Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

May 4, 2021

Teachers at Southshore schools have been anchors this year, holding everybody steady through the rocky waves and uncertain waters of a pandemic-stricken world. So how can we thank these calm navigators, who are likely as ready as the rest of us to return to normalcy? Here are some teacher appreciation ideas as we near the end of the 2020-2021 school year.

DIY Thanks to Amazing Teachers

Teacher Appreciation Week is the second week of May so there’s time to make and give something special to that amazing teacher in your life/your kid’s life. For example, one quick and easy way to personalize a gift, is with a painted planter. You can snag a small terra cotta clay pot at Home Depot for 48 cents (two inches) to $1.98 for a 4.75 inch version. A little paint, and the words “Thanks for helping me grow!” with plants from Costco, and voila – lasting appreciation. 

Take any practical gift, like say a calculator – which comes in handy every year, especially if the teacher’s device has walked off in 2021, and add a personalized note, like this idea, from Positively Splendid. It offers a downloadable gift tag, and a how-to, step-by-step and is one of a dozen thank-you ideas curated by Big DIY Ideas.

Inspiration for Appreciation 

Pinterest is, of course, a great place to get inspired by DIYers. With lots of options for creative, thank-you gift tags, from “You’re the Bomb” attached to a bath bomb, or “For Being the Light a Child’s Life,” attached to a programmable LED candle. There’s even an idea for a cover for an Amazon gift card  “You’re Such an Amazing Teacher!” playing on the Amazon/amazing connection.

This link will take you to visual tips for kits and packages of goodies, like assembled ingredients for s’mores – graham crackers, marshmallows and a Hershey® bar (“WE NEED S’MORE TEACHERS LIKE YOU!”) or a box with ice cream toppings (“A TREAT FOR A FAVORITE TEACH”), or a lollipop bouquet (“FOR ALL THE DAYS THAT SUCK!”). Skip to My Lou has free printables, ideas for gifts in a jar (cookies, candies, etc.), and innovative gift card holders.

Going All Out for Teachers

We love this idea, a basket or tote bag with a beach towel, sunscreen, a beach read (and here’s a list of escape page-turners from Oprah Daily), a bottled water and/or an insulated water bottle. You can add some accessories from your own imagination, like sunglasses, a t-shirt or swimsuit cover-up, flip-flops, earphones for blocking out peripheral noise, and a playlist from Spotify or Pandora.

What would we do without Etsy? Not only is it a source of inspiration, it’s a great go-to when you want something super special for an exceptional teacher and nothing ordinary will do. From mini-spa boxes and personalized marble “mentor” plaques, to live orchids, personalized tumblers, key chains, clothing, and classroom or lawn signs. 

Thank You Diva, the expert on thank you gifts of every size and extravagance, has great ideas for personal, practical, luxurious and interest-specific gifts. And of course there are all kinds of coffee mugs for teachers that will make them smile, make them cry and make them feel appreciated at Amazon. 

Teachers Rock in Southshore Schools!

Teachers are the glue that keeps in-person and remote learning together and moving in the right direction! In the master-planned community of Southshore, students attend the award-winning Cherry Creek Schools, with amazing instructors and administrators who go the extra mile. Check out the brand new homes from Taylor Morrison, Century Communities, Richmond American Homes and Toll Brothers at Southshore. Life at the Lake looks like this – stunning ranch and two-story designs – priced between the $400s and the $700s.