The 47 Best Gifts for Teachers (Because Truly, They're Our Heroes)
Teachers rank high among our heroes. They manage to impart knowledge to armies of tiny and not-so-tiny restless people while rescuing parents from entertaining their kids all day. So it's the least we can do to acknowledge their invaluable contribution to civilization and our sanity with gifts that they will actually use. From a sleep-inducing self-care ritual box to a super-quiet air purifier to a mug that really gets their droll humor, these gifts say “We see you, dedicated and appreciated human.” Here is our collection of all the best gifts for teachers…’cause they deserve all the nice things.
1. Library Card Socks
We'll be the first to admit that socks do not receive the appreciation they deserve. (Who doesn't want to cozy up on the couch with a snuggly pair on their feet?) So if you want to gift the teacher of your choice with an extra dose of comfort, this yellow pair that resembles a library card is most certainly the way to go.
2. Modern Picnic The Luncher
It may look like a chic crossbody, but this handbag is actually a stylish take on your standard lunchbox. It's insulated to keep food fresh, has interior pockets for keeping cutlery organized, is available in a hoard of color options and is crafted out of vegan leather.
3. Make Em Laugh Teacher Nutrition Facts Mug
It's safe to say that your fave teacher is going to need a cup of coffee in the morning. This mug will let them get their daily caffeine fix while also putting a smile on their face. Listing the "ingredients" of a teacher, the nutritional breakdown includes passion, organization, inspiration, patience, free time and, of course, caffeine.
4. Ember Control Temperature Smart Mug
Speaking of coffee, why not give them a gift of an ever-warm cup of Joe with an electric mug warmer? It can keep brew (or tea, cocoa or whatever they're into) warm to an exact degree for hours—ensuring they won't have to sip on an unappealing luke-warm coffee again. (Fair warning—it's pricey, so you may want to have a few parents chip in on this one.)
5. 'F' In Exams Book
We can practically promise you that any teacher is probably in need of a good laugh. This funny and lighthearted book contains a series of amusing wrong homework and test answers that real students submitted.
6. Papier Daily Planner
From organizing field trips and ideating arts and crafts projects to drafting up lesson plans, a teacher's schedule is...packed. Help them keep their busy bee lifestyle strategically mapped out with a chic planner they can jot everything down in. This one has separate sections for their daily, weekly and monthly calendars, habit trackers, meal planners, shopping lists and prompts for goal-focused journaling. Oh, and the slew of pretty color options certainly doesn't hurt either.
7. Milk Bar Assorted Cookie Tin
You'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn't be overjoyed at the prospect of getting tasty treats. This assorted tin from Milk Bar comes with delectable, fun flavors like chocolate confetti and cornflake chocolate chip marshmallow that are sure to make them smile.
8. Brita Water Bottle
Teachers spend the majority of their workday on their feet, so gifting them a filtering water bottle is a total life-saver. This one in particular holds up to 36 ounces of water so that they can stay hydrated throughout all those math lessons or spelling tests.
9. Personalized Pencil Set
Sure, gifting your child's teacher a pencil set may be a little cliché, but this set can be personalized with their name or a funny saying that's sure to give them a giggle as they grade exams.
10. Blue Leaves Teacher Survival Kit
We can't think of a more applicable pouch to gift to your little one's teacher than this "survival" bag. Fill it with academic necessities like writing utensils, erasers, bookmarks or a coffee shop gift card so that they have some assistance in trying to survive the year in peace.
11. Personalized Teacher Stamp
There's something about receiving a personalized gift that makes a person feel seen and appreciated. Since teachers spend plenty of time grading their student's work, a unique rubber stamp featuring their name and a customizable stick figure will let them give their stamp of approval (pun intended) on homework assignments that's much more personal than the typical gold star.
12. CZYY Canvas Lunch Bag
Sure, this looks like your classic brown paper lunch bag, but it's crafted from a combo of cotton and beeswax, making it both washable and reusable. (And eco-friendly!) It's also waterproof which makes it easy to clean, so your kiddo's teacher can use it to store makeup, writing utensils, random knick knacks or snacks.
13. Unzipped Glass Zipper Bag
We love the whimsical, contemporary design of this (hand blown) glass desktop container—a playful and very convincing plastic bag imposter that can be used to hold paper clips, candy and pretty much anything else you can think of.
14. Skin Renewing Mask Set
This skin care kit comes with five dainty glass vials, each filled with the all-natural ingredients necessary to whip up a different facial mask that will last for three uses. Best of all, the masks smell gorgeous and leave the skin glowing. The takeaway? This gift provides a pampering experience with impressive results.
15. Brightland Mini Essentials Gift Set
Give a valued teacher the gift of a well-stocked kitchen with a gourmet care package from Brightland, the folks behind phenomenal (and award-winning) California olive oils and vinegars. This particular gift basket is an ideal introduction that features four best-sellers—champagne vinegar, balsamic, and two distinct blends of olive oil, both handcrafted from heirloom California olives.
