If you’re like me, you want to show your appreciation to the teachers and other important adults in your children’s lives every holiday. I always want to give holiday teacher gifts, but I often come up short with ideas. Some years, I scour Pinterest for adorable, handmade teacher gift ideas; others, I just grab a handful of Starbucks or Target gift cards and call it good. This year, I wanted to change things up and give teacher gifts they actually want—and that support the local economy.

Here’s the thing, though. I don’t want to make cookie kits in a mason jar or craft rustic-painted signs out of wooden pallets I’ve reclaimed. Or maybe I would like to if I actually had the time to make those things. You see, most times when I try to DIY gifts, I get as far as buying the supplies—which then sit in my craft drawer for years, acquiring dust and guilt.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. (Do you feel that way too?) So I asked friends who are educators to share the holiday teacher gifts they actually want and can truly use—gifts that require zero DIY. And these ideas support local businesses instead of the giant corporations that, let’s be honest, don’t really need our dollars.

So this holiday, as you’re looking for gift ideas for teachers, childcare providers, coaches and more, take a peek below. I’m sure you’ll find inspiration for meaningful gifts for the grown-ups your kids love.

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Holiday teacher gifts guaranteed to make educators smile

Not every family can afford holiday teacher gifts, and that’s ok: Gifts are not obligatory! A heartfelt card, hand-drawn picture or simple “thank you” are often more touching than anything bought in a store.

That said, many of us are looking for holiday teacher gift ideas this time of year. Here are my favorite 17 picks, many of which were suggested by teachers and counselors I know. Happy gifting!

Thoughtful teacher gifts under $25

1. Gift card for a local coffee shop

This teacher gift idea is as easy as a Starbucks card, but it supports local businesses. This option is also a really economical present because you can get one for as much as you can afford. After all, even a $5 gift card to a coffee shop will get your favorite teacher a delicious (and caffeinated!) treat. As my friend who teaches in an elementary school says, “Coffee is life!”

2. Manicure gift certificate

Most manicure joints offer a basic manicure for around $25, and that can be a wonderful holiday teacher gift. After all, many teachers don’t have the disposable income to splurge on something nice like a manicure.

3. Succulents

“Small plants like succulents are easy to care for and add some green to the classroom,” says a friend of mine who teaches art in middle school. Plants are shown to boost your mood, which let’s be real, teachers can definitely use sometimes.

4. Nice bottle of wine

There’s the joke going around of giving a teacher a bottle of wine—you know, “You need this because of my kid”—which I don’t really love. But a nice bottle of wine is a treat many teachers would appreciate. If you’re not sure what your kids’ teacher likes to drink, I recommend buying a bottle of Oregon pinot noir with a price point around $25. Pinot noir is a light red wine that goes with almost any food, and $25 will get you a lovely bottle.

Here’s a caveat: You need to be sensitive to gifting alcohol. The holidays can be an especially triggering time for people who are sober, so double-check if your child’s teacher drinks. (You can ask other teachers, assistants or the front desk.)

5. Restaurant gift certificates

Who couldn’t use a nice meal out? For those nights when teachers are too busy planning the next day’s lesson to cook a delicious meal, give them a gift certificate to a local restaurant. You can find out some of their favorite places to eat by asking other adults in the school, or be sneaky and say, “I’ve been wanting to try a new restaurant. What’s your favorite place nearby?” They’ll share their go-to spot—and you can gift them a thoughtful present teachers will really want!

6. Magazine subscription

Once you know your child’s teacher’s hobbies or passions, you can buy a magazine subscription to match. For example, I know Peeper’s kindergarten teacher loves to cook. I did some sleuthing (I’ve been friends with his brother since college) and found out he doesn’t yet have a subscription to Bon Appetit. Boom! That’s what we’ll be gifting him this holiday.

7. Amaryllis or other winter flower

I love cut flowers—bouquets are such a lovely way to brighten a grey day. An amaryllis or other winter bulb is a wonderful way to extend the joy flowers bring, which makes this one of my favorite holiday teacher gifts.

8. Teacher tote bag

Teachers are always hauling papers to be graded, snacks, even toilet paper tubes for the next craft. You can get them a cute teacher tote bag—bonus points if it’s personalized in some way. I love the gold custom type on this tote bag from Etsy:

You can also get them a tote from their favorite book store. Powell’s and The Strand have iconic bags:

9. Gift card to a local bookstore

Winter break—teachers will finally have time to read! A gift card to a local bookstore is a wonderful teacher holiday gift. After all, they inspire the love of reading in your kids—what better way to say thank you than with a book of their choosing?

