- For teacher appreciation week, celebrate the educators who lead your children through their learnings with one of these 31 gifts.
- In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, teachers have shown exceptional dedication and adaptability as they’ve delivered their lessons remotely – and for that, we are endlessly grateful.
- A custom rubber stamp, a pillow massager, and gift cards they’ll actually use are a few ideas they’re sure to enjoy, long after your children are no longer in their class.
- Find more gift ideas for 2020 from Insider Reviews.
Teachers form the backbone of our educational system. They teach our children everything they need to know in and beyond the classroom, and with endless enthusiasm, patience, and compassion along the way.
As the year winds down, it’s only proper to show them some love and appreciation. Teaching any age group – kids, teens, adults – is a difficult job that most of us can only attempt to understand. So, as you say goodbye before summer break, make sure to give your child’s teacher the thanks they deserve.
They have more than enough mugs in their cabinet by now that you probably shouldn’t default to giving them one, no matter how witty the slogan on it is. Instead, give them one of these 30 thoughtful and useful gifts.
The top 5 best gifts for teachers:
- A pillow massager for their neck and back
- A coffee subscription
- A small potted plant for their desk
- A custom rubber stamp
- A book-of-the-month subscription
A comfortable seat cushion
Gift the Purple Seat Cushion, available at Purple, from $39
These cushions will soothe sore muscles and alleviate back strain. They're available in a variety of designs and thicknesses. Read our full review here.
An insulated mug
Gift the Hydro Flask 12 oz Coffee Mug, $29.95
Whatever it is they drink in the morning to prepare them for the school day ahead, this mug keeps the beverage at the appropriate temperature for an astonishingly long amount of time. It has a comfortable handle and comes in many bright colors.
A fragrant candle
Gift an Otherland Candle, $36
These sophisticated coconut and soy wax candles come in scents ranging from refreshing Canopy (fig, ivy greens, mint) to rich Chandelier (champagne, saffron, leather). The beautiful look, delightful scents, and personalized matchbox make this candle gifting experience special.
A gift card for virtual travel experiences
Gift an Airbnb gift card for online experiences
Summer vacation is almost here, and though they may not be able to travel right now, they can still book online experiences that bring destinations and activities to life. There's something for every inclination, including wine tastings, a virtual tour of Paris, Argentine Tango lessons, cooking Mexican cuisine, and more.
A coloring book full of phrases your teacher can relate all too well to
Gift the Teacher Life: A Snarky Chalkboard Coloring Book, $8.99
There are some situations that only teachers can understand, and this adult coloring book perfectly captures them with humor and cheekiness. The illustrations are single-sided, so they can take the page out and frame it if they so wish.
A tote bag
Gift the BAGGU Giant Pocket Tote, $32
BAGGU makes great bags and its machine-washable cotton totes are no exception. Help your teacher carry all those lesson plans, tests, and homework papers with this cute yet sturdy tote.
A way to squeeze in leisure reading
Gift an Audible 3-Month Membership, $45
In between grading papers and designing lesson plans, it might be hard for your teacher to carve out time to read a book (for fun). Audible is a great way to catch up on the bestsellers everyone's reading, appreciate the classics from a new angle, or finally dive into that book they keep falling asleep to in bed.
A detailed poster of the opening lines from famous novels
Gift the Pop Chart Lab 'Diagrammatical Dissertation on Opening Lines of Notable Novels', $30
English and grammar teachers will appreciate this chart diagramming the opening lines from 25 famous works of fiction. After admiring the partitioned, color-coded picto-grammatical representations, they'll want to read the books all over again.
A cellphone stand
Gift the Lamicall Cellphone Stand, $13.99
The simple, sleek, and durable stand is the perfect way to keep their device upright at just the right angle as they work. While it's a no-frills gift, it's undoubtedly practical and useful.
A small potted plant for their desk
Gift the Snake Plant Zeylanica, $37
Instead of gifting a flower bouquet, try an indoor plant. It lasts longer and requires less maintenance, but livens up their desk just as well.
A coffee subscription
Gift a Driftaway Coffee subscription, from $44
Chances are the coffee in the teacher's lounge isn't exactly top-notch. Thankfully, Driftaway Coffee's is, and keeps things interesting by sending new whole bean varieties every month and improving upon the next selection based on their feedback. By the end of the school year, your teacher will have a good idea of the type of coffee they really like.
A fun tape dispenser
Gift the Otto the Otter Tape Dispenser, $17.83
A cute twist to the traditional, ugly tape dispenser will instantly liven up their desk.
A unique bookend
Gift the Hero Bookend, $25
Whether they're used in the classroom or for your teacher's personal collection, or for lesson plan books or comic books, these bookends make for a quirky gift.
