill), and it gets too costly, nothing wrong with a simple thank you. As I said, I know that DW and the teachers at her school don't "expect" anything, so any gesture is well received. Truly...it's the thought that counts.

 

[amberpi]

My mom, and 2 of my 3 best friends are teachers and are fine with $5 gc and a note. But yeah, they don't want candles, homemade anything, body stuff, #1 teacher, knick knacks. They'd rather just have the card than have to get rid of the mass of crap. I mean one has some food allergies, mom has sensitive skin and the other is seriously watching her weight in front of surgery.

That came off crappy, they really love the notes/cards, none of them expect anything, ever. One of them is an ap environmental science teacher and gets SO many plants. She gives them away because her cat will eat them. You just never know if those things will work in anyone's life for a multitude of reasons.

 

[amberpi]

to all Teachers please give ideas of what is a nice gift to say thank you! Next week will be Teachers Appreciation Week and I'm dry on ideas. I'm planning to give the teachers a little care package maybe with some coffee and biscuits, last year made a sanck package with peanut butter and apples, would love to hear what will you like to get.

Mom can't take peanut butter in her school, lol!

 

[SaintsManiac]

We did $20 Target GCs for both of DD6's teachers with a personal note for each. Last year everyone sent in a GC and one of the moms made a "gift card bouquet."

 

[Hikergirl]

i dont give to individual teachers, i contribute to the luncheon that the pta throws for them. It makes things so much easier, and cheaper.

 

[Wendy31]

I get what you're saying, OP!

I've done the gift cards, but, if you're looking for something other than gift cards, I've also done the following:

* A jug drink dispenser w/ some lemonade mix, a package of springy/summery napkins & matching disposable cups, a plastic picnic tablecloth, & some fun straws w/ a little tag that said, "Thank you for a great year! We hope your summer is a picnic!"

(I've also done something similar to the above but, instead of the jug drink dispenser, I used one of those collapsible picnic baskets.)

* A divided chip platter (I found some really nice pottery ones on sale) w/ a bag of tortilla chips & a jar of salsa w/ a little tag that said, "Here's to a summer full of siestas & fiestas!"

* A beach towel w/ a gift card to a local bookstore - "Here's to Lazy Days & Beach Reads!"

* A bird feeder w/ a little tag that said, "Wishing you a 'Tweet' Little Summer!"

Currently, we homeschool, but we are members of a weekly co-op, & our kids usually have a combined total of about 9 teachers. One year I gave each a hummingbird feeder. Last year, I gave each a reusable water bottle w/ an individual packet of lemonade. This year, I gave each a succulent.

I've been a teacher & know teachers get lots candles & mugs & #1 teacher figurines, so I always try to stay away from that kind of thing. Gift cards (no matter the amount) are always welcome! However, I also know that most teachers are very appreciative of whatever they receive and most especially love the handwritten notes!

 

[bellebud]

Putting together these little baskets of stuff surely costs at least $5 each. I'd seriously just do the $5 gift card in a nice thank you note/card. The teachers most likely get other gift cards and combine them. Even if not, they just put it towards their purchase next time they're in Target. It's not like they have to go to Target and find a $5 item to spend the gift card on. I do understand where a $5 gift card 'feels' cheap to the giver, but I still think it's the best teacher gift.

 

[goofy4tink]

I was in the habit of giving dd's teachers, in elementary school, thank-you note cards, with a book of stamps! They were always very appreciative!!

 

[QueenIsabella]

I give a handmade (by me) card, with a nice note, and have my child write a note about what he/she liked best about the teacher or school year. This year, I also gave a gift certificate to the local farm share that I'm a member of--they offered a special "teacher's box" that you could order, full of fresh produce. I thought that would be a great idea, but the teacher might get several--the certificate means she can order what she wants, when she wants, rather than potentially being swamped with lovely, well-intentioned produce.

 

[scrapquitler]

A $5 gift card for Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts or a book for the class library, or a small flowering plant she can plant out side or put on her porch for the spring.

 

[JaxDad]

We give gift cards at Christmas and at the end of year. This week my daughter has been cutting roses from our garden and bringing them to her teachers.

 

[katie01]

Give them an 8x10 framed photo of your child to hang on their wall at home!

Kidding, kidding, I just like to imagine the looks on teachers' faces if someone actually did that

I totally agree that just doing a $5 gift card or whatever your budgeted amount is, along with a note of appreciation, is a great option. Try to think of some nice compliment your child has said specifically about the teacher and include that. I'm not a teacher, but I would have LOVED a note of thanks and appreciation when I worked in health care. And I would have also been excited even over a $5 gift card (not that we could accept them at my work, but if we could, I'd be thrilled. I always spend money on my kids but feel guilty going out to eat or buying coffee, so a $5 gift card to Subway, or Dunkin Donuts, or Target would definitely make my day

 

[gopack]

Gift cards for $5.00 are great! I just received one from a student today for Chick Fil A. The idea to give a book of stamps is genius!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

One yr we did a "gift card tree stand" for my dd's teacher. Parents bought GC's from wherever and whatever amount they wanted to do.

It worked out because not all kids brought a gift card and we still made the gift "from the class" with the whole class signing their name on the card, so all the kids feel a part of it.

PTA would do Teacher Appreciation WEEK. We catered them lunch one day, did a car wash, and other fun things. I also think we gave them gifts from their "WISH LIST".

 

[OneOftheB's]

The families in both of my kids' classes contribute to a "gift fund" at the beginning of the year ($20 each kid). From that fund comes all Christmas/bday/teacher appreciation/end of year gift for the teachers. This fund also covers gift cards for the teachers who teach the kids, but are not their primary teacher (Spanish, computer, PE, music, art, reading coach for 1st grade, and the groundskeeper). It is the best. I am the parent who is handling the $ for my DD's 1st grade class and we gave Target gift cards at Christmas, an Ann Taylor gift card for the primary's bday this week, a cash wreath at Christmas, several themed gifts for teacher appreciation (it's a week long thing at our school) and have about $200 left for end of the year.

But, yeah, gift cards are the best.