Looking for a Unique Gift Idea for a School Teacher

I have given movie tickets (regal movie cinemas) as a neat teacher gift and I presented them in a popcorn bucket filled with movie theatre type candy. The teachers love it because they can enjoy it with the whole family.
Kim Ambrosino

How about doing a whole "movie" theme. You could do up a basket with movie candy (from the dollar tree/store)with movie tickets, or a gift certificate to the movie theatre. I did this for my daughter's teachers for Christmas and they loved it.

You don't say what part of the country you live so here are a few suggestions. If by the shore perhaps a Day Trip Ticket to the waterpark. A bit expensive but well worth it. Maybe some tickets to the latest movie for kids. And there is always the bowling gift certificate. Hope this helps.

One more idea. For christmas I gave out movie night gifts. popcorn, blockbuster gift card, popcorn containers and snack mix. I know my daughters teachers so far have loved gift cards to just about anywhere in the area.

I liked the beach bag idea that someone gave!

ooooo, Since "your son has come so far with her help" what about a gas card, but you could present it cutely with a homemade card or something and the sentiment of coming so far. Ok maybe that sounded better in my head, but maybe you could improve on it.

I love that you want to show your appreciation to a teacher The good ones definately deserve it.

My son has an amazing teacher this year so for Christmas I painted his hands and put his hand prints on paper and wrote "Hands down, you're the best teacher!" and put it in with her gift bag. It was so cute!

J.,

All the thoughts that you have been given sound great. How about a gift from a craft store or a gift certificate for a mani/pedi. All teachers loved to be pamered.

Good Luck - A. C.

Hi J.,

I have a web-site where I sell my custom made jewelry. I have teacher themed watchs and pendants for $39 to $41.00. I also make bracelets with teacher charms on them for about $16.00. Since I hand make everything I can alter any of my designs to suit your needs. I offer a wide array of colors and would be happy to come up with something for you. You can take a look at my web-site and then e-mail me and we can work togehter for something that is just right.
http://jewelryandgiftsbyrebecca.com
____@____.com
I hope to hear from you, R. Neiderer

A special gift is to have each child in the class to finish th sentance "Mrs. Smith is special to me because..." or "I admire Mrs. Smith because...." Also each child can draw a picture to go with their sentance. (Each child gets a piece of colored paper). Then collect the papers and make a book.

A.

Once I bought a cherry pitter at a kitchen store and with a nice basket holding fresh cherries, I included a card that said "It'll be the pits without you next year!"

Movies tickets have been a hit as well. Good luck!

Hi J.,

I was a teacher before I became a stay at home mom. I love the idea Brigit gave. That is a very cute and creative gift. It gives the teacher the idea that summer is near! A great feeling teachers get!!!:)

Seriously, I think teachers love getting things from their students. Even if it is a gift card to a restaurant or a bouquet of flowers! Whatever it is, she'll love it!

I think a gift certificate to a restaurant so she can go with her husband is always appreciated. I know you want to include her kids but a date nite is always a good thing.

I did digital books with a page of each kid in the classroom - this was a huge hit for the teachers last year. You don't need to go that far but I plan on doing a photo sharing card of pictures throughout the year and have my son decorate it. Then put a movie gift certificate or restaurant gift certificate along with it.

Hi J.,
This isn't really activity related, but I have a website with a lot of products that are perfect for teachers. Actually, a lot of my sales have been from people buying for teachers. My shop is called The Purple Pear and the link is http://thepurplepear.etsy.com. Best of luck whatever you decide to get!:)

Warm regards,
C.

A vera Bradley bag...they come in all shapes & sizes...therefore price ranges too...& I know she sells lunch bags too....real nice....L.

Hi Jen,

We feel the same way about our teachers (our twins are on the autism spectrum and receive exceptional support from wonderful teachers). Last year we went to Home Depot and bought a bunch of perennial plants and repoted them in some cute pots we bought from JoAnn Fabrics. I think we probably spent about $8-10 per gift altogether. I also made a little "tag" on the printer that said what the plant was and what kind of care/sunlight it needed, and just tied it on with a ribbon (hole punch the tag). The teachers loved this gift! I think they enjoyed the longevity of it, plus the uniqueness and the fact that we put it together ourselves.

