75 Inexpensive Gift Ideas for Students That Won’t Break the Bank

If gift giving is your love language, this budget-friendly list is for you!

Examples of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Etsy; Amazon

Do you like to keep inexpensive gift ideas for students on hand to celebrate holidays, birthdays, or special accomplishments? Do you like to have small rewards to serve as incentives for good behavior or good work? Then look no further! This big list is full of fun, affordable little things your students will flip over.

Colorful bookmarks for kids as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

1. Scratch-and-Sniff Bookmarks

Not only do these humorous bookmarks look good, they smell good too!

Buy them: Scented Bookmarks

Rainbow fluffy pens for kids
Amazon

2. Rainbow Fluffy Pens

Your students will be scrambling to do their best work to earn one of these super-fun pens.

Buy them: Rainbow Fluffy Pens

Colorful fruit-scented gel pens for kids
Amazon

3. Glitter Gel Pens

Wow, these pens pack a punch! They’re gel, they glitter, and best of all, they’re fruit-scented.

Buy them: Scented Glitter Gel Pens

Colorful erasers in the shape of balloon animals
Amazon

4. Balloon Animal Erasers

Erasers your students actually may not lose: tiny balloon animals!

Buy them: Balloon Animal Erasers

A colorful stack of origami papers
Amazon

5. Origami Paper

Put together mixed sets of sheets of these colorful rainbow origami papers in zipper bags and add them to your treasure box. Purchase includes a free e-book tutorial for creating all kinds of shapes.

Buy them: Origami Paper

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Colorful neon glow sticks are connected together to create bracelets and more
Amazon

6. Glowing Neon Bracelets

These colorful neon tubes can be formed into bracelets, necklaces, tiaras, etc. Plus, they glow in the dark!

Buy them: Glow Stick Bracelets

Wooden magnets in different shapes to use for a DIY paint project
Amazon

7. Paint-Your-Own Wooden Magnets

These adorable wood magnets make a great DIY paint project.

Buy them: Wooden Magnets

Mini plush animals as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Oriental Trading

8. Mini Stuffies

Give your students their own little lovies to read with and take care of.

Buy them: Mini Stuffed Animals

Student writing in notebook with invisible ink pen
Amazon

9. Invisible-Ink Pens

Want to encourage your students to write? Gift them these invisible-ink pens with built-in black light, and they’ll be motivated to compose secret messages.

Buy them: Invisible-Ink Pens

Card games: Go Fish, Monster Hearts, Old Maid
Oriental Trading

10. Assorted Card Games

Give each of your students a fun card game to pass the time at home over a holiday break. This set of 24 decks comes with an assortment of games, including Old Maid, Go Fish, and Monster Hearts.

Buy them: Boredom Buster Card Games

Sparkle heart-shaped crayons as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Frinn Brody’s Outpost via Etsy

11. Sparkle Crayons

You can buy these inexpensive sparkly crayons from Etsy or melt your broken crayons into a DIY version.

Buy them: Sparkly Heart-Shaped Crayons

Multicolor mini-fidget pop toy keychains
Amazon

12. Pop Fidget Key Chains

Love ’em or not, Pop-Its are still the reigning king of fidget toys. You can grab a pack of 30 on Amazon for less than a buck apiece.

Buy them: Pop Fidget Key Chains

Collage of pop it fidget bracelets
Amazon

13. Pop Fidget Bracelets

How about a fidget toy that doubles as a fashion accessory? Your students will love these push-pop bracelets, and you’ll love that these inexpensive gifts for students are only about 50 cents apiece.

Buy them: Pop Fidget Bracelets

Little flashlights students can wear on their fingers as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

14. Finger Flashlights

These little lights are perfect inexpensive gifts for students who love Flashlight Fridays and want to bring the fun home.

Buy them: Finger Flashlights

Magic scrap notes in a colorful box
Amazon

15. Magic Scratch Paper Notes

These adorable craft sets come in a variety pack of 24, featuring four different themes: Secret Clubhouse, Unicorn House, Butterfly House, and Space Center.

Buy them: Magic Scratch Notes

Whimsical refillable hand sanitizer bottles in the shape of a whale, a donut, a panda and more
Amazon

16. Hand Sanitizer Bottles

Hand sanitizer is a must-have, so give your students a whimsical way to carry theirs around. Grab a set of these refillable bottles for a fun and useful gift for students.

Buy them: Refillable Hand Sanitizer Bottles

Safety lanyards in pink, blue, yellow, green, and orange as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

17. Colorful Lanyards

These bright-hued lanyards include a safety breakaway mechanism, so they’re even safe for younger kids. It’s the perfect way for them to wear their school ID.

Buy them: Colorful Lanyards

Plastic mugs with winter themes for students to color in
Oriental Trading

18. Color-Your-Own Mugs

Your students will love decorating their own winter-themed mug. Pair it with a package of hot cocoa for the perfect gift to keep them busy and cozy over winter break.

