Gift Ideas for Teachers – 20 Best Ways to Say Merry Christmas
A Practical, Cheerful Christmas Gift for Teachers
Browse these Christmas gift ideas and find the best way to say Merry Christmas to your teacher! These 20 gift giving tips range from pampering to practical.
First, here’s a good quotation to write in the Christmas card:
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ~ William Arthur Ward.
Your teacher is probably great, since you’re shopping for a Christmas gift for him or her!
The Teacher’s Rule Coffee Mug is a great way to say Merry Christmas for teachers, especially if you throw a few bags of chocolate mint tea in.
When I was a teacher, I received a spa gift basket — not as luxurious as the Spa Bath and Body Gift Basket pictured, but it was wonderful. You don’t have to give your teacher an expensive gift for Christmas — just give her something to help her relax over the holidays. Even a small basket of lotion, bubble bath, hot chocolate, and pampering items would be highly appreciated.
Here are a few gift ideas for teachers, ending with a list of the most popular gifts for teachers on Amazon…
Gift Ideas for Teachers – 20 Best Ways to Say Merry Christmas
One of the best tips for buying gifts for teachers (or anyone on your list) is to start shopping early. There’s nothing worse than rushing out and grabbing presents at the last minute – that costs you more money and aggravation than planning ahead.
Okay, enough with the lecture (see? I told you I was a teacher!).
Homemade or store bought gourmet food gift baskets
Hand Painted Wine Glasses - A Christmas Gift Idea for Teachers
If your teacher likes wine, here are a few gift ideas for wine lovers.
And, pictured are a couple of “Shaping Our Future” Handpainted Wine Glasses. They’re a fun, whimsical way to say Merry Christmas to your teacher.
A book that celebrates teachers
Even though your teacher may love teaching, she needs to be encouraged, refreshed, and inspired sometimes!
The Last Lecture is one of the most popular gift books for teachers; it’s by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor who gave his last lecture before dying of cancer. It sounds sad, but it’s not. It’s about living and achieving your childhood dreams.
Another popular book that makes a great gift idea for teachers at Christmas is Thank You, Mr. Falker.
Healthy presents – wellness or fitness-oriented
Teachers eat a lot of delicious but oh-so-fattening treats during the holiday season, and some struggle with weight gain or health issues. So, focus on healthy gifts for your teacher (but don’t call her fat!). Read 5 Healthy Holiday Gifts for ideas that will improve your teacher’s health and well-being.
If you’re thinking about giving perfume, read Floral Perfume – 4 Signs It’s a Good Gift for Women.
Gift certificates for restaurants, book stores, hair salons, etc
If your teacher has a hobby, favorite food, favorite place to shop, etc, then a gift certificate would make the perfect gift. Get creative, and give a gift certificate for a gas station, grocery store, or an office supplies store like Staples or Office Depot.
Christmas gifts for your teacher’s dog or cat
I have a cat, and would be thrilled if a student bought me a pet toy, case of canned gourmet cat food, or heated cat bed! Pet Street Mall has some cool products, such as heated dog bowls (so their water doesn’t freeze if outdoors) and special pet food treats.
If your teacher has a dog, read Gifts for People Who Love Dogs will help with this type of gift for teachers.
Tickets for sports events, the opera, or the local theater
Does your teacher love hockey, classical concerts, the Monster truck rally, or ballet? Tickets for an event or activity is a perfect holiday gift – even if the event isn’t for another few months. It’s a perfect gift for your teacher to use in January or February, when the winter doldrums have set in.
Does your teacher love music? Read Gifts for Pop Music Lovers – Beyond Albums, CDs, and Books.
A photo on a coffee mug, mousepad, or notebook
PhotoWorks is a company that puts pictures of your teacher, class, school, pets, or special occasions on all sorts of useful items! If you don’t have a picture of your teacher, just ask another teacher, the principal, or any school staff (the school secretary could probably help you out). If you’re consider this gift for your teacher, make sure you put a nice photo of him or her – no closed eyes or funny faces!
