25 A+ Teacher Gift Ideas to Give on the Last Day of School
As another school year winds down, you'll want to start the summer vacation off on the right foot: By making the teachers who have shaped your scholars' minds and molded them as people over the past year know that they're valued. You can send them something nice for Teacher Appreciation Week, which falls between May 8 and May 12 in 2023, or you can send them off onto the school break with a thoughtful teacher gift.
But what to choose? Ask a teacher, and they'll say a thoughtful note from their students is all they really need — but we know they deserve more. A gift card is always appreciated, and it'll let them get exactly what they want, but that can feel so impersonal. Or, if your teacher or school has any fundraisers up at DonorsChoose — a site where teachers and administrators can list the supplies they need for their classrooms or the projects they want to fund — you can always donate and know you're benefitting the whole class.
But if you're looking for something else, these are the best end-of-year teacher gifts for 2023. Some are personalized, so the teacher in your life know it was made just for them. Others are fun upgrades to needed school supplies, because by the end of the year they'll probably need a refresh. And a few are those just-because gifts certain to make a teacher smile. Give them individually, or get everyone involved and make it a class gift, and you're sure to find something that'll make your teacher say, "A+!"
KennieBStyles Journals
amazon.com
$8.99
Students are going to say some bonkers things over the years. This journal gives your child's teacher a place to write them all down, so they can remember the corkers for years to come. You never know which of your child's quotes might make it in there!
(KennieBStyles Journals)
BALORAY
amazon.com
$10.99
Upgrade those brown-bag meals to something with a little more style. This is just the right size to bring a packed lunch, and the insulation inside keeps food cool or hot for four hours. It also comes in loads of different patterns.
(BALORAY)
Rifle Paper Co.
amazon.com
$34.00
This beautiful desk set has everything they need to keep their supplies organized. It comes with pencils, push pins, binder clips, paper clips, magnets, a tear-off notepad and an eraser — they'll be all set for next year!
(Rifle Paper Co.)
Papeterie Bleu
amazon.com
$5.99
At the end of the day, anything you can give a teacher to relax is appreciated. This book offers coloring sheets with funny phrases like, "Thursday feels like Day 4 of a hostage situation."
(Papeterie Bleu)
COOLBROS
amazon.com
$9.99
This cute elephant will hold their pens and their phone, for some much-needed desktop organization. There are three different designs to choose from.
(COOLBROS)
Brussel's Bonsai
amazon.com
$34.48
Yes, you can order live plants from Amazon! Wouldn't adding a little greenery be such a nice thing for a teacher's desk? (Note: the types of plants in stock are subject to seasonal availability.)
(Brussel's Bonsai)
Knock Knock
amazon.com
$11.77
Since the thought really does count more than the gifts, have your student fill out the prompts in this fill-in-the-blank book. Or, you can do it as a class, and have every student fill out one page.
(Knock Knock)
Pink Pueblo
etsy.com
$26.99
You can personalize everything about this stamp, from the look of the teacher (add glasses, facial hair or a tie, or go for a long-hair version), to the font and message. They'll enjoy adding a personal touch to all of their assignments.
(Etsy/PinkPueblo2)
Sleeping Bear Press
braveandkindbooks.com
$16.99
This book details all the different ways a teacher can affect the lives of their students. Have your kid add their own thoughts as an inscription or on a card.
(Sleeping Bear Press)
PARBEE
amazon.com
$10.99
Every teacher can use another plant for the classroom. Buy a cute, easy-to-care for succulent online or at a local flower shop, and you can give it a heartfelt meaning with this wooden tag (plant not included). It comes in a set of 20 tags, so you can give one to each kid in the class, save them for use throughout their school careers or use them for after-school babysitters, nannies, grandparents or other caregivers.
(PARBEE)
Generic
amazon.com
$12.99
True fact: Teachers never have enough tote bags. There are nine styles of bags here to choose from, each of which can be personalized with a teacher's name. If you want to make it a class gift, you can fill it with your teacher's favorite snacks or needed classroom supplies before you gift it.
(Generic)
UAREHIBY
amazon.com
$28.99
If everyone chips in, you can get this thank-you-in-a-box with pre-selected gifts. It comes with a 20-oz drink tumbler, a coffee mug, a rose sandalwood candle, all of which have "teacher" messages on them, plus a jewelry plate, a pen and a greeting card.
(UAREHIBY)
Winoxy Designs
amazon.com
$13.00
Send your teacher home with a sweet note of thanks — literally. Each set comes with one potholder, one rubber spatula and baking mix.
(Winoxy Designs)
Lindsay Lucas Candles
etsy.com
$12.91
It'd be hard for any teacher not to be moved by the quote on this candle. As an added bonus, there's a selection of more than 50 fragrances to choose from, and it comes in three sizes.
(LindsayLucasCandles)
Minted
minted.com
$24.00
First-day-of-school photos get all the glory, but end-of-the-year photos show how much they've grown. Gift your teacher with a personalized poster of the entire class. You can get this in a range of sizes, from a desktop 5" x 7" ($24) to a huge 40" x 54" poster ($230). If you can swing it, you can make it extra special by getting each kid to sign their photo.
(Minted)
ban.do
bando.com
$24.95
Everyone knows the secret to tackling a to-do list is to have a pretty planner to write all the tasks down in. This one has space for schedules, priorities, checklists and shopping lists while still maintaining a positive vibe. The pages are undated, so they can use it whenever their previous planner runs out (probably at the end of the academic year).
(ban.do)
Paper Source
papersource.com
$54.20
Notes home from the teacher will feel so much more refined on a set of personalized stationary. You can get a bundle of 20 ($54.20), or make it a class gift and give a larger set (100 cards is $192.50). There are many other design options as well, though the bookshelf feels very teacher-appropriate.
(Paper Source)
Chronicle Books
bookshop.org
$9.25
This book compiles the funniest, weirdest, wrong test answers ever put to paper — which means lots of laughs for teachers, who've all had a student say something out of left-field.
(Chronicle Books)
Kate Spade New York
amazon.com
$19.95
Students steal pencils from teachers all the time. Pay them back — with upgrades — with this Kate Spade mechanical pencil set. These come in pretty gold dots, but there are a few different designs to choose from.
(Kate Spade New York)
Generic
amazon.com
$19.98
Show your teacher that they're the sharpest by putting their name on an oversized desk pencil. You can customize the wooden sign, and they can put it on the desk or use Command strips to attach it to a wall.
(Generic)
Cadence
keepyourcadence.com
$14.00
Cadence's capsules keep small amounts of everything sorted, from pills to lotions to little things like change or thumb tacks. And the containers are magnetic, so they really fit together and stay together in a drawer. Teachers can use them in their desks, or, if they're traveling over the summer, they can be used for toiletries since they hold a TSA-approved amount of liquid.
(Cadence)
GodlyGorgeous
etsy.com
$11.20
If you're looking for just a little something to go with that thank-you note, this notepad lets teachers see their week at a glance. Summer plans sorted!
(GodlyGorgeous)
Harlem Candle Co.
nordstrom.com
$48.00
What a teacher really needs after this year? A minute to breathe and unwind. This candle — which has a cozy-sounding scent called "Home" that smells of citrus and green tea — can help.
(Harlem Candle Co.)
CopperandBrassPaper
etsy.com
$24.00
Teachers can jot down all of their ideas for next year using this handy "educator" stationery set. This bundle comes with a 9" x 12" acrylic clipboard and a pad with 50 sheets of paper.
(CopperandBrassPaper)"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
It's been a hard, weird year, and educators managed to work miracles. Give them a big send-off and show your appreciation with these end-of-year teacher gifts.