GL,

Meg

Go with a gift card to her favorite restaurant or a pedicure gift cert. I'm a teacher, and those are my favorites!

I just had a baby at the end of September, so I did not feel like mass Christmas shopping. Instead we sent food from Omaha Steak to everyone on our list. Everyone loved the gifts! Omaha Steaks has a great website with many selections! (May not work if your teacher is a vegetarian!)

If she has fed you and your family with her warmth and wisdom, why not return the favor. Get a gift certifacate towards a Night out at a restaurant and tickets for that special event in the community she can take her family to. It could just create that Kodak moment for them as evidently she has for you and yours.

I was a third grade teacher for 9 years before moving to kindergarten. I would have to agree with everyone. Lotions, notepads, and "I love my teacher" figurines can get out of hand. I did receive some nice presents and I would like to suggest them to show you are so very appreciative of her work. They would always write a heartfelt note telling me they appreciated all I did for them, followed by a gift certificate to a restaurant, spa, or favorite clothing store.

The most appreciated gift I have ever given and received as a teacher was food. If you can find out how many members are in her his family, a homemade meal the last 2 weeks of school is priceless. There are many deadlines during this time for teachers. For a single male teacher I collected plastic dishes thaat were freezable/microwavable. As I made nice meals for my family, I would add an extra pork chop or take a couple slices of pork loin and put in these dishes. Add sides as you go: whip pot, dressing, veg. I wrapped , labeled and dated. For a larger family, I wrote my gift in a card and offered them 3 meal choices. The teacher circled their choice, I brought the meal in foil pans at the end of the school day; they ate it that night. I later found out when word spread that other teachers wanted my children in their class so they could reap the benefits! I did this at Christmas and end of the year.

We bought my son's teacher stationery for Christmas. You can choose a brightly colored, or polka dotted or any type of note card that suits her and then have her name engraved on each card. It really wasn't that expensive. This is a gift that I would love to get! I love the idea of the beach bag though too!

Hi J.- I sell products for a company called Once Upon a Family- all of our products are focused on celebrating family traditions and values- there are some AWESOME gifts that can be used for teachers that are unique. If you would like to check out my website/products and email me directly I can give you some specific ideas :) Very affordable too...www.onceuponafamily.com/joydunn

You can email me through my profile on mamasource or through my website- hope this helps!

J.

how old are her kids? gift certificate to bowling? a craft kit? an ice cream sundae kit? book on what to do with your kids in Philly?

Being a teacher (now I am a stay at home mom) the best things to get are gift cards. Even if you got a VISA gift card, then she could use it where she chooses. A day with the family or a nice dinner out with her husband! Hope this helps!

For two different teachers, I have done a charm bracelet from the class. I have had children that want to participate buy a Italian charm ( you can find them on pugster.com) that best represents something about their teacher, then I put the bracelet together, with a list of what charms are from what kids and why ( ex. someone gave a smiley face because their teacher was always smiling) It was a great gift, and one that was filled with memories of the year. Hope that helps.

we always had my teachers over for dinner, which i helped my mom make. it helped form lasting relationships with them -- i still talk to my kindergarden teacher and 6th grade teacher every year, and i'm 31, and live across the country from where i grew up.

it was special for us and for them, too!

Before becoming a stay at home mom I was a third grade teacher. If you are looking for a sentimental gift then the best one I ever received was a scrapbook of all my students from that class. One of the moms came in and took photos of each kid. She also had them bring in a baby photo. Then she went home and created a "guess who" scrapbook. When a removed the paper with the baby photo on it it revealed which child it was. It was by far the best gift I have received from a class. If you are looking for something less crafty and time consuming gift cards were always welcome. It gave me a chance to do something special with my husband. Base it on what the teacher likes. They could be to go out to eat, to a movie, or even the zoo. Be creative. The thought is definitely appreciated.