Buy them: DIY Winter Mugs

Colorful tubes of bubbles
Amazon

19. Bubble Wands

Bubbles are another one of those little treats that will make any kid’s day. These are a fun little pocket-sized version.

Buy them: Bubble Wands

Colorful plastic hand clappers as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Dollar Tree

20. Hand Clappers

These are so fun to use in the classroom! Give them to each student so they can show their appreciation during presentations or book reports.

Buy them: Hand Clappers

Sticker sets with blank faces and stick on parts like eyes, nose, hair, etc
Amazon

21. Make-a-Face Stickers

One of the best things about these cute sticker pages is that you can pop them in the mail with a card or note.

Buy them: Make-a-Face Sticker Sheets

Assorted packages of puffy stickers in shapes like shells, planets, and butterflies
Dollar Tree

22. Puffy Stickers

What’ s not to love about puffy stickers? Pick a theme and off you go!

Buy them: Puffy Sticker Sheets

Colorful vinyl stickers for teens as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

23. Motivational Stickers

These laptop stickers are fun inexpensive gift ideas for students. This set of 250 motivational stickers costs less than $15.

Buy them: Motivational Laptop Stickers

Three light up tops in green, yellow and blue designs as an example of inexpensive gifts for students
Dollar Tree

24. Light-Up Tops

Sometimes it surprises adults how much fun kids have playing with classic toys. These light-up tops add some extra excitement to an old-school toy.

Buy them: Light-Up Tops

Assorted colorful gel ink pens with novelty toppers
Amazon

25. Cartoon Gel Ink Pens

These adorable gel ink pens are less than a dollar each when you buy a set of 24.

Buy them: Cartoon Gel Ink Pens

Assorted wildlife puzzles, such as zebra, lion, monkey, tiger, and polar bear as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Oriental Trading

26. Mini Puzzles

Help your students build fine motor and problem-solving skills with these adorable mini puzzles that feature an assortment of wild animals. They cost less than a dollar each.

Buy them: Wildlife Mini Puzzles

Amazon screen for children's e-books
Amazon

27. Inexpensive E-books

Amazon has lots of terrific children’s e-book options for a dollar or two each, and they make it easy to send a selection to a large group.

Buy them: E-Books

Stack of printable reading bookmarks.
We Are Teachers

28. Reading Bookmarks

These printable (and mailable!) bookmarks are FREE, so all you need is a printer and some card stock.

Get them: Printable Bookmarks

Mini puzzle books for kids as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

29. Mini Puzzle Books

Puzzle books will keep kids entertained (and thinking) when they have some free time.

Buy them: Puzzle Books

Black motivational cards for students
Amazon

30. Motivational Cards

Sometimes all you need is a reminder that you’re special to make the day better.

Get the freebie: Motivational Cards at We Are Teachers

Buy them: Motivational Cards

Free printable kindness posters for the classroom
We Are Teachers

31. Kindness Posters

If you’re looking for an even more inexpensive way to spread kindness, you’ll love these free printable posters!

 Get them: Printable Kindness Posters

Color pastel colored bookmarks with animal heads
Amazon

32. Animal Bookmarks

These animal bookmarks are cute and a real bargain! You can get 30 animal bookmarks for a great price.

Buy them: Animal Bookmarks

Yellow face stickers with different emoji expressions
Amazon

33. Emoji Bookmarks

Yes, more bookmarks! Such a good gift idea and so useful.

Buy them: Emoji Bookmarks

Buttons with phrases about loving to read
Etsy

34. Book Lover Pins

Looking for inexpensive gift ideas for students who love to read? These cute buttons have clever slogans that any bibliophile will appreciate.

Buy them: Book Lover Pins

Colorful slap bracelets for kids
Amazon

35. Slap Bracelets

These fun bracelets are a fad that never gets old! Just be sure to set down some guidelines for appropriate use in the classroom.

Buy them: Slap Bracelets

Small plastic jars with white lids with colored liquid inside
We Are Teachers

36. Calm-Down Jars

Have you seen our calm-down jars? These are such a good experiment, and they can also make a good gift for students. You can get miniature jars to save money.

Buy the supplies: Miniature Jars at Amazon

Colorfully decorated rocks lie in the grass
We Are Teachers

37. Painted Rocks

If you’ve got an artsy side, make personalized painted rocks for your students. Here are a few ideas we put together for inspiration. It’s easy with a set of perfectly smooth stones and acrylic paint pens made for rock painting.

Buy the supplies: Smooth Stones and Acrylic Paint Pens at Amazon

A rubber stress ball that looks like planet Earth and a hand squeezing one of them
Amazon

38. Stress Balls

You can find lots of options for stress balls on Amazon, and these globes are some of our favorites.