Rich chocolate-covered strawberries
Gift Shari's Berries Gourmet Dipped Fancy Strawberries, from $44.99
The top spot in our book for the best chocolate berries goes to Shari's Berries, whose hand-dipped white, milk, and dark chocolate strawberries have our mouths watering just thinking about them. They'll arrive chilled with an ice pack so you don't need to worry about a mess arriving at your teacher's door.
A personalized desk sign
Gift the Personalized Desk Wedge Sign, from $23.99
The wedge is a solid natural hardwood while the sign is shatter-resistant fogged acrylic glass, allowing it to last through any teacher's illustrious career.
A note to show your gratitude
Gift the "It Takes a Village Card," $5.50
Educators are an important part of the village it takes to raise kind, thoughtful citizens. Show your appreciation with a letterpress note that shares this sentiment.
A gift card to stock up on versatile work shirts
Gift the Public Rec gift card, from $25
Public Rec makes the most versatile polo shirt we've found, and many of the offerings from this athleisure brand are suitable for the classroom and beyond.
A gift card to a popular women's workwear shop
Gift an M.M.LaFleur gift card, from $25
Popular women's workwear brand M.M.LaFleur makes excellent pants and blazers that are definitely an investment, but worth the price. Its Bento Box contains these stylish and comfortable wardrobe staples to take the headache out of getting dressed in the morning.
A portable tea set
Gift the Zens Mobile Moon Portable Tea Set, $32.99
Don't just give them the tea infuser. Give them the cups and a handy carrying case, too, so they can enjoy a hot cup at work or at home. The glass teapot has an integrated infuser plus two indentations for easy holding, and the tea cups are double-walled and resistant to high temperatures. All the pieces fit snugly in the eye-catching hardshell case so they can take their favorite tea from home to school and beyond.
A custom rubber stamp
Gift a Custom Stamp, from $15
Gift the stamp they'll always reach for first as they check and grade homework. You can get creative by submitting a picture of your teacher's face or their favorite catchphrase. There are three different mount choices and many more size options.
A book-of-the-month subscription for summer reading
Gift a Book of the Month Membership, from three months for $49.99
A hardcover book delivered monthly is a great way for a teacher to unplug and kick their feet up over summer break. Every month, they can choose from acclaimed fiction and nonfiction titles.
Mini hand sanitizers
Gift the Olika Minnie 6-Pack, $36
Sister to the original Birdie hand sanitizer that's trying to disrupt an oft-overlooked industry, the Minnie is the perfect little desktop and handbag companion. Your teacher's hands are bound to get dirty while interacting with a room full of kids, but this nourishing, non-irritating formula will fix that.
A personalized notebook, planner, or address book
Gift the Teach From The Heart Notebook, from $16
Give this one to the best teacher you know. You'll be able to customize the cover design, interior cover, and interior format of the notebook.
A Disney+ subscription
Gift a Disney+ subscription, from $6.99 month
There's no better way to start summer break than with a binge-worthy streaming subscription. With Disney+, they get unlimited access to movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox. Read everything there is to know about Disney+ over here.
A novelty USB flash drive
Gift the Pink Pig USB 2.0 Flash Drive, $13.99
A cute and funny flash drive can instantly make work more fun. Sometimes, it's the little things.
A pillow massager for their neck and back
Gift the Zyllion Shiatsu Pillow Massager, $54.95
If you've ever caught your child's teacher looking stressed or tense, you can fix that with this heated at-home massager that feels almost like a professional massage. It has four deep-kneading rotating nodes to relieve aches, knots, and muscle tension.
Gift cards
Buy a gift card from: Amazon, Target, Staples
At the end of the day, teachers will always appreciate a gift card, especially if it's to a store where they can stock up on supplies.
Comfortable waffle slippers
Gift the Parachute Waffle Slippers, $23
These cushioned slippers are made with 100% long-staple Turkish cotton for extra absorbency and comfort. Ideal for lounging and relaxing, they'll bring a feeling of everyday luxury, but without the luxury price tag.
A smart home device
Gift the Amazon Echo Dot, $29.99
For work or leisure, the small smart home device is endlessly useful. They can play Jeopardy, ask for recipes, listen to the news, turn lights on, play music, reorder products, and more.
A personalized key ring
Gift the Leatherology Hotel Keychain, $15
The full-grain leather keychain is a perfectly composed accessory that they'll love to carry, especially if you personalize it (for only $5) with a monogram.
Beautiful note cubes inspired by an American artist
Gift the Louis C. Tiffany Favrile Note Cube Set, $36
Known for his stained glass work, Louis C. Tiffany lends his colorful and delicate designs to these trays, which hold 500 loose paper sheets and 50 color paper clips.