I still remember the first gift I received as a teacher. It was a shrink-wrapped, glitter-sprinkled plastic nativity scene that a seventh grader had picked out for me himself at a dollar store. I thought it was the best gift ever.
Most teachers I know are honored to simply receive a heartfelt, handmade thank-you note, and it’s common for teachers to keep appreciative letters from students—sometimes for decades. They’re a comfort to turn to when the profession gets rough.
That said, we aren’t immune to the power of a great gift, either. (One colleague of mine still uses a pair of Japanese garden shears that a family gave him more than 20 years ago.)
To compile this list, I drew on my years of experience teaching at both public and private schools, and collected suggestions from teachers across the country. I aimed to suggest ideas for a range of budgets but kept in mind that small, simple gifts can feel special too. “A $5 gift card to somewhere like Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts (or the local equivalent) is awesome,” said Mary Beth Foster, a high school teacher in Mint Hill, North Carolina. “It always made me feel appreciated to get little gift cards from students, and I never thought of it as ‘just’ $5.”
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Hardy greenery
A pair of Rooted house plants in chic ceramic planters.
Photo: Connie Park
Rooted
A houseplant from Rooted, paired with a colorful and chic ceramic planter, is a cheerful gift that can be used in a classroom or a teacher’s home.
Buy from Rooted
For teachers lucky enough to have their own classroom, it can feel like a second home—perhaps one worthy of a thoughtful housewarming-type gift. In our testing, Rooted stood out as the best online shop for ordering plants (and cheerful planters) as gifts. Many of their plants would be great for teachers, including a snake plant or money plant. Both are very, very hard to kill, so they’re perfect for classroom conditions. If you can’t find your preferred plant on Rooted, we were equally impressed by Horti’s quality and convenience, though the service offers fewer gift options.
Classroom rainbows
A Kikkerland Solar Powered Rainbow Maker hanging in a brightly lit window.
Photo: Kikkerland
Kikkerland Solar-Powered Rainbow Maker
On a sunny day, this solar-powered hanging crystal showers a room with rainbows.
$38 $26 from Amazon
With clipped on-page coupon
$35 from Walmart
What better to brighten a teacher’s classroom than rainbows? The Kikkerland Solar Powered Rainbow Maker is one of our favorite gifts for kids, and plenty of adults love it too. It attaches to a window with a suction cup. Solar-powered gears spin a suspended crystal, which, when hit with direct sunlight, projects tiny rainbows all over the room.
Mini waffles
A Dash Mini Waffle Maker, next to a plate with a stack of waffles on it.
Photo: Connie Park
Dash Mini Waffle Maker
This mini waffle maker will make any breakfast feel festive and fun.
$13 from Amazon
$21 from Walmart
$13 from Sur La Table
Available in a wide range of patterns and colors ranging from a pretty pink to skulls and crossbones (which imprints on the cooked waffles!), it’s possible you could select a different Dash Mini Waffle Maker for every teacher your child interacts with (it’s a pick in our guide to the best kids cooking tools). Consider pairing your Mini with a jug of real maple syrup (like this one from New Hampshire-based Monadnock Sugar House) and your family’s waffle recipe, and you’ve just gifted your child’s teacher their next stay-home Sunday brunch.
Ice cream social
Three multi-colored Annovero Dessert Bowls filled with macarons and blueberries.
Photo: Annovero
Annovero Dessert Bowls
Send a teacher home with the fixings for an at-home ice cream party centered around these pretty bowls.
$28 from Amazon
These brightly colored Annovero dessert bowls have a lot going for them. They look more expensive than they are, add a splash of color to any table, and are an ideal size for an ice cream sundae. Pair them with Wirecutter’s favorite ice cream scoop or a gift card for another of our picks, Jenni’s Ice Cream, which features tantalizing flavors including Darkest Chocolate and Brambleberry Crisp.
A backward clock
A close up of the Loftus Backward Clock, a delightful and beloved item for students and teachers alike.