Buy them: Globe Stress Balls

Stacks of colorful throwing discs
Amazon

39. Flying Discs

Here’s another great playground toy that makes a perfect student gift.

Buy them: Rubber Flying Discs

Fidget toys teachers can make for an inexpensive student gift
Super Mom Hacks

40. Beaded Fidget Toys

DIY fidget toys are inexpensive gift ideas that are always a hit with students. Plus, they’re a cinch to create when you’re binge-watching your favorite show.

Learn more: DIY Fidget Toy

Buy them: Pony Beads at Amazon

A free, printable game board for kids
We Are Teachers

41. Game Boards

Grab our free printable game boards and use them to create personalized games for your students. Pair them with some colorful dice and you’re ready to gift!

Get them: Printable Game Boards

Buy them: Colorful Dice at Amazon

Coloring books to share with your students
Dollar Tree

42. Coloring Pages/Books

Younger kids especially love to color pretty pictures. Snag these adorable coloring books (only $1.25 for 112 pages!) and hand out pages as rewards. Or keep a supply of books on hand for special birthday gifts.

Buy them: Jumbo Coloring Books

Small doodle pads in a variety of colors with pen and swipe-to-erase feature
Amazon

43. Mini Doodle Pads

Kids can sketch whatever strikes their fancy, then swipe to erase with these mini doodle pads. Best of all, they’re less than a couple of bucks each when you buy in bulk.

Buy them: Doodle Pads

Dinosaur eggs with excavating tools and small plastic dinosaur inside (Inexpensive Gift Ideas for Students)
Amazon

44. Dino Eggs

Inspire future paleontologists in your class with these super-fun faux dinosaur eggs. The set even comes with excavating picks and species guides. Divvy the set up and package up each egg plus supplies for 12 special rewards.

Buy them: Dinosaur Eggs

Multiple books for different age ranges span out on a light blue background.
We Are Teachers

45. Books

We mentioned e-books above, but if you’d like to give traditional books, there are all sorts of ways of finding them at affordable prices.

Learn more: Where To Buy Dollar Books

Buy them: Fun Facts Books and Classic Fairy Tales at Dollar Tree

Set of Create Your Own Bouncy Ball Kits with molds
Amazon

46. DIY Bouncy Balls

Whether you send these home for families to try or use them as an in-class science experiment, they’re sure to be tons of fun.

Buy them: DIY Bouncy Balls

Selection of kraft journals with happy sayings
Amazon

47. Gratitude Journals

Gratitude truly is the secret to a happy life. Train your students to develop the habit by giving them a place to jot their happy thoughts and fun memories on a consistent basis.

Buy them: Gratitude Journals

Sticky note pads with inspirational messages for kids
Amazon

48. Inspirational Notes

Everybody loves sticky notes! Give kids their own cute pads to use whenever they want to send a cheery message to a friend.

Buy them: Inspirational Sticky Notes

Adorable little rubber collectibles for kids
Amazon

49. Mini Squishies

These are so popular with kids of all ages. Your students will love choosing one, or you can choose it for them along with a special note. Consider using them as desk pets too!

Buy them: Squishies

Multi-color pens as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for kids
Amazon

50. Six-Color Pens

What’s old is new again with these retractable pens with six colors of ink. They make great gifts, and they’re affordable when you buy in bulk.

Buy them: Colorful Retractable Pens

Yellow pencils with personalized DIY labels
We Are Teachers

51. Personalized Pencils

You can order personalized pencils from places like Amazon. If your budget is a little slimmer, learn how to make them yourself with a printer and clear tape. Then just buy solid-colored pencils.

Buy them: Shiny Rainbow Personalized Pencils or Solid-Color Neon Pencils at Amazon

Tiny rubber erasers in the shape of food
Amazon

52. Food Erasers

Yum! These adorable little erasers in the shape of different foods will inspire your students to start a collection of their own. Consider using them in conjunction with your desk pets as well.

Buy them: Food Erasers

Recycled crayons in the shape of LEGO bricks
Amazon

53. LEGO-Shaped Crayons

What a great way to recycle old, broken crayons. Grab this mold and make some yourself!

Buy them: Building-Brick Mold

Pendant name necklaces made from Scrabble tiles as an example of inexpensive student gift ideas
That’s My Story

54. Scrabble Name Necklaces

Make initial necklaces or create a nameplate students can use anywhere.

Learn more: Scrabble Tile Ornaments

Buy them: Scrabble Letter Tiles and Wood Craft Sticks at Amazon

Colorful punch balloons in pink, blue, green, and more
Amazon

55. Punch Balloons

These punch balloons are a fun way for kids to work off some of their energy after sitting at a desk for hours each day.

Buy them: Punch Balloons

A set of six beach balls that look like globes (Inexpensive Gift Ideas for Students)
Amazon

56. Globe Beach Balls

Choose your inexpensive gift ideas for students with learning in mind. These inflatable globes are fun to throw around but can be used for reference and exploration too.

