Teacher’s Day is coming up, have you bought something for your kid’s teacher yet? Although parents are in no way obligated to get gifts for their children’s teachers, many want to give some kind of token of their appreciation on special days like Teacher’s Day.
The only problem is, what gift do you get another adult who you mostly only know through your son or daughter’s eyes? And please, please, stop buying coffee mugs for your kid’s teachers! We polled a group of current and former teachers who all agreed that they’ve received countless mugs over the years, but they can only use one mug at a time.
We’ve put together this shopping guide of the best teacher gifts, according to budget, to help you choose what to give the person who looks after your child’s education and spends almost as much time with them as you do! Even with this guide, it will be handy if you have some idea of their likes and interests, so see if you can get your little one to do some subtle questioning before you choose a gift.
Best teacher gifts that are less than $5.00
Handwritten Notes
The consensus across all the teachers we spoke to that the best gifts to receive are the handwritten notes filled with sweet messages starting “Dear teacher” and thanking them for the fun lessons and helping them.
Homemade presents
Conjuring the same sentiment as a handwritten note, your kid’s teachers also really love to receive homemade presents from their children. The teachers we spoke to said that being handed a box of homemade fudge or a drawing a student has done specifically for them feels like winning the Teacher’s Day lottery!
Printables
These printables are a great way to put together a professional looking gift without breaking the bank. We especially love the Fingerprint Tree so the teacher can remember all their wonderful students from that year.
Singapore Heart Pin $2.50
Get your kid’s teacher feeling patriotic with this heart-shaped version of Singapore’s flag named “My Heart”. Even if your child’s teacher isn’t Singaporean, they’ll be touched by this adorable pin.
Best teacher gifts from $5.00 – $10.00
Botanical Pocket Notebook $9.90
Now you may be thinking that teachers probably already have a lot of notebooks, but the truth is that you can never have enough notebooks to write in, especially if you want to use them for different things. Your kid’s teacher will appreciate the elegant designs of these notebooks by Typoglora.
Leather Key Ring $7.90
Made by a local blogger, these key rings are especially handy for teachers who are a bit disorganized. They can attach it to small, frequently misplaced things like keys, bank tokens, and thumb drives and then the brightly colored tag should make them easy to locate!
Uniqlo Printed Tshirts $9.90
This is a gift that definitely requires you to have some idea of your kid’s teacher’s interests but Uniqlo works with a wide variety of internationally acclaimed artists to design their printed t-shirts.
Best teacher gifts from $10.00 – $25.00
The gifts in this section are a little on the pricier side but don’t forget, you can always do a shared gift with one of your child’s best friends in class. We think the gifts in this section show appreciation to the teacher not just for being a teacher, but being an all-around amazing person.
Edible Garden $18.90
This adorable kid is meant for indoor growing and even has a self-watering pot meaning the teacher can leave it on their desk over the weekend. With these sets, you can choose between a spicy salad mix or rocket. It’s a gift and a snack!
Five Stones $20.00
Depending if your child’s teacher grew up in Singapore or not, this is a gift that will either leave them feeling curious or very nostalgic. The stones themselves are hand-sewn and safe for people of all ages so your kids could even teach their teacher how to play!
Marble Bar Necklace $21.90
So only applicable if your child’s teacher is a woman but she will be very touched to receive this beautifully minimalistic piece by local designer Kollidea. One of the teachers we asked told us how some of the students in one of her primary classes had pooled their money to buy her a necklace and how happy her students were to see her wearing it every day.
We hope this guide helps you choose an awesome Teacher’s Day gift but remember, you don’t necessarily have to buy anything! Even just a heartfelt thank you goes a long way!