It’s that time of year again where us parents have to figure how to thank the people that educate our children. Whether your child has stayed at school throughout or you have been home schooling we can all agree that the teachers have been amazing under exceptional circumstances. If you need ideas for the best way to say thanks you have come to the right place.
My son’s class usually arrange a collection so that everyone chips in a small amount and this means we can gift the teaching assistant and teacher a sizeable voucher as well as some smaller bits like flowers and chocolates. That way they don’t get too many of the same thing! Who needs 30 best teacher mugs?
Here are a few ideas for gifts that teachers will appreciate.
Shop bought
Planner – A pretty (for females) or plain (for men) undated planner is perfect for a teacher who needs to plan out their time to get everything done! These ones are from amazon I have one and LOVE it! This black one is what I bought for my son’s male teacher this year.
Travel mug – Now who doesn’t see their teacher wandering around with a travel mug in tow when greeting the kids in the morning? You might think then that this is a redundant gift BUT these mugs do something special! I received one of these when my daughter was born because you can’t knock it over! This is perfect with a toddler in the house but for teachers in a primary school safety of hot drinks in the classroom should be forefront. The trick to these mugs is picking them straight upwards releases them from a flat smooth surface but if you knock them they stay put! And they come in lots of cool colours.
Notebook – All teachers need to write things down so this will be a really helpful gift. I know I get through notebooks so fast! A pretty floral one for women such as this one or something plainer for a male teacher like this one.
WHsmith have a very wide selection if you prefer to hit the high street.
Chocolates and booze – After this year every teacher deserves their favourite chocolates and a whole truck full of booze. However, I would only recommend going down this route if you know what they like. If your teachers anything like my sister in law then her students know she loves a bottle of Rose but sometimes you just don’t know and it’s a shame to spend your money on something that will be given away at Christmas. Chocolate selection boxes are ideal as there are always some in there that will be liked (unless your like my mum who doesn’t like chocolate at all!).
Vouchers – By doing a collection the majority of the funds goes towards vouchers so the teachers can buy something they actually want. We used to buy universal ones for the local shopping centre but this year opted for Amazon ones because you can get pretty much anything on there without going out!
Flowers – Pretty sure most women love to receive a bunch of flowers so you can’t really go wrong unless every child brings a bunch and their house ends up looking like a florists. If doing a collection you can be fairly confident this won’t be duplicated.
Homemade
Homemade gifts can be a lovely sentiment if on a tight budget or the kids really want to make something. Stick to things like biscuits, cakes or fudge that the teacher can eat. Decorate a plant pot and put a plant in it, make some bath bombs or put together a little hamper. I feel for teachers who get a lot of homemade things that they don’t know what to do with so think practical. A friend of mine says “the best presents are the thoughtful one, i.e. if your child wrote you a poem or a painting. I just love hearing that they enjoyed school and had fun.”
For something personal but not as time consuming or messy as homemade then consider a personalised print from Wards Buttons and Beyond. We have ordered one with the class names on and a thank you message to the teachers. If time is short you can order download and print at home ones.
Hope you’ve found it helpful, happy shopping!
Emma x
