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As the holidays and the end of the Fall semester are approaching, parents are usually trying to figure out what they can get their child’s teacher(s) for the holidays. Not all parents like to give gifts and us teachers never expect them, but it is always nice to be acknowledged by our students and their families.
I often get asked, “What do you like?”, “Does the classroom need anything?”, and “I don’t know what to get my child’s teachers! Do you have any ideas?” Below I will list some things that are popular for teachers or that teachers can use. You can also check out my other blog post, My 8 Favorite Classroom Items for more ideas.
Ask if Your Teacher Has a Wishlist
One of the easiest things to do is to just ask your child’s teacher if they have a wishlist. I always have one in my weekly newsletters to my class parents and it is available for them to open whenever. It’s also a very subtle way for teachers to hint at what they want year round. On it, I include the item, a link if it is a specific items I want, and a space for the parent to initial if they gifted it. My wishlist typically includes books, classroom art supplies, soil for our outdoor learning garden, gardening tools, and shelving or baby gates. My wishlist is usually on a google spreadsheet, but I know some of my coworkers use Amazon wishlists.
Gift Cards
Another easy gift idea is getting your child’s teacher a gift card. I cannot tell you how many Starbucks gift cards I get every year. Apparently everyone thinks teachers are coffee addicts (which honestly is true for most), however, I no longer drink coffee. I still use the Starbucks gift cards for things like bottles of water, snacks, the occasional hot chocolate, or to buy something for someone else.
If you don’t want to add to the endless amount of Starbucks cards, there are some other options. Some popular ideas are Target, craft stores, book stores, popular food places, and (my favorite) Amazon. I personally love the Target and Amazon gift cards the most because the items I can buy are varied and diverse. It doesn’t have to be used on my classroom, I can buy something nice for myself. I really love that Amazon allows people to give gift cards through phone number or email. When I am given the physical gift cards, I sometimes forget about them, misplace them, or I forget I already uploaded the balance and the card is now empty when I try to use it. Having it sent electronically is just faster and easier in my opinion and it won’t get lost in the abyss that is a teacher’s bag.
If you do go this route, you might want to check with your school’s administration as some schools and states only allow teachers to accept monetary gifts up to a certain amount from a singular person.
Gifts for The Teacher
I know that there are some parents out there that want to gift items to their teacher for the teacher to enjoy and there are some parents out there that want to gift items that will benefit the class or their kid. So this next section will be dedicated to gift ideas for the teacher’s personal use.
Something They Are Interested in But is Also Useful
I know, this one can be tricky especially if you don’t get to spend time in your child’s classroom and get to know the teacher. Just like you would when buying a gift for any other person in your life, you think about what they are interested in. Your child would be an excellent resource and asking them this question is a great way to get them involved in the gift. Maybe the teacher dressed up as a specific character from a movie for Halloween, maybe they mentioned something they loved during one of your casual conversations with them, maybe you noticed a picture of their pets on their phone or in their classroom. Look for the little hints to get a clue of what they might be interested in.
For example, I love dachshunds and I got engaged over the summer. I have pictures of my dachshund on my phone (along with all my other fids), I dressed up as my dachshund for Halloween, I wear a special ring necklace every day at work to put my ring on when I cannot wear it (like when I change diapers or carry heavy things), and I have shirts that say “Dog Mom” and “I love Dachshunds”. Something a class parent could give me is this dachshund ring holder. I actually bought it myself right after I got engaged and I love it! I know my ring will be safe and clean and it is a really cute decor item. You could also buy the ring necklace I wear. I like that I can keep it on me, especially since it is holding my engagement ring, and it is very convenient. It can be a little tricky to figure out at first, but once you watch the videos, it is quite easy and quick.
Wellness Formula
Not everyone knows about this product and it really smells and tastes nasty. HOWEVER, I swear by Wellness Formula. Us teachers, especially preschool and toddler teachers, tend to get sick frequently because parents send their kids to school when they are sick, we have a high stress job that we often lose sleep over, and young children are still learning how to wash their hands properly and cover their mouths and noses when they sneeze and cough. I have kids sneezing and coughing in my face, wiping their snot and saliva all over me, and flu season usually means I’ll have at least 3 kids sneeze in my face each day. I’m constantly doing things to prevent myself from getting sick.
When I do feel something coming on or if I know something is going around the room, I will usually take 2-3 capsules twice a day as a precaution. If I do end up getting sick, I up the dosage to 3 capsules 3 times a day with orange juice. I find that when I take this, I have a better chance at fighting off the illness and I recover quicker.
If you do gift this item, I recommend adding a little card to explain everything I just wrote above just so they know what it is and why you would gift them something like this. Maybe even throw in a hand sanitizer or water bottle. If you don’t know how to summarize this product, just write “We appreciate everything you do for our child and the class. Please keep yourself healthy with this Wellness Formula. It might not be pleasant at first, but we have been told this is an excellent product for fighting off illnesses.”
Hand Lotion
Like I mentioned above, germs are a constant battle and struggle for teachers. I know I am constantly washing my hands throughout the day which really dries them out. I could keep putting on lotion, but it often gets washed away with the next round of diaper changes or after 5 minutes because a kid drooled or sneezed on me. I recommend buying a hand lotion or moisturizer that lasts through hand washes. If it is fragrance-free that is even better as it is less likely to irritate allergies. I have tried most of these hand lotions and I don’t really have a favorite. None of them felt too heavy or greasy in my opinion. My current favorite is the Aveeno skin relief lotion. As I am working on this blog post, I am in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving with my fiance and my future in laws. The weather is colder and dryer than what I am used to so my hands have been getting extra dry. I apply the lotion on after I shower, when I’m done with my make up, and maybe before dinner. My fiance and I have both noticed changes in our skin from using this lotion.