16. Bean Box Gourmet Coffee Sampler
ICYMI, coffee is a teacher’s best friend. (Seriously, can you handle a kid—let alone 30—before your morning cup?) Here, a carefully curated assortment of gourmet beans, courtesy of Seattle’s top-rated, small-batch roasters—an artisanal treat that will start their day off right and elevate the daily afternoon pick-me-up to boot.
17. Gourmet Peanut Butter Cups
For a gift that tastes as good as it looks, you can’t go wrong with a box of these small-batch, handmade Belgian chocolate peanut butter cups. The chocolates come in a variety of swoon-worthy flavors (think: dark sea salt and hazelnut) and they are all ridiculously delicious.
18. Weleda Skin Food
Another excellent hand cream option, Weleda Skin Food is a bit more budget-friendly than other intensive lotions, yet it's every bit as effective at soothing and moisturizing dry hands. This cult-favorite is bound to banish any teacher’s hand-washing blues.
19. Unwind Lavender Gift Set
This care package includes seeds and a bamboo pot for growing a low-maintenance lavender plant, along with some other pretty sweet accessories (think: aromatic soy candle, linen spray and a luxurious, no-slip cotton eye mask). The whole bundle is sure to provide any overworked educator with a little pampering and a good night’s sleep.
20. Stasher Starter Kit
Eco-friendly and surprisingly attractive, Stasher bags get high marks for form and function. These reusable bags come in pretty colors and a wide variety of sizes to accommodate pretty much any storage need. It’s safe to say a teacher won’t have any trouble putting them to use.
21. Hoya Heart Plant
If you’re thinking about giving a plant gift, it doesn't get much sweeter than this—a single heart-shaped leaf from the Hoya kerrii plant that comes nestled in a sleek, upcycled planter. It looks incredibly cute just the way it is, but this little leaf will actually start trailing in time—provided it’s kept in full sun and watered infrequently.
22. Hand Heart Desktop Sculpture
Show your love for teachers by gifting this pewter sculpture to one you know. This piece of art depicts two hands joining to make the shape of a heart for an uplifting message that’s hard to miss and will bring good vibes when displayed on a desk. Bonus: It also doubles as a paperweight.
23. Clever Fox Planner
This organizer includes sections for vision boards, dot organizers, goal-setting, self-discovery questions, mind maps and more. In other words, this planner clearly goes above and beyond the call of duty—meaning that it will help a teacher stay on schedule and inspired.
24. Mason Jar Indoor Herb Garden
These colorful, frosted glass jars are especially eye-catching vessels for aromatics, but the real selling point is that these upcycled planters actually do right by the herbs (i.e., so a human doesn’t have to). Yep, these puppies are outfitted with a hydroponic system that guarantees an herb garden will grow on any sunny windowsill, be it in a classroom or a beloved educator’s kitchen.
25. Graf Lantz Felt Tissue Box Cover
Turn a seasonal necessity into a happy design moment by gifting this felt tissue box cover—and be sure to include a pack of tissues so it can go right into service.
26. Desktop Sand Window
If you haven’t seen one of these in person, you don’t know what you’re missing: A desktop sand window is an interactive piece of art with a truly mesmerizing visual effect. It’s like watching an abstract natural landscape move in slow-motion, and the reward is an instant feeling of calm that teachers, students and pretty much everyone else will benefit from.
27. Recoup Cryosphere Massage Roller
Ice therapy and myofascial release provide a massage experience that melts away muscle tension, no appointment necessary. A teacher can use this massage roller to alleviate soreness in any area of the body that’s been overworked on the job.
28. Osea for Parachute Sleep Time Bath Salt
One can imagine that an educator might benefit from a nice, hot soak at the end of a long day on the job. These sleepy time bath salts from Osea are packed with nourishing plant-based ingredients and pleasantly scented with lavender and other essential oils. In other words, it will quickly become a favorite of any teacher who wants to unwind before bed.
29. Minted Custom Puzzle
Turn a class photo into a custom jigsaw puzzle for a gift that’s both a touching keepsake and a fun end-of-the-year activity for the teacher to do with their students. Needless to say, this memorable gift also looks great on display.
30. DIY Terrarium Kit
This DIY terrarium has all the materials a teacher needs to create a desert oasis, including six adorable succulents, a glass bowl, lava rocks, cacti mix and sand (of course). Plus, the hands-on activity of putting this terrarium together is thoroughly satisfying and the finished product makes a great addition to the home and classroom alike.
31. Handmade Scented Candle
Handmade by Moroccan artisans, these soy candles feature a cheerful, but understated raffia exterior and an orange blossom fragrance that’s soft, alluring and sure to freshen up any living space.