Photo: Alexandra Ballard
Loftus Backward Clock
Watching the clock takes on fresh meaning when a teacher hangs this counter-clockwise-moving timepiece on the wall.
$20 from Amazon
The first time I saw a clock like this one from Loftus in my colleague’s classroom, I thought my day of needing glasses had finally come. Soon, however, some sixth graders set me straight. “The clock is backward!” they said, delighted. To this day, that clock remains one of the most stared at and beloved items at our school. It’s a guaranteed kid-pleaser, and with its quirky brainteaser roots, teachers love it, too.
A Galileo thermometer
Lily's Home Glass Galileo Thermometer, a glass tube filled with water and multi-colored pendants showing the room's temperature.
Photo: Lily’s Home
Lily’s Home Glass Galileo Thermometer
Invented almost 400 years ago, this beautiful thermometer is surprisingly accurate.
$27 from Amazon
Teachers will love the story (and controversy!) behind Lily’s Home Glass Galileo Thermometer. Some claim that Galileo’s thermoscope was the inspiration; others say that scientists from a Florentine academy founded by Grand Duke Ferdinand II and his brother Leopoldo deserve the credit. The liquid-filled, laboratory-grade glass tube depends on Archimedes’s principle of buoyancy to work. As the ambient air temperature changes, so does the temperature of the liquid, which affects its density. This causes the counterweighted liquid-filled glass bubbles suspended inside the tube to rise or fall. The air temperature (stamped on the counterweight) is usually indicated by the ball floating in the lowest position in the top half of the cylinder. The thermometer is most accurate between 64 degrees and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a great indoor gift for curious, inquiry-loving classrooms.
A bookish puzzle
A completed puzzle and box for the Chronicle Books Bibliophile Diverse Spines Puzzle on a wooden table.
Photo: Alexandra Ballard
Chronicle Books Bibliophile Diverse Spines Puzzle
This 500-piece puzzle features both contemporary and classic titles and comes in an adorable book-shaped box.
$16 from Amazon
May be out of stock
$16 from Walmart
This gorgeous puzzle, perfect for an English teacher or avid reader, features over 60 titles by authors who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC). Bookworms won’t be able to resist the urge to complete the puzzle to see how many they’ve read (titles include Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer; The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin; The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo; and Interior Chinatown, by Charles Yu). In addition to the high-quality pieces and beautiful graphics, the charming and unusual book-shaped box eliminates the need for any additional gift wrap.
A tactile challenge
An assortment of Small Fish Metal and Wood Brain Teaser Puzzles spilling from a cloth pouch on a white table.
Photo: Alexandra Ballard
Small Fish Metal and Wood Brain Teaser Puzzles
Keep hands and minds busy with this classic set of brain puzzles.
$17 from Amazon
Every teacher has them: the students who finish their classwork early. Keeping them busy can be a challenge, but with Small Fish Metal and Wood Brain Teaser Puzzles, hands and minds will stay occupied while the rest of the class finishes up. The pack comes with three wooden and nine metal puzzles, each one challenging in a different way. Plus, they all fit into a handy fabric bag that makes delivering them to an antsy student (or taking them home to solve) a breeze.
Personalized supplies
Shutterfly Bordered List 5x7 Notepad
This personalized pad comes with a simple gold border and the teacher’s name at the bottom of each page.
$8 from Shutterfly
Oriental Trading Personalized Neon Solid Color Pencils
Bright, personalized pencils help keep a teacher’s supply from wandering off.
$25 from Oriental Trading
Unlike people in many other jobs, teachers generally aren’t given business cards, stationery, or anything else embossed with their names. That’s why I’m grateful for the personalized notepad a parent gave me a few years back. It makes me feel like a professional. The Shutterfly Bordered List 5x7 Notepad is attractive, affordable, and perfect for writing quick notes to send home with students. For more formal correspondence, this personalized stationery set from Paper Source is a luxurious choice.
