Finding a gift your child’s teacher will enjoy at a price you can afford can be a challenging task. But it doesn’t have to be. Here’s a list of 15 fabulous $10-and-under gift suggestions:
You’re an angel. Get a list from the teacher of practical things she can use in the classroom, and then create an angel tree. Children who want to give a gift can choose an angel item that will benefit the teacher and the classroom.
Contribute to charity. Teachers like it when families donate to a charitable organization in the student or classroom’s name. Suggest names of charitable organizations that focus on helping children, then let your child choose one to give to. Follow up with a note to the teacher letting her know about your giving efforts.
Practical potpourri. Teachers don’t often realize what they need to have on hand until it’s too late, so an assortment of practical sundries makes a great gift. Ideas include Chapstick, a lint roller, safety pins, Tide-to-Go, Static Guard, and a small tool kit. Or consider a collection of health and wellness items to keep the classroom flu-free this winter: tissues, hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, and Clorox wipes.
Conference day coupons. Conference times make it difficult for teachers to grab a hot meal or squeeze in a healthy snack. But parents can help by giving post-dated special delivery coupons. Send in a paid-for pizza one night during conference time. Or create a homemade fresh fruit basket and deliver it to the school when teachers are there for 13 hours straight.
Medley of rewards. Create an assortment of rewards and incentives the teacher can use in the classroom such as stickers, character pencils, and mini erasers. Websites such as www.OrientalTrading.com have a large variety of products and may offer free shipping.
Time-honored efforts. Most teachers welcome volunteer efforts. Create a coupon offering your services to make copies, grade papers, or prepare classroom supplies after hours. Or offer to come in once a month to read to the class, help with science projects, or tutor students who need a little assistance.
Crazy about cocoa. Chocolate, either in candy or baked goods, is a top choice amongst teachers. If you make something yourself, include the recipe, so they can duplicate it when they are craving chocolate in the future.
Thumbs-up planter. Purchase a terra cotta pot and have your child place random thumbprints on it using different colors of paint. Use a permanent marker to turn the thumbprints into different bugs and flowers. Fill the pot with a live plant and attach a note that says, “Thank you for helping children grow.”
Best bet bookends. Every classroom needs bookends, but they can be costly. If you can’t find a set on sale, pick up a couple of bricks from the home improvement store and cover them with a layer of soft foam and school-themed material.
You’ve got talent! If you have a special skill, talent, or interest, gift it to your teacher. Are you a hair stylist? Offer a haircut. Manicurist? Offer a manicure. If you like to bake, treat your teacher to a baker’s choice club membership. Whip up a batch of cinnamon rolls and include a coupon for one baked good every month between now and school year’s end. In the future, deliver the baked item on the same day each month so your teacher knows when to expect it.
Take note! Writing supplies are a useful luxury. Purchase a pack of pretty stationery, blank thank you notes, or paper with matching envelopes so the teacher can write letters to her parents. Or personalize the gift by having your child paint a watercolor picture. Scan it on the computer, crop the image, print it on vellum paper and then mount it onto colored cardstock and give it with matching envelopes.
Bestow books. Purchase your child’s favorite book and donate it to the school library. On the inside cover, have your child create a sticker that says, “Donated in honor of (teacher’s name) by (child’s name),” along with the date.
Reel fine. Make a movie-themed package and include a $5 gift card to Redbox movie rentals, a box of microwave popcorn, and Swedish Fish or Milk Duds candy. Stop by a local movie theater and purchase a clean popcorn bucket for a minimal cost to use for themed packaging.
Great games. Keep kids occupied indoors during inclement weather by purchasing classroom games. Find out what games and activities the teacher does and doesn’t have, then watch for sales in store flyers, look online, or find them at a garage sale.
Kid crafted. Teachers agree the best gifts come from the heart, not the pocket. Cards with sincere sentiments or pictures drawn by students are the most cherished presents of all.
Denise Morrison Yearian is a former educator and editor of two parenting magazines, and the mother of three children and four grandchildren.
Group project
Need some collective classroom gifts suggestions? Consider these:
• Invite several families to join you in taking out a children’s magazine subscription for the classroom. Websites such as www.Amazon.com and www.MagazinesUSA.com offer deeply discounted rates to such publications as Highlights, Ranger Rick, Your Big Backyard and more.
• Pick up a small, flip-style photo album and fill it with crowd-pleasing recipes submitted by other families in the classroom. Title it, “Class of 2017 Cookbook” and package it together with a couple of kitchen accessories: spatula, mixing spoons, and measuring cups.
• Teachers love to help other students learn. Gather money from other families and purchase a gift certificate to a local cosmetology school for a manicure, pedicure, or haircut. Package it with a comb, brush, deep hair conditioning packet, and the school’s brochure of services.
• Gift certificates are a popular present this time of year. Suggest students in the classroom all purchase $5 gift cards to the same educational, book, or dollar store, or local eatery. Collectively, it will make enough to buy something useful or give the teacher a night out on the town.