My mother-in-law is a teacher's assistant, and she gets all the gifts from the kids too. She said the nicest gifts are always what were obviously done/chosen by the kids themselves. One year she got a stepping stone made by a child and loves seeing the little handprint in her garden.

I would suggest gifts from the heart....a cd of songs of gratitude... a wallet size card expressing gratitude that
for being a great teacher...something she can put on display in her home that expresses she is an excellent or great teacher...maybe a beautiful frame with a picture of him with or without classmates holding a sign or gift made by him/them that express gratitude.

After going thru years of teachers, I found that the best present and most appreciated is a gift certificate to a restaurant that she and/or her family frequent. Some times the simplest gift is the best. Good luck

Wow, I'm a former teacher and would have loved to get something other than costume jewelry or candles. May I suggest, if it is in your budget,....
tickets to the Franklin Institute, the Barnes Museum, Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Art Museum, the Constitution center, a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble with a certificate to the coffee bar, movie passes to the Omni theater in King of Prussia, or lunch at Neiman Marcus (around $17.00pp).
One of my favorite thank you gifts came from a mommy who brought to school a home made lunch for me and a colleague who worked with her daughter. Hot soup, sandwiches, salad, and dessert made a great personal thank you, topped off with a bouquet of roses for each of us.
My son had a special teacher in high school whom I wanted to thank in a special way. I knew that she had just moved into a new home, so..I bought her a rose bush! She tells me that every summer she thinks of us when the bush is in bloom.
Thank you for being an appreciative parent.

As a past educator, I would stay away from anything with apples, candles, or lotions, etc. Kids and families are always so generous, but I always got about three years worth of this stuff every year..........I would find out if she has a favorite restaurant or give her a spa certificate so she can pamper herself. If she loves crafts or scrapbooking, you could always get her a gift card to a Michaels so she can enjoy some downtime.

One year my daughter and I made a bag and stuffed it with items her teacher could use at the pool or beach. We put in sunscreen, a good magazine/book, flip flops, towel, etc. I think we also included a gift card for a resturant or movie. On the outside of the bag we had my daughter's handprints with a saying like "...Thank you this much! or I loved 3rd grade this much!" We used an iron-on transfer. We printed the saying from the computer then ironed it on the bag. Her teacher loved the gift!

Have you ever thought of putting together a storybook for the teacher? Check out my website at www.MyPhotobookStory.com - I am a consultant with Heritage Makers and would love to help you out.

The templates are 100% customizable and you can order anything from a 5x5 storybook on up.

Watch this 5min video to give you an idea of what we are about! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irdqtq7mF6Y

Please contact me at ____@____.com for additional information.

Hello,
I came up with a great gift for my daughters teacher that was a HUGE hit. Her teacher worked through lunch many times in her class. So I got all the parents to pitch in for a small fridge. I sent home a flyer with the children and organized it all. I had them all sign the card. When the big day came they all helped to surprise her. She loved it and said it was so much better then a bunch of small gifts.

Another idea is to have each child in the class paint or use fabric markers to decorate a 1' square of fabric, then sew them all together to make a wall hanging. Good luck!
C.

How about a gift card for a local movie theater or museum? Or a year-long membership to a museum in your area? A favorite restaurant? Have you seen the embroidered throw blankets? You can have her family name embroidered on them. Things Remembered has some really nice personalized gift ideas.
How sweet of you to want to do something special--teachers like that are a blessing and sometimes too few and far between!

J., Tastefully Simple Gourmet foods makes a classy gift. It is something she will appreciate because all the products are open and serve or just add one or two items to make a meal. Many clients have already chose this option for their year end gifts and teachers love it!! You can even order right online and check out all our foods or when you host a party you can earn FREE groceries, and who wouldn't want that? You can check out my website www.tastefullysimple.com/web/sedinger
Good luck in your quest!!