If you are buying a lotion for a teacher that works with older kids, like 2nd grade and above, I do recommend the CeraVe hand lotion. It has hyaluronic acid and niacinamides to really help to moisturize the skin and can help with improving skin texture and appearance. CeraVe is also known to be one of the most recommended drug store brands for skin care as their products are developed with dermatologists. I recommend this lotion for teachers of older children because this lotion is not advertised to last through hand washes.
For The Class
This next section is for parents who want to buy something that the teacher could use in the classroom or for the class, which will then benefit the students. The gift cards I mentioned above are also a part of this section as it allows the teacher to purchase items for the classroom.
Note pads or Sticky Notes
I use notepads all the time to make To Do Lists, keep track of who did what activity or needs to do an activity, whose parents responded to the parent teacher conference sign up email, and so much more. I go through notepads almost as fast as my class goes through tissues! So notepads and sticky notes are always a plus. Some teachers will even use the sticky notes during classroom lessons or activities which I did when I was working with older kids.
School Supplies
You know that list of supplies you get during the summer that tells you all of the supplies that your child will need for school? That is a secret wish list as all of those items are things that are needed in the classroom. Yes, all students are supposed to bring in those things at the beginning of the year, but it doesn’t mean they all last till the end of the year. Sometimes teachers run out and need to buy more out of pocket. You can also look at the projects your kids bring home that they made in school, look at what materials they used and see if you can replenish them.
My school doesn’t give out supplies lists like they do in elementary or middle school. So if any of my class parents come across this post, some of the frequently used items preschool teachers need are markers (children are still learning how to close them tight and they often dry out), crayons, tissues, hand soap, paper towels, wipes for bodies, wipes for sanitizing, band aids, and pens (for adult use). If you notice that your teacher has their own printer in the classroom, ink cartridges are also AMAZING gifts. Don’t forget the small things either like paper clips (those always went missing when I taught kindergarten), white out tape, ball point pens, and staples.
Books
Some teachers might think that they have too many books but in the younger ages (like the toddlers) there really is no such thing. The kids are still learning how to handle books and will often break them. I love having books in the classroom and multiple copies of the classics. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear Brown Bear, The Wheels on the Bus, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. I have multiple copies of these books because they get so well loved that they eventually need to be replaced. I also often ask families to share some of their children’s favorite books with us at school as it is a great way to bridge the gap between home and school. It also introduces us educators to different authors and stories that could be useful to have in the class libraries.
Tape
Painter’s tape, scotch tape, duct tape, packing tape, all the different types of tape! We use so much tape in the classroom when we make labels, do art projects, put up documentation, do activities, and mark the floors. Having tape as a gift, as weird as it might sound, is so useful. For me, I use clear packing tape the most as it helps to put up and seal name labels on cubbies and I use it to fix books. Then there’s painter’s tape which I often use for securing papers to the table when doing painting with the kids or I use it to secure documentation on the walls and mark the floors so the kids know where they should stop or what path to follow.
Toys and Manipulatives
If your child is in preschool, their teacher must be bringing out different toys and manipulatives for the kids to play with. If you want to provide toys, try to find educational ones, not the transformer cars or anything with flashy lights or sounds. Try to find things that are either a set like a doctor’s or chef’s set or something that is open-ended. Keva blocks are a great option as they can be used in so many ways and by a wide range of ages. Check out my Switch Witch post to see some toys I would recommend.
Outdoor Tools and Toys
If your child is at a school that allows for outside learning or play time, maybe they have a garden the kids can play in, child sized gardening tools and watering cans are so helpful. My class goes through shovels like crazy because they are constantly digging so I always like to have more on hand. Sandbox toys are also great gifts as they are some of the fastest toys to break down and need replacing.
I like this set because it has everything a child would need to help garden. There are also multiple tools in the bag so it creates an opportunity for children to learn to share and/or help each other with a task.
For larger gardening projects, having larger tools can be helpful. Just like how us adults, don’t want to rake up all the leaves in the yard with a tiny little rake, kids probably don’t want that either.
P.S. A child sized broom and dustpan set is also very helpful to have in an outdoor learning space.
This is such a cute set! My students really love that there are ice cream scoopers in the set as well as pretend cupcakes. For children who are not yet engaging in imaginative play, having toys that they see frequently that have an obvious use, can help the kids learn how to develop storylines in their play and get them a little closer to imaginative play where they can then substitute items for other items.
This particular toy has been a huge hit in my previous classroom of 3-5 year olds. I don’t think I would try it with my current class since they are all still young, but maybe in a few months I will bring it out. It is a great toy for children who can follow safety rules.
This set is cute and it has buckets, shovels and sand molds! Buckets and shovels are usually the first to break down in the sand box. But sand molds last for a while, especially when you have little kids who don’t quite understand how it works. Right now, my toddlers are using the molds as dishes for pretend food. But one of my older students (he will be 3 in the Spring semester) has been experimenting with using a bucket as a sand mold. When I model for the children how to use the sand mold, they get really excited and want to try it too!
If you’re looking for a diverse set, I would recommend this one. It has shovels, sand molds, buckets, a sifter, a watering can, and a water wheel. My students are always so fascinated by the water wheel and the sifter. The water wheel can help children learn about movement and cause and effect and the sifter helps them develop more fine motor skills and they find it so interesting to see how the sand can get powdery and they can find things hiding in the sand.
There are so many other things that you could gift your child’s teacher(s) and the class. Again, gifting to our educators is totally optional and we in no way expect gifts. However, we do appreciate gifts here and there as well as family support and engagement with their child’s learning.