Teacher gifts are tough. You may not know much about the individual, especially after just a couple of months, so you can’t go too personal. So when giving teacher’s gifts, think utility and disposability. Think of things that they can actually use or use up.
Don’ts include paperweights, pencil holders, picture frames, especially ones with apples or other school motifs. And forget the candles and soaps. Although there are some amazing ones out there, teachers get a lot of them, and choosing one that’s right for your child’s teacher’s tastes is tricky. Do include a note or picture from your child to add a personal touch to a purposefully impersonal gift. Of course if you and your child want to make the whole gift that’s swell, and you probably aren’t reading this right now.
And before you shop, make sure your school allows teacher gifts, as some schools have restrictions and others do not allow gifts at all.
Here are some gift ideas:
1. Note Cards: They’re small, and most people are going to have a bunch of thank you notes to write after the holidays. Find gorgeous ones at the Met’s online shop.
2. A Flowering Plant: Teachers can use them to decorate their homes over the holidays. An amaryllis or paper white bulbs are easy for you and your child to plant. Or you can buy one planted, although it costs more. And if you give a plant, remember that your child can’t carry them in his or her backpack, so it may require a special trip to school (by you).
3. Quality Kitchen Items: Most people cook, at least a little, and everyone can use a good quality potholder or two, or a new spatula. Select a couple of things or just one. Stay away from things with candy canes or other cutesey stuff on them. Black is a good neutral that will compliment most anyone’s kitchen.
4. Inspired Candy: It gets eaten so the recipient doesn’t need to keep it forever. Think of interesting color combos or retro candy. Dylan’s Candy Bar in NYC has some neat gift selections as well as nostalgia candy. Endangered Species Chocolates have neat wrappers with animals on them, and come in great flavors like Dark Chocolate with Cranberries and Almonds.
5. Gift Cards: Most teachers wind up spending their own dough on school stuff, so somewhere like Target is good since it has school supplies. If you give a spa service or restaurant meal, don’t forget to add on extra for the tip. Get discounts on many gift cards at Plastic Jungle.com.
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