Looking for the perfect kindergarten teacher gifts for friends, family members, or your little one’s teacher? As a kindergarten teacher myself, I rack my brain every holiday season for ideas too. Not just to put on my wish lists for my family to shop from, but also to give all of my teacher buddies.
In the spirit of giving, I’ve also decided to share my insights on what us teachers really want. Take a look to see all of my favorite gift ideas for kindergarten teachers!
Quick tip: Check your school’s gift policy before giving; some prohibit homemade treats and/or gifts over a certain monetary value.
(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)
1. Gift Cards
My top choice for teacher gifts is always gift cards. No, it’s not personalized, but teachers get to choose what they want and when they want to spend it. Whether you choose a store or restaurant, a gift card is sure to make any teacher’s day full of joy. Take a look at our roundup of gift cards for teachers that we actually like getting!
2. Massage
Trust me—this would be a much-appreciated gift to give to a kindergarten teacher. Grab a gift card for a massage from a local spa and pair it with a nice note. Or you can gift them with an at-home massager, which costs about the same as one 30-minute session at a spa.
Buy it: RENPHO Rechargeable Hand-Held Deep Tissue Massager at Amazon | Papillon Back Massager With Heat at Amazon
3. Bath Bombs
After a long day at school, it’s so nice to just relax. Being able to take a calming bath can make me forget all about the hectic school day. Ulta has some budget-friendly bath bomb options, with one happy customer writing, “If you are looking for a bath bomb that will definitely let you decompress, relax, and leave your skin soft as butter, this is the one.”
Buy it: Happy Dance CBD Stress Away Bath Bomb at Ulta
4. Card Stock
School supplies start to diminish midyear, and paper always seems to fly away the fastest. Card stock to the rescue! Neenah Paper is a popular choice that’s not too thin or thick, so teachers will definitely get a lot of use out of it.
Buy it: Neenah Paper at Walmart
5. Laminator
Make life all the easier with your very own in-classroom thermal laminator. We’ve gathered the top laminator picks so you can easily reinforce documents or make instructional items tear- and spill-proof. The Scotch PRO Thermal Laminator ranks highest in our eyes with its Never Jam technology.
Buy it: Scotch PRO Thermal Laminator at Amazon
6. Laminating Sheets
If your teacher friend or family member already has a laminator, laminating sheets are their best friend. From creating dry-erase-friendly games to stocking laminating centers, packs like these come in handy.
Buy it: Scotch Thermal Laminating Pouches at Amazon
7. Wristlet
Keeping up with keys and IDs is a daily task for a teacher. A cute wristlet like this faux leather one from Target makes life a whole lot easier!
Buy it: Faux Leather Wristlet at Target
8. Lip Balm
Talking all day makes lips very dry, and colder winter weather doesn’t help either. Some inexpensive but thoughtful kindergarten teacher gifts are lip balm packs. Cliganic Organic Lip Balm is one of my favorites that come in a variety of nice flavors.
Buy it: Cliganic Organic Lip Balm at Amazon
9. Teacher Tee
Help a teacher pair jeans Friday with a super-cute shirt. We’ve rounded up our favorite teacher tees that you can get from Amazon, including this adorable pink rainbow option.
Buy it: Teacher shirt at Amazon
10. Sanitizer Wipes
With cold and flu season in full effect, teachers definitely want to add more wipes to their stock. Lysol Dual Action Disinfecting Wipes feature two sides: one for scrubbing and one for wiping. Plus, they promise to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria.
Buy it: Lysol Dual Action Disinfecting Wipes at Amazon
11. Dry-Erase Markers
Teachers hate that midyear “Oh no!” moment when they run out of dry-erase markers. Keep classrooms stocked, and mix things up with fun colors like this vibrant variety pack from Expo. Also check out more of our top choices for dry-erase markers for the classroom!
Buy it: EXPO Variety Pack at Amazon
12. Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card
Teachers spend so much of their own money on classroom supplies. Giving a gift card from Teachers Pay Teachers not only helps reduce their expenses, but it puts some cash back in another teacher’s pocket.
Buy it: Gift Card at Teacherspayteachers.com
13. Kindergarten-Friendly Shoes
Kindergarten teachers are on their feet most of the day, so comfy shoes are incredibly important. I finally found the perfect pair that makes me feel like I’m walking around on clouds: Allbirds Wool Loungers. (You can read my review to see why I think they’re one of the best shoes for the classroom.)
Buy it: Allbirds Wool Loungers at Allbirds.com
14. UGG Slippers
After spending so much time on our feet, being able to slip into comfortable shoes is very important for a kindergarten teacher. If there’s one brand that knows how to keep toes cozy, it’s UGG. A pair of their Fluff Yeah Slide Slippers or Disquette Slippers will make for some welcome kindergarten teacher gifts.
Buy it: Fluff Yeah Slide Slippers at Amazon | Disquette Slippers at Amazon
15. Mani-Pedi
Allow your teacher friend to get some self-care on you! Call up their favorite nail salon and secure a time for them to be pampered. You can also find cute gift sets like this Le Mini Macaron 1-Step Gel Manicure Kit for about the same price as a salon visit.
Buy it: Le Mini Macaron 1-Step Gel Manicure Kit at Ulta
16. Books
You can never go wrong with books as great kindergarten teacher gifts. Check out our list of all the best kindergarten books!
Buy it: All Are Welcome at Amazon | T. Rexes Can’t Tie Their Shoes at Amazon | The Word Collector at Amazon | Swashby and the Sea at Amazon | We Don’t Eat Our Classmates at Amazon
As a kindergarten teacher, I can recommend one more thing that is always easy to give and doesn’t cost anything: a simple thank-you. Be sure to tell your child’s teacher, a friend that is a teacher, or a family member “thank you” for all that they do. It means a lot just to hear those words. Happy shopping, friends!
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