When it comes to holiday teacher gifts, most mugs, candles, lotions, soaps, and ornaments earn middling marks. Go for top honors instead with these five fabulous presents under $20, each sure to make the grade!
Bookworm alert
What teacher doesn’t love a great book? If you know his or her tastes, pick up the latest page-turner — with a gift-receipt lest it’s a duplicate. Or jump on the teacher bandwagon with the following humorous or touching titles:
Quick, easy, and delicious — give your teacher “Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar.” Buy a 1-quart, glass canning jar, then follow your favorite cookie recipe and pack these dry ingredients in layers:
Flour
Baking soda and/or powder
Salt
Sugar
Chocolate chips
Write out the mixing and baking instructions along with a $5 gift card to a grocery store for the “wet” ingredients—the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Top your jar off with a pretty bow and a thoughtful note.
School supplies
According to the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA), public school teachers throughout the nation spend more than $1 billion out-of-pocket on supplies for their classrooms and students each year. Help them by packing a smorgasbord of school supplies. Start by découpaging or painting a metal bucket, cardboard box, or plastic tub.
“Once you have the outside decorated, it’s time to fill up the inside with fun stuff,” says Laurie Turk of the popular Tip Junkie blog. “Push pins, paper clips, magnets, and CHOCOLATE!”
Other items may include:
Colorful sticky notes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors
Glue sticks or tape
Reward stickers
Colored pencils
Dry-erase markers or Sharpies
A gift card to a local store
Give your time
Teachers never have enough hours a day, whether it’s for making photocopies or updating class websites. Give your child’s teacher a certificate good for 10 hours of free labor!
Offer suggestions for “redeeming” your volunteer hours. Possibilities may include:
Creating fabulous displays on the bulletin board or classroom door
Filing or stapling papers
Reorganizing supply closets
Helping in the cafeteria to give the teacher a half-hour break.
“Volunteerism is at the heart of what makes our society whole,” says Chuck Saylors, former president of the National PTA. “By volunteering as a family, parents model giving back and provide an example for their children.”
Bug-battling kit
Quicker than you can say “Gesundheit,” roughly one in 10 Americans will catch the flu this year (says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). To keep your favorite teacher healthy, put together a care package wrapped in a white box tied with crimson ribbon, a nod to the Red Cross. Along with tissues and hand sanitizer, include:
Tins or bags of zinc lozenges and cough drops
Vaseline for chapped lips, noses, and hands
Chamomile tea
A purse hanger, a small metal gadget that lets a bag dangle from the table (and away from germy floors!)
5 great holiday teacher gifts under $20
When it comes to holiday teacher gifts, most mugs, candles, lotions, soaps, and ornaments earn middling marks. Go for top honors instead with these five fabulous presents under $20, each sure to make the grade!
Bookworm alert
What teacher doesn’t love a great book? If you know his or her tastes, pick up the latest page-turner — with a gift-receipt lest it’s a duplicate. Or jump on the teacher bandwagon with the following humorous or touching titles:
Sweet!
Quick, easy, and delicious — give your teacher “Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar.” Buy a 1-quart, glass canning jar, then follow your favorite cookie recipe and pack these dry ingredients in layers:
Write out the mixing and baking instructions along with a $5 gift card to a grocery store for the “wet” ingredients—the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Top your jar off with a pretty bow and a thoughtful note.
School supplies
According to the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA), public school teachers throughout the nation spend more than $1 billion out-of-pocket on supplies for their classrooms and students each year. Help them by packing a smorgasbord of school supplies. Start by découpaging or painting a metal bucket, cardboard box, or plastic tub.
“Once you have the outside decorated, it’s time to fill up the inside with fun stuff,” says Laurie Turk of the popular Tip Junkie blog. “Push pins, paper clips, magnets, and CHOCOLATE!”
Other items may include:
Give your time
Teachers never have enough hours a day, whether it’s for making photocopies or updating class websites. Give your child’s teacher a certificate good for 10 hours of free labor!
Offer suggestions for “redeeming” your volunteer hours. Possibilities may include:
“Volunteerism is at the heart of what makes our society whole,” says Chuck Saylors, former president of the National PTA. “By volunteering as a family, parents model giving back and provide an example for their children.”
Bug-battling kit
Quicker than you can say “Gesundheit,” roughly one in 10 Americans will catch the flu this year (says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). To keep your favorite teacher healthy, put together a care package wrapped in a white box tied with crimson ribbon, a nod to the Red Cross. Along with tissues and hand sanitizer, include: