Gift Ideas For Teachers This Holiday Season

Does the holiday season stress you out on what to give your child's teacher? A teacher's Christmas gift doesn't have to be extravagant. Sometimes, the best gifts are the ones that are simple, homemade, and from the heart. A personalized gift or gift generally shows appreciation and, in return, will make your teacher feel they are making a positive impact. When I worked in a school district as a paraprofessional, I would receive homemade Christmas gifts and gift cards. The gifts made me feel special!  

Gifts can be thoughtful, but we must ensure we aren't giving them just for the sake of giving. As someone who has worked with kids, I filled out a questionnaire regarding what I liked and my hobbies. I recommend doing that personally, or if you are participating as a classroom parent, make that happen and give the answers

to the other parents. Christmas is a time of giving and a great teaching opportunity for your child.

If you are still seeking out what your child's teacher loves, here are five ideas to relieve gift-giving stress.

1. Gift Cards

Why Gift Cards:

Gift cards are not only simple, but they are practical. Gift cards make a great last-minute teacher gift when crunched for time. The teacher can get whatever they want with the gift card, whether groceries, coffee, or even clothes.  

Ways To Present Gift Cards:

1. Box

2. Holiday Gift Bag

3. Mason Jar

4. Card With an Envelope

5. Gift Card Holder Card (you can purchase mine on Etsy)

https://rubiesfunprints.etsy.com/listing/1355607866

2. Homemade Gifts:

Why Homemade Gifts Matter:

A homemade gift is unique because it is a sweet gesture. It is a unique Christmas gift that the teacher can't buy at the store. The gift offers a unique sentimental value; it is exceptional and thought goes into it. The giver invested their time in creating a unique gift offering a personal touch. This type of gift can be budget-friendly while ensuring meaningful memories for years to come.

Ideas for Homemade Gifts:

Picture or Card:

Your child could create the picture and card made for their teacher. The card can also be store-bought. Many cards, even budget-friendly ones, offer a special message you want to communicate. However, a card or picture made by your child is more sentimental.

How to:

Using several materials, your child can create a card or a picture for a teacher. If you are not much of a crafter to help, that's okay. You can find so many ideas out there. Your child could use markers, crayons, ribbons, scrapbook paper, stamps, and other materials to make the perfect picture.

DIY Crafts:

You and your child could make ornaments, gift baskets, pictures, bookmarks, and more. The gift basket could be a survival kit basket for the teacher. I have never made a survival kit for a teacher, but I made a Gamer's survival kit for a nephew since he liked playing computer games.  

How to:

The Teacher Survival Kit could include a gift card to their favorite store, hand sanitizer, lotion, candy, coffee, or whatever the teacher can use or likes personally or in the classroom.

3. Cards Made by Students:

The Importance of Homemade Cards:

Homemade Christmas cards add a personal touch and a heartfelt gesture, and the teacher will likely keep the card to remember the student. Although I was just a Paraeducator, I kept the cards and pictures the students made for me. Their artwork was extremely special to me. It made me feel like I was making a difference in a child's life.

How To Make Them Special:

As I mentioned earlier, there are a variety of materials to use to create a card. See the homemade gift section.  

You can help your child write a heartfelt message to the teacher explaining how much they mean to your child.

4. Holiday Ornaments:

Reasons Ornaments Make Special Gifts:

Christmas ornaments make unique gifts because they spread holiday cheer and show gratitude for the teacher's time with the students. Ornaments can be reminders of a student when the teacher admires the tree. My mom took me to get my teachers' ornaments while I was growing up. This experience was so good for me to be a part of as a child. It taught me the importance of giving and thinking of others.  

Ideas for Ornaments:

Ornaments can be store-bought or created by the student. You can present an ornament to your child's teacher in multiple ways. Types of ornaments that are an option to give are personalized ornaments, a homemade ornament, and even a printable one.

My mom and I did a personalized ornament for my teachers while growing up—special messages, dates, and names placed on the ornament.  

There are so many ideas about homemade ornament out there. I made a snowman ornament using pom pons, craft pipe cleaner, googly eyes, stickers, and letter stickers. I put the last name and the year on the ornament. Another idea for an ornament is to get a clear bulb and place the tips or pieces of crayon in the ornament. Have a special message placed on the ornament and the year. Your child could help put the crayon tips in the ornament or help glue on the eyes. These activities are great fun fine motor activities. The ornaments don't have to be perfect; what matters is that thought and love went into making them.

Printable ornaments can be an option, especially if you can access a printer. Your child could cut out the ornament and then decorate it. The printable ornament should print on heavier paper.  

5. Candy & Food:

Why Candy and Food are good options:

Giving candy and food as gifts is a great way to show that you care without going overboard. It is or can be budget-friendly. The candy or food option is a great way to show appreciation. More than likely, you have all of the ingredients to make the food. For example, sugar cookies are something you and your child could make for the teacher or teachers. Something to be aware of is if the teacher has allergies or any diet restrictions. When I was a Paraprofessional, I remember getting several yummy treats. One of my favorites from students was puppy chow snack mix. I would get cookies and flavored candy. I love food, so these were always my favorite to get from students.

Ways to present candy and food:

You have the candy and food ready, but what do you do with it now? There are several options that you can pick from to present the food. You could put the food or candy in a jar with a cute label. Find a tin, box, or bag that has holiday designs. I remember getting goodies in a zip lock bag tag with a cute saying or holiday design.

I have given you some Christmas gift ideas for your child's teacher. Whether your child is an elementary student or in a daycare, these gift ideas can help you get started. I went over five gift ideas for teachers this holiday season. The following gifts were gift cards, homemade gifts, cards made by students, ornaments, candy, and food. Which gift do you think your child's teacher would like? Check out my Etsy shop for the Christmas gift card holder if you want a gift card. What are your favorite homemade gift ideas?