Best Gifts for Preschool Teachers

The year is winding down, but you have one more chance to show your kids’ preschool teachers how much you appreciate them. Being a teacher is always a challenge, but this year has been one for the books. From figuring out how to properly enforce social distancing in the classroom to conducting class via Zoom, teachers have had it rough. They deserve a gift or two.

From something practical they can use for themselves or their classroom to gifts that’ll let them pamper themselves, the following Christmas gifts are personal, practical, and chic for your favorite preschool teachers. Teachers always love personalized notes from their beloved students, so let your little ones write their teachers something sweet and attach the note to the gift before surprising them.

Give Them Something Practical

Teachers love practical (and cute) gifts they can use anytime. Wrap up something stylish and useful for your favorite teachers, like a lanyard in a bright color or fun pattern that can hold their ID, classroom key, and a whistle. Or give them a ceramic mug or a tumbler for their morning coffee and tea so they can carry it with them wherever they go.

For their home, update their Christmas kitchen and dining décor and accessories with holiday dish towels they can use at their next get-together. Or help them prep for warmer weather with summery kitchen towels that feature bright checkered and striped patterns, pineapples, flowers, peaches, watermelons, and popsicles. Give them the gift of luxurious warmth by buying a cashmere, wool, cotton, or fleece throw they can snuggle under during off-hours.

Go all out and pitch in with other parents to give your kids’ teachers a gift basket with cute art and school supplies. You have so many options for the basket. Start with cleaning supplies, like Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. Then, add other supplies and tools they can use both for the class and themselves. Dry erase markers, pens, erasers, sticky notes, and paper clips come in tons of playful hues, shapes, and patterns. Choose a few entertaining yet educational games they’ll appreciate. Purchase a new hardback leather journal and planner for the year to come. Finally, you can buy them gift cards from art, school, or office supply stores so they can pick out their items. Remember to attach heartwarming, handwritten notes from their students.

Personalized Gifts Will Make Them Smile

Give a personalized gift for that extra touch of sweetness. Teachers go through so many pencils (kids like to “borrow” their pencils too). So update their pencil case with a set of personalized pencils that look so good, they’ll want to keep a few for their memory box. You can personalize them using their name, classroom number, or the name of their school. Give them something new to carry their supplies in with a monogrammed tote.

Choose a fun pattern you think they’d love or keep it basic with a solid color. Teachers will appreciate a monogrammed toiletry or makeup canvas bag for touch-ups in between classes. Finally, give them the gift of coziness with a monogrammed scarf made of cashmere, wool, or cotton. They’ll be excited to have something to match all their cold-weather-ready outfits.

Pamper Them With Thoughtful Presents

Teachers go through it all, from constantly switching between sitting, standing, walking, and even running to being a protector for your little ones. They deserve to be pampered for all the hard work they put into the community. Give them self-care gifts they can use to treat their bodies and mind. Set the mood with a scented candle with a soothing smell, like French vanilla, passionfruit, rose water, lavender, honey, blood orange, or sweet florals.

Make sure to choose a candle with a beautiful design so they can use it to accent their home, like an iridescent glass jar, a painted floral design, or a wooden finish. Let them slip into a pair of super-soft, cushioned slippers for comfort as they relax after class or during the weekend. Or surprise them will a gift card to a local massage studio or nail salon. What a way to treat well-deserving teachers!

Satisfy Their Taste Buds With Snacks and Wine

Satisfy their tummy with tasty snacks, baked goods, wine, and other drinks they can enjoy, and enclose the treats in a decorative basket with satin ribbons. Gather packaged food items they can enjoy throughout the day, like chips, fruit snacks, candy, granola bars, doughnuts, and packs of chewing gum. You can bake your favorite teachers some cookies, fudge brownies, muffins, cupcakes, cake, or bread they can share with their family. Or you can buy yummy treats with decorative tin packaging, like peppermint, popcorn, toffee, wafers, and truffles.

Finish off their gift basket with wine. Who wouldn’t want a glass of wine to enjoy at the end of a long week? Or, if they prefer coffee, toss in a Starbucks gift card they can use time and time again.

Let Your Little Ones Express Themselves

It’s no secret how much teachers love their kids. So help your kids make something for their teachers that they can hang in class, at home, or cherish in their memory box or scrapbook for years to come. Let your little ones’ imaginations run wild. Help them craft personalized Christmas ornaments fit for hanging. Or for other Christmas decorations, let them make a Christmas wreath made from school supplies.

Let them paint pots or mason jars for their class plants, or have them construct a pencil holder from pencils, popsicle sticks, or any other unusual items. From knitting to origami, your kids’ options are endless for creating something special for the teachers they love.