Buy them: Inflatable Globes

Tiny sculptures made from plastic building blocks as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

57. Mini Building Block Animals

Have you met a kid yet who doesn’t love LEGO? These mini building block kits are basically the same thing, but you can get 12 of them for less than a couple of dollars apiece.

Buy them: Mini Building Block Kits

Metal tins are labelled and filled with mini games for kids
We Are Teachers

58. Miniature Game Tins

Save up those Altoids tins or purchase new ones in bulk. Then, check out our 3 Clever Ways To Use Altoids Tins in Your Classroom Centers.

Buy them: Mini Tins at Amazon

Small spiral notepads with covers that look like colorful LEGO blocks
Amazon

59. Spiral Notepads

Colorful mini notepads (especially these, with fun covers that look like LEGO bricks) make a practical, simple gift for kids of all ages.

Buy them: Mini Building Block Notepads

Flexible pencils tied in knots as example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

60. Bendy Pencils

These flexible pencils will wow your students for less than a quarter each. They’ll get a kick out of bending them into fun shapes.

Buy them: Bendable Pencils

Children holding bright plastic bendable tubes
Amazon

61. Bendy Tubes

Kids just love playing with these plastic bendy tubes. And best of all, you can get them for just about a dollar apiece.

Buy them: Plastic Bendy Tubes

A child's hands hold a mini rubik's cube
Amazon

62. Mini Puzzle Cube

Challenge your students to solve this kid-sized Rubik’s Cube–style puzzle. They’ll have fun while building dexterity and problem-solving skills.

Buy them: Puzzle Cubes

Colorful plastic balls filled with slime as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

63. Colorful Crystal Slime

These vivid putty and slime eggs are surefire inexpensive gift ideas for students.

Buy them: Slime-Filled Eggs

Colorful plastic Slinky-like springs are an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

64. Mini Springs

There’s something irresistible about spring toys. Pick up a bulk pack for pennies each.

Buy them: Mini Rainbow Springs

Various configurations made with Magic Speed Cubes
Amazon

65. Speed Cubes

The possibilities are endless with these magic speed cubes that students can turn into shapes like snakes, dogs, and more!

Buy them: Magic Speed Cubes

An assortment of colorful thank you cards as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

66. Thank-You Cards

Just knowing that their teacher sees them for who they are can make all the difference for some kids. Instead of a tangible gift, why not put your gratitude into words?

Buy them: Thank-You Cards

Mini waterball yo-yos are a fun and inexpensive student gift
Oriental Trading

67. Water-Ball Yo-Yos

OK, even we would like to have a mini water-ball yo-yo. Fun for fidgeting, the playground, and collecting.

Buy them: Water-Ball Yo-Yos

Colorful bendable fidget toys laid out on a clean surface
Amazon

68. Bendy Fidget Toys

These quiet fidget toys are great distractions for students to keep their hands busy while focusing on their work.

Buy them: Multi-colored Fidgets

Colorful pop-it fidget balls for kids as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

69. Fidget Balls

Another version of the Pop-It fidget. These colorful bumpy balls are fun to toss around and also to fidget with when your student needs to get some energy out.

Buy them: Pop-It Fidget Balls

Colorful bath bombs for kids
Amazon

70. Bubble Bath Fizzy

These organic bath bombs come with a little surprise inside—a sea creature!

Buy them: Bath Bombs

Colorful balls of homemade play dough
Domestic Superhero

71. Homemade Play Dough

Who doesn’t love play dough? Cook up a few batches of this all-natural version and divvy up into sets to share as prizes for your students.

Get the recipe: Homemade Play Dough

Mini stampers for kids as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

72. Mini Stampers

Tiny stampers are fun for students to use to mark answers correct, create patterns and pictures, or give each other in autograph books.

Buy them: Mini Stampers

Plastic stretchy guys for students to play with
Amazon

73. Stretchy Guys

These silly sensory toys are a big hit with kids! Don’t they just bring a smile to your face?

Buy them: Smiley Stretchy Toys

mini dinosaurs that hatch out of eggs for an inexpensive student gift
Amazon

74. Hatching Dinosaur Eggs

These colorful eggs hatch into tiny dinosaurs when soaked in water.

Buy them: Hatching Dinosaur Eggs

Smiling yellow rocket poppers as an example of inexpensive gift ideas for students
Amazon

75. Jumping Rocket Poppers

These emoji-face launcher toys will get a giggle out of your students every time!

Buy them: Jumping Spring Launcher Popper Toys

What’s your go-to when you need inexpensive gift ideas for students? Come share in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out our list of inexpensive classroom rewards you can get at the dollar store.

These inexpensive gift ideas for students are great for end of the year, birthdays, rewards, or a prize box!