20 best teacher-approved holiday gifts
The holidays are a busy time of year— so many gifts, so little time. The last thing you want to be stressed about is what to get your kids’ teachers!
But before you default to a mug or candle or something handmade from your child (we heard over and over again— teachers do not want these items), take the extra minute to think through and get them something they’ll actually like, want, and use. (True story: a friend of mine once presented a gift to their child’s teacher and was told “not everyone has the same taste!” Insert grimace emoji. Don’t subject yourself to the same fate.)
Your child’s teacher works so hard, and they deserve to spend the Christmas season luxuriating with a gift that shows them how much they’re appreciated. So follow their lead when it comes to holiday gifts for teachers— you don’t want to be the class parent who presents a gift the teacher takes one look at and stashes away in a drawer forever! I asked teachers: what do you really want as teacher Christmas gifts? And here’s what they said– consider it your shopping list.
Luxe stationary
• $22
Rifle Paper Co. Marguerite Social Stationary Set
Bring a little beauty to their desk with some artful stationary. This gift set comes with 12 cards in two gorgeous patterns, and can be used for thank you notes, greeting cards, and any other writing needs.
Pop-up holiday card
• $13
Lovepop Gingerbread House Pop-Up Card
One of my teacher friends says a nice, heartfelt card is one of the most meaningful things you can give. Fill it out together with your kid to make sure their teacher feels the gratitude from your whole family.
Manicure/Pedicure
• $25
Spafinder gift cards
One teacher friend said it made her feel “so special” to get an indulgent mani/pedi from a student. If you have a local favorite, you can grab one from there, but if you don’t know where your teacher likes to get her nails done, or you want to give her some flexibility, pick up a Spafinder gift card. They’re available in amounts from $25 to $500, and can be used at nearly 25,000 spa locations worldwide.
Monogrammed notecards
• $33
Joy Creative Shop Modern Classics Personalized Stationary
Teachers told me they actually use these! Order some with their name on them for an extra show of thoughtfulness. You can order anywhere from 10 to 200 of these notecards. Just make sure to include a personalized thank-you-for-everything note from you, too.
Starbucks
• $10
Gift card
Prepare for a lot of gift card options: it may not seem that exciting to you, but I heard from nearly every teacher I asked that at the end of the day, a gift card is really what they want. They’ll use it, for one thing, and have we mentioned how criminally underpaid teachers are? Yeah. So help them get their caffeine fix. Gift cards are available for between $5 and $100. They will really, truly be grateful.
Customizable cosmetics case
• $68
Stony Clover Lane Classic Small Pouch
If you’ve got a middle- or high-school teacher to get a gift for, give them some street cred with their teenage students: this is the must-have bag of the moment. You can get it customized with patches for initials, symbols, and more, from $15 each. (And if you want them to get full credit for owning an SCL bag, you should go for at least one.)
Amazon
• $1
Gift Card
Give them the gift they really want— whatever they want! You’re a mom so you already know you can get literally anything you can think of on Amazon— just imagine what your kid’s teachers can do! You can give any amount from $1 up to $2,000.
Target
• $5
Gift Card
Another gift that just keeps on giving is a Target gift card. Nearly every teacher has a Target wish-list, and if she doesn’t end up using it for supplies, Target is a great place to treat herself, too. They’re available from $5 to $500.
Barnes & Noble
• $10
Gift Card
Teachers told me that they love getting gift cards for books— whether it’s to add to their classroom library or for their own reading list over holiday break, it’s always welcome. Barnes & Noble gift cards are available between $10 and $350 and make a great present.
Instacart
• $25
Gift Card
Is there anything more luxurious than getting your groceries delivered? Give your kid’s teacher a double-whammy gift– time and food— with an Instacart gift card to get their groceries brought right to them, no trip to the store required. You can get any amount between $25 and $500.
Noise-canceling headphones
• $60
INFURTURE Active Noise Canceling Headphones
After a long day in a room full of kids, what’s better than some peace and quiet? Give your child’s teacher the gift of blocking out the outside noise with some noise-canceling headphones— these have 8,700 five-star reviews and come in four colors. The sound of silence: priceless.
Sephora
• $10
Gift Card
Skincare sets are hot gifts this holiday season, but unless you have a very strong knowledge of your teacher’s skin type, stay on the safe side with a Sephora gift card and let them choose their own products. You can get a gift card in amounts from $10 to $250. The littlest luxuries sometimes mean the most!
Lavender plant
• $38
Self-Watering Lavender Grow Kit
Being a teacher can be stressful, but the calming scent of lavender is always soothing to come home to. This self-watering lavender kit (read: low-maintenance for busy teachers!) comes in its own beautiful planter, and with its own food and growing instructions.
Plush bath robe
• $145
Bamboo Bath Robe
For a really special teacher, treat them to this spa-like bamboo bathrobe that makes ordinary showers and baths feel luxurious. The ultra-absorbent bamboo fiber is also crazy-soft.
Stay-hot coffee mug
• $200
Ember Travel Mug 2
Okay, okay, hear me out: I know they said no mugs, but this is no ordinary mug. It uses smart technology to keep liquids at a preselected, perfectly-hot temperature for up to 3 hours, or all day if they keep it on the charging pad in their classroom. No more lukewarm coffee after first period?! See, I told you they’d make an exception to the no-mugs thing.
Ultra-long-lasting flowers
• $89
Venus et Fleur Le Mini Décor Box With Eternity Rose Letters
These roses last up to a year— or more!— with no watering or maintenance required (in other words, perfect for teachers who have precious little time!). The roses come in 17 colors and you can get any letter of the alphabet— perfect to give the classroom a little long-lasting charm.
A must-have water tumbler
• $50
Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumbler | 40oz
This is the It water cup these days, and these metallic, holiday-vibes designs are so cool that even if your teacher already has a big water bottle, they won’t mind getting another. Just don’t give them the same gift next year, deal?
Heated back massager
• $85
Zyllion Back and Neck Massager with Heat
People swear by this thing. The small and mighty massager helps even the most-stressed teacher unwind after a long day at work, and the built-in heater is perfect for cozy holiday nights. Would 36,000 five-star reviews on Amazon lead you wrong?
Goldbelly
• $25
Gift Certificate
Foodie teachers will love a gift certificate to this gourmet online mecca, which sells expertly packed delicacies from top restaurants all over the country. Gift certificates start at $25 and go up to $1,000. Whether your teacher is craving New York bagels or Barefoot Contessa’s brownies, they can get it on Goldbelly, and they’ll be hungry just thinking about what to choose.
Visa
• $10 (plus $3.95 processing fee)
Gift Card
When in doubt, a Visa gift card covers it all. Giving a gift card is a little more elegant than giving cash, but the card functions in essentially the same way– wherever Visa is accepted, this gift card is too, meaning your teacher can buy anything their heart desires. Gift cards come in denominations from $10 up to $500, but note that a $3.95 processing fee applies to each card purchased.