32. Yeti Rambler 30-ounce Tumbler
Another mug on this list? Yes. For the hardcore hydrators (and year-round iced coffee drinkers), there's nothing quite like the Yeti Rambler. This generously sized, stainless steel tumbler with a vacuum-insulated design will keep both cold and hot beverages at the ideal temperature. These puppies are also dishwasher-safe and practically indestructible. Gift one and it will get a lot of use.
33. Jerry & Maggie Desktop Organizer
This free-standing mini-shelf helps reduce the clutter and can sit atop Teacher's desk or on a side shelf. (It's the sort of organizational self-care that teachers never have time to enact for themselves, so they'll appreciate you lending a hand.)
34. Mona Lisa Pottery Handmade Ceramic Takeaway Coffee Cup
These striking ceramic containers feature an intricate and stylish hand painted design and they score points for versatility, too—they can be used as drinking cups for hot and cold beverages, but they also make stylish desktop storage containers for snacks, candies and even office supplies.
35. Levoit Aerone Air Purifier
With air-cleansing power for up to 129 square feet, this quiet air purifier will have pride of place next to Teacher's desk—and they'll appreciate that filters only need replacing every six to eight months.
36. Tea Forte Tea Tasting Assortment
The gourmet and luxurious teas from Tea Forte are truly an indulgence. This tasting assortment, which includes 20 of their signature, gold-wrapped pyramid infusers, will treat a teacher to a sampling of their ten most delicious blends. Both the flavor and the presentation here are hard to beat.
37. LulaLina Design Beaded Lanyard
A lanyard to a teacher is like a wand to Harry Potter—it's an extension of their own self and they won't be found anywhere without it. If your kiddo's current teach' has a lanyard that's looking a little worse for wear, this whimsical, hand-made design with pink, blue and yellow clay beads and a fun tassel is sure to bring a smile to their face.
38. Swipies Starter Kit
A waste-reducing wonder of a product and definite improvement on a dry erase board, the Swipies system basically provides an alternative to paper. These durable, reusable sheets are flexible like paper (so they aren’t as bulky as a whiteboard) and easy to clean when used to jot down notes, lists and the like with a wet-erase pen. This incredibly useful, eco-friendly gift is a real game-changer in any workspace.
39. Petite Orange Orchid
This tropical plant boasts gorgeous colorful blossoms for three months of the year and, unlike most orchids, it’s easy to grow indoors. In other words, the teacher in your life doesn’t need to have a green thumb to enjoy its beauty at home or in the classroom for years to come.
40. Handmade Moroccan Tamegroute Vase
Any teacher would agree that you can’t have too many beautiful vases, right? This stunner is the product of the traditional pottery craft in Tamegroute, a small village in Morocco, and it boasts a signature green color that’s truly enchanting. Gift it as is or fill it with flowers—either way, a teacher will surely appreciate this unique and special item.
41. Art Teacher Palette Earrings
A whimsical, wearable gift that’s oh-so fitting for your child’s art teacher, these handmade earrings are designed with incredible detail and they’re downright adorable, too.
42. Personalized Pen
A quality pen is a thing of beauty; they’re also quick to go missing, which is why this flawlessly embossed silver one is a winner. Yep, the personalized engraving is equal parts thoughtful and practical—and you can be sure an educator will get a lot of use out of this gorgeous gift.
43. ‘Tears of My Students’ Coffee Mug
Give the gift of humor with a coffee mug that will appeal to a teacher with a wry sense of humor (and no time for grading on a curve). Hey, they say laughter is the best medicine (and caffeine probably comes in second place).
44. Fox & Knife Pasta Dinner Gift Basket
Before you spring for this splurgy basket of deliciousness, you should definitely make sure the teacher in question eats both meat and gluten. Once that’s out of the way, you can rest assured that this gift will go down easy: A selection of fresh, handmade pasta and three mouthwatering sauces (prosciutto amatriciana, wild boar Bolognese and fresh tomato-basil), courtesy of a James Beard Award-winning chef who knows a thing or two about Italian comfort food.
45. Minted Personalized Deconstruct Snap Tote
A well-made and attractive tote bag is an incredibly helpful gift for a teacher. What this one lacks in pockets it makes up for with its sleek, durable design and the range of eye-catching patterns, all designed by independent artists.
46. Rainbow String Art Personalized Door Sign
This rainbow-colored piece of decor is rustic, cheerful, and basically looks like a million bucks hung on any wall or door. Plus, the string art technique used to craft this handmade number has plenty of tactile appeal, so it’s particularly classroom-friendly. Obviously, the personal touch doesn’t hurt, either.
47. Fjällräven Kånken Tote Backpack
Teachers have to carry around a lot of stuff, so why not treat one to a tote bag that’s both fashionable and highly functional? This stylish number boasts a durable, water-resistant construction and plenty of pockets to help keep things organized. Plus, it can be worn as an over-the-shoulder tote or as a backpack. (And who doesn’t like to have options?)
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