Embossed pencils are another simple yet personalized gift. If a student decides to accidentally abscond with one, their teacher can spot it (you’d be amazed how often this happens). The fluorescent ones I ordered from Oriental Trading Company are inexpensive, and my name is clear and easy to read. I also like the bright colors—they’d stand out in a kid’s pencil box from the usual yellow variety.
Words of encouragement
Several pages of Star Student Personalized Teacher Stickers next to a pen and a page of math homework.
Photo: Personalization Mall
Personalization Mall Star Student Personalized Teacher Stickers
These stickers add a unique touch to marking quizzes and other papers.
$10 from Personalization Mall
It is a truth universally acknowledged that no matter how old students are, be it 5 or 15, they love stickers. Teachers do too. Star Student Personalized Teacher Stickers come adorned with a teacher’s name and encouraging sayings. They’re also available in apple and pencil designs.
Library labels
A sample design of the GlitterPuff Custom Self-Inking Stamp, that shows a stack of books with the text "From the Library of Mrs. Sherwood".
Photo: GlitterPuff
GlitterPuff Custom Self-Inking Stamp
This stamp is a delightful and practical way for teachers to quickly label every book in their library.
$20 from Etsy
Oiseaux Personalized Vintage Bookplates
These customizable bookplates have an old-timey, whimsical style.
$22 from Etsy
Personalized stamps or bookplates make for thoughtful, unexpected gifts for teachers with their own classroom library (or to use on their books at home). I’ve had the GlitterPuff Custom Self-Inking Stamp for four years, and it still works well. The satisfaction of stamping a book guarantees that I can always find a volunteer when I need help in my library. For more intricate designs, Oiseaux makes personalized bookplates in a host of designs, including a teacher cat and wise owl. Felix Doolittle also has a lovely collection of bookplates, with a cleaner, more contemporary look.
Stepped-up school supplies
A rainbow assortment of Expo Low-Odor Dry-Erase Markers scattered on a white desk.
Photo: Expo
Expo Low-Odor Dry-Erase Markers
Teachers can never have enough of this classroom staple.
$4 from Amazon
(pack of four)
$9 from Walmart
(pack of 12)
$14 from Office Depot
(pack of 12)
Dowling Magnets Adhesive Magnet Tape
This magnetic tape makes hanging student work quick and easy.
$9 from Amazon
If it’s the last day of school and you’re empty-handed, pop into your local big-box or office-supply store, grab a set of Expo Low-Odor Dry-Erase Markers, and wrap them up. Teachers covet them. If you’re feeling extra-generous, you could fill a gift bag with stand-out staples, like this super pack of Post-its and a set of high-quality pencils or pens.
And for a unique but useful gift, Dowling Magnets Adhesive Magnet Tape is a fly-below-the-radar school supply that will make any teacher who likes to decorate very happy. It may look like Scotch tape, but it’s actually a thin, adhesive magnet tape. Once a strip has been placed on a wall, a second piece stuck to whatever you want to hang will magnetize to it. It’s an unexpected treat that makes showing off student work and other wall art a snap.
Pro-level pencils
Two sharpened Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils from our list of best gifts for teachers.
Photo: Rozette Rago
Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencil
These comfortable, elegant pencils are a luxurious upgrade.
$31 from Amazon
(pack of 12)
$30 from Blick
(pack of 12)
Zebra Pen Journaling Set
This multipack includes both pens and double-tipped highlighters.
$15 from Amazon
There are stationery lovers and then there are stationery lovers. A set of 12 Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils, the upgrade pick in our guide to pencils, will delight any aficionado who prefers a smaller set of higher-quality pencils over the neon colors and personalization of the 72-pack of Oriental Trading Personalized Neon Solid Color Pencils. As for pens, if your teacher is a pen nerd, this journaling set of Zebra gel pens and highlighters, which includes both, is a fun choice. We recommend the highlighters in our guide to the best birthday party favors (we also have a full guide to more traditional pens).