The Ultimate Guide to Thank You Teacher Gifts They'll Actually Want

What to get a Teacher as a Thank You Gift

As we transition into the Summer term (how did that happen?!), it's almost time for the annual panic over what to get the kids' teachers as a thank you gift.

I'm actually really glad that my kids are too old for this tradition now, but I vividly remember the mad-panic supermarket dash on the morning of the last day of term to desperately buy anything that could even remotely resemble a gift to give their teachers. (Hello, ADHD!) 

I also remember standing at the school drop-off with 30 other parents, all holding a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine, and thinking, "Eurgh, I wouldn't know what to do with 20 boxes of chocolate!" (I mean, I clearly would know what to do with them, but I'd definitely regret my life decisions afterwards.)

A survey of 160 teachers revealed that mugs, candles and food and drink are the most commonly gifted items, and are also among the gifts that teachers find the least useful. Only 22.5% of teachers reported that they receive classroom supplies, and many teachers appreciated receiving gift cards so they can purchase something they want or need.

And if we dive a little deeper, this survey of over 1000 parents revealed the following nuggets of useful information:

• Parents spend an average of £10.60 on end-of-year presents
• One in ten spend £25 or more
• The most popular end-of-year gifts are chocolates (bought by 23%), vouchers (17%), alcohol (16%), homemade gifts made by the child (13%) and flowers (9%).
• 39% of parents club together for a class collection while 44% prefer to go it alone.
• 8% of parents don’t buy teachers presents

What are the Worst Thank You Teacher Gifts?

My research into this topic uncovered some hilarious anecdotes from teachers, revealing some of the worst end of term gifts they've ever received. Here are my top 10 worst teacher gifts, as reported by teachers on that oh-so-reliable source, Reddit... (do with this info what you will, maybe take it with a pinch of salt, but these are all comments from people who say they work in schools) 

1. "Half eaten and expired package of donut holes"
2. "A used gift card to a coffee shop we don’t even have in our area"
3. "Three pet goldfish in a bag to keep as classroom pets."
4. "Keychain thermometer so I’d know when it was too cold to play outside."
5. "A container of salt with 'Teachers spice up students’ lives'”
6. "Partially used bottle of hand sanitizer"
7. "A bedazzled pill box… like the kind with the days of the week on it"
8. "A Christian DVD"
9. "Un-popped bag of microwave popcorn"
10. "Quickly hand written "Stick with it" with a single piece of gum stapled to it. So yeah. Stapled gum."

And there was definitely more than one comment about receiving goldfish in bags...

So if you want to find yourself the topic of conversation on an online forum, pick something used, useless or utterly random. 

If, however, you'd like your end of term gift to be remembered for good reasons, read on...  

What Gifts Do Teachers Actually Want to Receive? 

Almost 60% of teachers say that the thought behind the gift matters more than the gift itself. There are many forum threads with accounts from teachers whose favourite gifts were thoughtful, personal and chosen because of something the teacher had mentioned previously. 

One teacher proudly described receiving a set of spatulas because the child remembered that the teacher had just bought their first home. Another was gifted crime novels after mentioning that she loved whodunnits. 

Gifts where the child has clearly improvised and found something without parental involvement were mentioned often, and remembered with fondness, like these:

• "I got a single teabag for Christmas once and I still think of it fondly."
• "I’m vegan. A kid gave me a card and a bag of salad leaves once"
• "I used to wear star wars ties on Fridays. It was a star wars mug and it had clearly been used over many, many years. I still have it 10 years on, though I don't use it. It truly is the thought that counts"

Heartfelt, handwritten messages were the most appreciated, 

• "I just like the heartfelt letters."
• "I still have the cards that I’ve been given. I actually looked through them last week."
• "I don’t need “stuff” from my students, but their words without an assignment, I have never thrown away."
• "I personally love cards/notes/art/poems. I've received a couple of poems and some art from students and I TREASURE those."

A teacher at my kids' school was gifted a pack of stickers with his face on by his year 11 leavers a few years ago. Not only did he think this was the best gift ever, but he would hand them out as rewards to his students. The Mr Swain stickers quickly became currency at school with kids trading them for sweets. It's become a legendary gift in the school and it's still talked about today. Well done, year 11s, well done.    

My daughter, even when she was still at nursery, always completely understood the thoughtful-gifting assignment. At age 3, she gifted her favourite nursery worker a heart-shaped stone that she had found, carried around for several weeks, and she'd even washed the mud off it. I'd put money on that stone still being one of that teacher's most prized possessions.  

I can wholeheartedly agree that the handwritten cards are the most treasured gifts. I was a teacher for a little while (a very long time ago), and I still have a couple of postcards and post-it notes given to me by students. 

TL;DR- Generic, random, used gifts = out. Thoughtful, meaningful, relevant gifts = in. 

Basically, it's the thought that counts. A teacher gift doesn't need to be big or expensive, but it does need to be genuine. Because nothing says "here's a gift I felt obligated to give you" quite like a used gift card. 

Teachers prefer:

• Handwritten, specific notes from students
• Gift cards 
• Consumable snacks
• Classroom supplies

So, without further delay, here's my ultimate list of thoughtful gifts for teachers.

Thoughtful End-of-Term Gifts Under £20

Handmade, personalised biscuits, like these ones from Honeywell Bakes, £11 

Personalised Teacher Stuff Tote Bag- £12.50 from Postbox Party

Hardcover Lined Notebook £14 from Pogofandango

Teacher Gift Ideas Under £10

Stationery is always a winner, but we're not talking boring supermarket stationery, of course. Get them a fancy pen like this one, £8.50 from Pogofandango

A personalised bookmark with their name on - perfect for teachers who love reading. Try Etsy for handmade and personalised bookmarks for under £10. 

A personalised pencil case for teachers who can never find a pen. This one is £10 from Name It Labels

A cute pin badge like this one, £6 from Pogofandango

A thoughtful handmade, personalised teacher card with a handwritten thank you message from your child. Check out our Teacher Cards collection here.

Homemade Teacher Gift Ideas

• "Thank You" Planters: Paint a terracotta pot with a personalized message like "Thank you for helping me grow" and add a small succulent or flowering plant 
• Teachers' Survival Kit: A jar or basket filled with high-need items like sticky notes, nice pens, sanitizer, and white board markers
• Treat Jar: Decorate the outside of a pretty jar with a home made label and ribbons, and fill with sweet treats.

Group Gifts for Teachers from the Whole Class

If just 15 parents contribute just £5 each, that's £75 to spend on a gift- a gift that's sure to be appreciated way more than 15 mugs! Sometimes a collective teacher gift just makes sense, so get on the class parents' group chat and get organising. 

Just don't forget the keep a list of who contributed and include them individually in the card so they all get the recognition they deserve.  

A whole-class drawing tote bag like this one from Olive and Pip, £37.99 could be a meaningful and useful teacher gift that will remind them of your little ones for years to come.

Other brilliant teacher gifts from the whole class

• Spa day gift vouchers
• Restaurant vouchers or gift cards
• Book tokens
• Something for their classroom like artwork, desk accessories, personalised cushions or a personalised, hand crafted sign (but definitely not goldfish...)
• A coffee machine (only if you know this will be something they'll appreciate, obvs)
• A personalised photo book with a photo and handwritten message from each child with their favourite memory of the teacher. 

We once all chipped in to buy a personalised deck chair for an end-of-term gift for a sun-worshipping teacher who planned on spending most of her summer at her newly acquired beach hut. Safe to say that this was a hugely appreciated gift, and even though something like this might not be for everyone, it worked well for her. 

It's always about the meaning behind the gift, not the gift itself.