7 Great Ideas for your Teacher’s End of Year Gift

Looking for teacher end of year gift ideas? Thoughtful, creative teacher gifts help you to thank those very special educators who give our children a lifetime love of learning. With the end of the school year upon up, now is the time to start planning for what you—or better yet—your entire class, will give your classroom teacher as a sign of gratitude.

While there is a lot to be said for a personal, homemade gift, it’s nice to give your teacher something that you know they will use and could potentially make a real difference in their lives. In fact, it’s pretty powerful to see what you can give your teacher when the classroom comes together to purchase a gift.

“What a hassle!” you might be thinking. It’s true…for any teacher gift collection there must be an organizer. But fortunately, Cheddar Up now makes this a breeze. Simply create a collection on Cheddar Up, invite people to contribute, and the rest is done for you. There’s no more tracking people down in the halls or worrying about people forgetting to pay.

gift cards

gift cards

This may seem like an obvious teacher end of year gift idea, but we feel like we just HAVE to list it. If given the option to receive 10 candles and 10 mugs OR a gift card for $150+, we’re pretty sure we know which one the teacher would pick. While some feel like a gift card is impersonal, the reality is that it can make a real difference in a teacher’s life. It might allow them to splurge on something they normally wouldn’t be able to purchase, or cover a stressful expense. Examples of gift cards that teachers might appreciate as an end of year gift idea include a major department store, an organic grocery store, or a spa. If you can’t decide, you can also split the collected money between two different stores. And a good standby is to simply purchase a Visa or Mastercard gift card so the teacher can literally use it for anything.

If you are still struggling with simply handing the teacher a card, add something to it to add that personal touch. Here are a few teacher end of year gift ideas!

spa day

spa day

There are two routes you could take with this gift. If you feel like treating the whole faculty, book a masseuse for the afternoon to give hand and foot massages in the teacher’s lounge. Complete the experience with soft music, tea and snacks. But if you only have one special teacher in mind, use the money you collect from the classroom families to buy a hefty gift card for a special, local spa so that your teacher can literally make a day of it and pick the treatments that he/she will most enjoy. We all enjoy a spa day, but we don’t splurge on one that often, or ever! If you buy your teacher a spa gift card, they are forced to pamper themselves!

event tickets

Event Tickets

Studies show that experiences make us happier than possessions. Put a smile on a teacher’s face with a pair of tickets to something they’ll love. You can have it relate to the subject they teach or do a little digging to find out more about their personal interests. Think about tickets to the opera, a baseball game, or a membership at a local museum for year round enrichment.

vacation

vacation

Present your teacher with a pre-planned getaway with all the expenses covered. See if a parent in the class would be willing to donate a weekend at their vacation home or cottage. Then, everyone could chip in for groceries and transportation. As an alternative, many hotels offer weekend packages targeted to local residents. You may be able to treat a teacher to a luxurious stay at a deep discount. Once again, we all have the best of plans but unless we’re forced to take a vacation, sometimes it just doesn’t happen. This is a great nudge for your teacher to take a break.

memory book

class memory book

If you are still struggling with simply handing the teacher a card, here’s a teacher end of year gift idea that will add a personal touch.

Enlist a few parents and all the kids to put together a yearbook. We love this tutorial from Lasso the Moon with helpful instructions and a sample questionnaire to help you collect photos and quotes. For teachers who are passionate about their jobs, there’s nothing more gratifying than seeing their impact in the children’s own faces and words.

first aid kit

first aid kit

Customize a standard first aid kit with novel supplies of your own. Tie a gift tag to each item with a special message. For example, use a package of erasers to say, “Thanks for correcting our mistakes,” or a bag of popcorn to say, “You deserve a movie tonight.” Think about what your teacher would like, get the children involved, and be as creative as possible! They will love the thought that goes into this.

personalized pens

personalized pens

If your pens disappear from your desk, imagine what it’s like working in a busy classroom. Put a name and heartfelt sentiment on a luxury writing instrument or a set of simple colorful pens or pencils. Teachers will love the personalization and dual sentiment!

Move your classroom collection online with Cheddar Up

Now’s the time to contemplate teacher end of year gift ideas. We recommend wowing your community with seamless online payments your community can make from anywhere. No instructions, app or account necessary.

Collect for FREE

Whether you’re collecting dues and fees, fundraising, managing an event, creating a sign up, or selling something online or in-person, you can do it with a Cheddar Up collection.

You’ll want to ask your group’s organizer for a link. For privacy reasons, it’s not possible to search for this on Cheddar Up.

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