We sure love our teachers, don’t we? They work hard, and they deserve our thanks. But teachers don’t need more apples, so what else can you do to show your favorite teacher how thankful you are for him or her? Here are a few inexpensive but creative ways for you to show your teacher appreciation.
- Frame a handwritten letter. Nothing says how thankful you are like words from the heart. You can get an inexpensive frame from a dollar store and use colored paper, markers and stickers to write a personal letter to your teacher. Talk about a favorite classroom memory or tell your teacher how they helped you learn or become a better student.
- Make your teacher laugh. Teachers can have bad days, too, and a laugh out loud jokes for kids book might be just the thing to get her laughing again. A book full of clean, family-friendly jokes she can share with the kids in her classroom is a great way to show your appreciation.
- Every teacher has lots of books to read, and personalized reading bookmarks are a great gift. Get a set of eight kraft-style bookmarks with your teacher’s name on each one. Your teacher will think of you every time he or she sees a bookmark.
- Give a pretty plant. You can pick up an inexpensive but colorful plant that will bloom all summer long and remind your teacher of you. Pansies, petunias, and marigolds are all great choices. Take a terra cotta pot, spray paint it with black chalkboard paint, and write a special thank you to your teacher like “Thank you for helping me grow!”
- A gift of hearts. Give a gift of hearts, from the heart! A battery operated light up heart lights necklace is the perfect way to show your heart felt appreciation for your teacher. Add some pretty prismatic heart stickers and your teacher can give the gift of smiling hearts or use them to decorate anything she wants.
- Give supplies. Your teacher probably used her own money to supplement classroom supplies all year. Why not give the gift of school supplies? Pastel #2 pencils or pencils in green, yellow, red, orange, pink, blue, or purple, or decorated with camouflage, sweet things, smiley faces, sports equipment, unicorns, or leopard print will help your teacher stock up for next year. Yummy scented glitter gel pens are a great idea, too
- Lifesavers/Smarties gift. Take a clear water bottle, mason jar, or clear plastic tumbler with lid and straw your teacher can reuse. Fill it with either lifesavers or smarties candies, and attach a label that says “Thanks for being such a lifesaver this year” or “Thank you for making us all such smarties”. Your teacher will smile and enjoy the contents as well as the reusable container. Now that’s smart gift giving!
- Get your teacher’s attention. A mini-megaphone voice changer is a great gift to give your teacher. The voice changer amplifies and disguises the teacher’s voice with four different voice effects. A great and fun tool to use in the classroom!
- Be inspirational. The Berenstain Bears five minute inspirational stories book is a reading time favorite. With stories about making friends, finding courage, and more, this hardcover book will help your teacher inspire students for years to come.
- Sometimes, when it’s been a poopy day, a sprinkle poop emoji pillow is just the thing to make it all go away. Your teacher will get a smile from this colorful, vanilla-scented pillow that makes a great classroom decoration. Or, you could choose an emoji heart eyes pillow for your teacher instead. Either way, your teacher will appreciate the thought behind the practical choice for a teacher appreciation gift.
There you have it; ten inexpensive yet thoughtful ways to say “thank you” and “I appreciate all you’ve done for me” to your teacher.