Personalized chocolates, like M&M’s
The Perfect Gift for Teachers Who Love Chocolate
The Mars chocolate experts will put photos, phrases, and names on their little chocolates. If you have a photo of your teacher, or your teacher and you, you can put the image on the chocolate with something like “Merry Christmas, Mrs Teacher!” And, M&M’s last a long time – so your teacher can savor this present for months, or even years.
Or, check out this popular chocolate gift idea for teachers on Amazon: a pound of Belgian Chocolates - it’s an assortment of white, dark, and milk chocolate yums.
Chocolate mint tea
I’m sipping on a cup of Stash Chocolate Mint Oolong Tea
Other hot chocolate tea brews for teachers who love chocolate:
- White Chocolate Kisses Tea
- Stash Chocolate Hazelnut Tea
- Zhena’s Gypsy Chocolate Jasmine Organic Loose Tea
- Chocolate Chai
If your teacher loves to read, take a look at the Best eReader Gifts – Nook, iPad, Kindle, Sony. They may be out of your price range, but it’s fun to dream!
Most popular gifts for teachers on Amazon:
A Dream, Believe, Achieve Bracelet is a Beautiful Christmas Gift for Teachers
- Dream, Believe, Achieve Silver & Crystal Expressively Yours Bracelet (pictured)
- Coffee mugs for teachers
- Willow Tree Love of Learning Figurine (a gorgeous wood angel – they’re very popular)
- Whimsical Inspirational Teacher Plate by Artist Carla Grogan – A Unique Gift For Teachers
- The New Yorker Book of Teacher Cartoons
- Pencil Shape Planter/Vase For Teachers (this Christmas gift for teachers is bright, cheerful, and fun.
- Apples And Books Teacher Photo Frame
Need more ideas? Read Gifts for Writers – or Anyone Who Wants to Write.
Category: Christmas, Gifts for Women, Graduation
I’m a teacher, and what I’m giving a fellow teacher are two tickets to a concert. It’s not a famous band, but she likes the orchestra so I know she’ll appreciate the gift.
If you want to give your teacher a Christmas gift, focus on things that help them relax and enjoy themselves. Not coffee mugs or picture frames, but things they enjoy doing. You don’t have to spend a lot of money.
Thanks for these gift ideas for teachers, I have no idea what to give my daughter’s third grade teacher. My daughter loves her and wants to show her how much. I like the idea of a gift basket for teachers, but my daughter is opting for chocolate. So we’ll compromise with a chocolate gift basket!
I actually don’t think chocolates or food is a good gift for teachers at Christmas. They’re eating SO MUCH junk food during the holidays, the least thing they want is more junk!
Thanks for your comment and gift tip, Madelyn!
I was talking to a teacher friend; one of the best gifts she ever got was from a student who painted a cloth bag with a lovely tree, grass, flower, and sky scene. A practical and thoughtful gift, that my teacher friend uses all the time.
Thanks so much for giving everyone an these memorable gift ideas. When I was a teacher, I received a beautiful silk scarf from one of my students, and to this day I still wear it. I think teachers would especially like gift cards, or treats for their pets.
I found a lot of ideas for gifts for teachers on BlogHer!
Here’s one, from Tammy:
One year my daughter had an exceptional
2nd grade teacher, so I wanted her to know how special she was. I took my video camera and with the other paretns permission would give mini interviews with each child in her class. Questions as what do you like best about Mrs so and so. After all kids were interviewed I had them gathered outside before school one day all together they yelled thank you Mrs so and so we love you. It was so cute. I brined it and gave it to her teacher as a gift. I never seen someone cry so much. She said it was the most touching gift she ever got
http://www.blogher.com/100-question-tell-jenny-three-kid-circus-about-your-best-teacher-gift-ideas