10. Pretty office supplies

Teachers use office supplies all the time, so why not contribute something a little prettier than they buy themselves? This gorgeous acrylic and gold stapler, washi tape set, cute binder clips and even paper clips in the shape of animals are all fun holiday teacher gifts.

11. Children’s books

Especially if your kids are in elementary school, a thoughtful holiday teacher gift is a book to add to their classroom library. Pick a recently published book to make it more likely they don’t already have a copy, and you can have your child sign the inside cover to personalize it.

A teacher friend of mine told me, “I love children’s literature but I can’t always afford to get the newer released Caldecott/Newberry/Coretta Scott King award winners.”

For ideas on wonderful books we love, check out the What We’re Reading section of my blog.

Thoughtful teacher gifts under $50

12. Personalized stationery

A “from the desk of” notecard set or notepad is a custom gift teachers would probably never splurge on for themselves. I love the gorgeous, luxe options from Minted (like this one), and you can get a discount code if you’re a new customer. There are less expensive options for personalized stationery, too. Etsy’s personalized notepad selections have many options under $25, and you can even use Shutterfly or another holiday card printer when you order your holiday cards.

13. Fair-trade flowers

Did you know that most cut flowers sold in the US are grown with tons and tons of harmful pesticides? For fair trade flowers and bouquet deliveries, I love Bouqs. They will deliver absolutely gorgeous fair trade flower arrangements to the important educators in your life. Ask for the front desk’s help to deliver the flowers to the teacher’s home for a big surprise, or arrange for it to arrive on the first day of school after winter break.

14. Car detailing

Teachers are busy. They do so much for our children that they probably don’t have the time to really deep clean their car. (I don’t either!) So why not choose this thoughtful holiday gift for teachers—a gift certificate to a local car detailing shop? It’ll be so unexpected and totally welcome.

One teacher friend told me, “We are always spending our own cashola on supplies so anything that helps me cover life things really helps out. I was given a free oil change once and loved getting something checked off on my to-do list for free.”

15. Donation to a nonprofit

Chances are, your children’s teachers have enough coffee mugs and desk tchotchkes. Instead of overwhelming them with even more stuff, make a donation in their name. For your child’s piano teacher, consider Inner City Arts, a nonprofit that extends the opportunity to learn an instrument to low-income and homeless youth in LA. If your child’s teacher loves to hike, donate to the National Parks Foundation. Most organizations will give you the option of printing a gift notification you can include in a card.

Special note: If you’d like ideas on how to stretch your giving dollars, see my post on how to make a difference through donations on any budget.

Thoughtful teacher gifts under $75

16. Massage gift certificate

Last year, I got together with a few other parents and got massage gift certificates. I guarantee those were teacher gifts they actually wanted! What’s more, I bought them from a local spa that was doing a Black Friday promotion, so I got them for $25 less than I would have normally paid.

My sister, who teaches 5th grade, said one year all the families in her class pitched in for a massage gift certificate and it was one of the most thoughtful teacher gifts she’s ever received.

The one holiday gift every teacher will welcome

17. School supplies

When I talked to my friends and family who are teachers, counselors and educators, they all said the same thing: Teachers spend a ton of their own money on supplies for their students. (In fact, the average teacher in the U.S. spends $479 every year of their own money on school supplies without being reimbursed.)

And teacher salaries don’t exactly give them the luxury of making it rain, especially considering most of them carry hefty student loan debt.

So if you want to go practical, or you want to make sure your child’s teacher will undoubtedly want and use your teacher gift, hand them a gift card they can use to buy school supplies. Teachers frequent Target, Amazon, Office Max and others. You can also get them packs of school supplies that often run out, such as glue sticks, white board markers, permanent markers, pencils and crayons, as well as Kleenex, disinfectant wipes and ziplock bags. A friend of mine who teaches art in Arizona told me, “I love getting supplies because I know I will use them and I won’t have to spend my own paycheck to replenish the basics.”

If you have the budget, you might consider giving them a gift card like this along with one of the other teacher holiday gifts in this guide. A mix of practical and “just because” is just right for the holidays.

 

I’d love to hear what you’ve given the teachers in your life. And if you’re an educator, what was the best student gift you’ve ever received? Please comment below!

PS – Will you share this post with a parent you know could use it? Email them the link—chances are, they’ll appreciate the holiday gift ideas!