As the school year winds down, you may be on the lookout for a way for some teacher gift ideas to say ‘thank you’ to your sprog’s teachers, a thanks to your own favourite teacher, or a way to say ‘well done on surviving’ to a friend who teaches. Educators put up with a lot, so some thoughtful teacher gifts are bound to be very much appreciated.
After all, they’ve dealt with months and months of teaching easily-distracted students in stuffy classrooms, early mornings on the playground and late nights doing marking – the least they deserve is something to say thank you and maybe a little thank you teacher card as well just to really make them feel appreciated.
We’ve had a good think about what teachers would actually appreciate – no tacky novelty ‘#1 Teacher’ mugs here. Here’s our list of the best gifts for teachers that they’ll really appreciate.
Teacher gift ideas
Racking your brains trying to think of some thoughtful teacher gifts that they’ll actually want to receive? Here are some great ideas for presents for teachers to say thank you – and for more gift ideas, check out our gift guides or have a look at the gifting section on any thortful card page – you’d be surprised how many fabulous gift options you can send along with a card.
A photo frame
The best teacher gifts have an emotional tie without being too unwieldy – so a photo frame that can be hung on the wall or displayed on a desk is a lovely idea. Here are some ideas for what you can put in the frame to really make it a great gift for a teacher:
A class photo
This is a really nice touch if it’s a gift for a primary school teacher who has one class. Get your little one’s class to pose for a photo at hometime, and fill the photo frame with a photo of the class. It’s a sweet memento, and will be a nice reminder in years to come!
A class thank-you card
If you can, get all the students in the class to make and sign a thank you card, then send it along with the frame so the teacher in question can frame it if they like.
A hand-written note
Looking for teacher gifts for your little one’s absolutel favourite teacher? Make it a meaningful gift by getting your child to hand-write and sign a cute note, and frame it for their teacher to keep on their desk or hang in the classroom.
Pressed flowers
Get your little one to help find some pretty wildflowers (super bonus points if you can find out their teacher’s favourite flower) and follow our easy guide to pressing flowers to make a pretty art display that you can put in the photo frame. You could even get your child to hand-write a little saying – we’d recommend something cheesy-but-cute like ‘If teachers were flowers, I’d pick you’.
A bottle of something sparkly
This one might be a bit of a cliché, but if you know that every other parent in the class is tearing their hair out trying to find the perfect unique teacher gifts, then chances are that teacher is going to end up with a metric ton of knickknacks and tchotchkes that might not really be their cup of tea.
But you know what makes a great gift? A bottle of bubbly – and particularly a glass of award-winning sparkling wine by Nyetimber, grown on the South Downs. You can order a bottle of their classic cuvee with any card from thortful, so find a great funny thank you card for teachers and add a bottle along with it.
We reckon a lot of teachers would relish a nice glass of something cold and sparkling at the end of a long school year! And if it turns out they don’t like fizz, it’s not branded with a massive ‘thank you teacher’ badge, so it can be regifted or shared with their friends. Simple, elegant, and everyone’s happy – a perfect present for a teacher.
An insulated travel mug and water bottle
Okay, we know we said that mugs made naff teacher gifts, but not this mug. Teachers are on their feet teaching a lot of the time – they need all the caffeine they can get. And if there’s a long way to go between their classroom and the staff room, they’ll be deeply grateful for anything to make their morning cup of tea or coffee last a little longer.
Insulated travel mugs and holders make great teacher gift ideas, because they’re actually useful. Find a smart travel mug that’s spill proof but still stylish – and couple it with an insulated water bottle to help them stay hydrated all the way through to the final bell.
A pamper kit
Plenty of teachers will be dragging themselves through to the last day of teaching knowing that even though they’ve got six weeks of blessed freedom, they’ve probably still got a ton of preparation to do for the next school year. So see them off with teacher gifts that encourage a bit of destressing, and make them a pamper kit.
You could include face masks, chocolates, bath salts – anything that would make for a super chill at-home spa day. And don’t think it wouldn’t work for male teachers, either – some beard oil, a nice comb, body brush and shower cream make a really nice thank you gift for a teacher. Wrap it all up in a nice wash bag or box, and give them a day of guilt-free pampering.
Don’t have time to put your own together? Well, you can order a pampering set along with any card, right here from thortful! Just add to your card, and enjoy guaranteed next day delivery.
Hopefully these ideas have sparked some inspiration for thoughtful presents for teachers – see out the school year with heartfelt thanks and a sweet ‘thank you teacher’ card from our huge range. For more good ideas, check out more of our gift idea guides, or our how-to section for some more sweet homemade gift ideas for teachers.
