Hi everyone, I have two children my fouryearold son and my eightyearold daughter and I’m looking for a Christmas gift for their teachers They’re great, and I want to give them something they’ll really enjoy I’ve already given them chocolates and a gift card, but this time I want to do something different Do you have any great gift ideas for other parents And if they’re teachers, what gifts have they received that they’ve been especially excited about Thanks for your suggestions
I have many teacher friends who appreciate the following Gift cards to Target or their favorite coffee shop or restaurant School supplies or other items on their New Year’s wish list that they didn’t buy A nice little kit tissues, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, pill bottles, etc These are things they receive in abundance and don’t need more of more coffee mugs, more food, more candles, or more bath and body lotions or fragrances
I taught first and second grade To be honest, gift cards have always been one of my favorite gifts I remember a student giving me a Subway gift card because she noticed I liked bringing Subway sandwiches for lunch, which I thought was really sweet I think this is a little controversial on teacher forums, but I also loved my students’ handmade Christmas ornaments I still hang them on my tree every year, even though I haven’t taught in over five years, and now my own kids make them for me The only other memory I have from my time teaching is a long, handwritten letter from a parent telling me what a difference I made for their daughter That meant so much to me I’ve heard others suggest sending a copy of that letter to the principal, which I think is even better But no cups or mugs, please 
I read in another article that gift cards for school supplies are a blessing, since many are paid for out of my own pocket The same article said “no cups” it made me laugh because I lost count of how many times I filled cups with candy when my kids were little Apparently, everyone gets boxes of cups every year at the end of the year
I’m my partner’s teacher, and we talk about it After so many years of teaching, there’s no more trash Everyone has the same ideas bags, mugs, Yeti cups, and decor Now multiply that by 20 or 30 and repeat this every year, and it feels like you’re being mugbombed My partner would say cash or a pretty large gift card, like a Target one sometimes he gets fastfood gift cards to places we never eat, but I also know he appreciates kind words from kids He keeps them all in a box in the closet for years The coolest and most memorable gift he received this year was a handwritten note for our daughter thanking him for sharing her dad with them and telling him how proud she must be to have such a great teacher as a father That really touched him He’ll also be happy with a simple chocolate bar or something equally simple that he can eat or share Homecooked food, on the other hand, isn’t
I was a teacher In addition to handwritten cards I kept the prettiest ones, I loved personalized notepads to send notes home You might find this list helpful
My sister is a teacher, and I know she’s said in the past that gift cards are the best and dryerase markers are gold 
Gift cards No bags, mugs, cups, or table decorations for teachers Believe me, we’ve received tons of them over the years If you know they love something in particular, give them a gift card Crumbl cookies, coffee shops, and fastfood restaurants ChickfilA, Panera, Chipotle, etc are great too If you want to treat yourself, give them a gift card to a good local restaurant But nothing is mandatory A little note or card handwritten or drawn by your child is THE BEST gift Seriously
I’d stick with gift cards and chocolates My motherinlaw is a retired teacher the number of mugs, apples, body lotions, shower gels, and other things she received was staggering She was also aware that her parents had spent time and money on her, and she couldn’t part with anything She’s been retired for 20 years Whenever she gives us something, I take it and throw it away or give it away The other day, I threw body lotion and shower gel into a gift bag A friend has a bunch of children’s Christmas ornaments with names and school years on them She didn’t want to hang them on her tree, so she put them in her classroom and kept receiving more and more She stopped doing that a few years ago it’s in a box in her garage, and she’ll probably throw it away If you don’t know if it’s something the kids will need, I’d stick with gift cards
I asked my teacher friends, and the answer was the same as many others here a nice handwritten note or card is always welcome, and if you really want to get them something, then a gift card to a small, local business like a coffee shop or restaurant or Target, etc The few times I’ve taken the time to buy something unique, I’ve later realized how much clutter I’ve created These teachers are amazing and sometimes receive over 30 unique gifts a year some give Christmas gifts, plus gifts from friends and family It’s impossible to find space for it all Imagine receiving 30 more gifts each year on top of the ones you’re getting today
My daughter was a teacher, and despite her meager salary, she poured so much love and energy into her students Her favorite gifts were gift cards Gas stations, Target, Walmart, supermarkets, Starbucks She used them throughout the year for little things she couldn’t afford, but also for things in her classroom Whenever I was with her and pulled one out of her wallet, she would say, “Thank you to the parents of insert child’s name here”
I’m a middle school teacher at a small coed school, so I don’t get many gifts, but they’re welcomed The best gifts are the consumables I buy for myself candy, coffee, etc and gift cards I gave my kids’ teachers BBW foam soap with a gift card from a larger convenience store, not BBW so they could use it all gift cards, but it still felt like a gift I was called a germophobe when I said the following in another post “Please don’t give homemade food as gifts I don’t want to say I don’t trust other people’s kitchens, but I don’t trust other people’s kitchens” I throw away homemade food unless it comes from someone I’ve spent time with
Gifts that were popular with my daughter’s teachers included peppermint bark from a local candy store, gift cards to a bookstore, hand warmers, Starbucks hot chocolate mix, and personalized postage stamps
At our school, we give teachers a form to fill out with their requests It includes questions like What do you want a 15 voucher for Savory or sweet snacks With this information, we can buy them gifts for Christmas, birthdays, and holidays
When I ask this question, the most common response from teachers is gift cards I love giving gifts Every year I give the same thing a nice pair of socks and an Amazon gift card
Wait, we have to give gifts to teachers Oh, I want to open a savings account for all my friends’ birthdays, and now this I have a son going to school for the first time Can I buy him a 10 gift card He has two teachers, and I don’t want to spend a lot