Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

2023 Gift Guide: Best Teacher Gifts

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The links in this Best Teacher Gifts post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link. Some items below were provided for review purposes.

I think it’s safe to say that during the school year, our kids spend more of their awake hours with their teachers than they do at home. Show how much you appreciate your child’s hardworking, dedicated teachers with a handwritten thank you note paired with a thoughtful gift. If you’re not sure what to get and your child has no idea what their teacher(s) will like, I’m here to help! Spoiler: The best teacher gifts aren’t the ornaments or mugs proclaiming World’s Best Teacher or featuring apples!

Best Teacher Gifts

After years of watching my mom open gifts from her students and then bringing home a box of goodies from my own class each December, I know how important it to give your child’s teacher something that will show that you appreciate them. They spend each and every day instilling knowledge in your child. Any one of the gifts below will show how much you appreciate how hard they work all year long even though you aren’t quite halfway through the year. Looking to give a class gift to your teacher? Scroll to the bottom of this post for Best Teacher Gifts from a Group!

418 Scarf from Puffer Hug

Every teacher could use a hug so why not wrap them in one each and everyday thanks to the new 418 Scarf from Puffer Hug! A couple of years ago the Original Puffer Hug was on my Best Teachers Gifts list and this year I’m excited to include the Puffer Hug® 418 Scarf on this year’s list! This lightweight and versatile piece that transforms from a cozy scarf to an elevated vest in a snap! It’s for teachers who love spending time outside with their class during recess, have outdoor bus duty, or whose classrooms are too chilly during school hours. Outside school, Puffer Hug 418 will keep teachers cozy on chilly commutes, at sporting events, during dog walks, while enjoying holiday lights with their family, while traveling, and so much more! And why the 418 Scarf? The 418 Scarf got its name from the latitudinal position of Chicago (41.8° N), home of the Puffer Hug!

Personalized Name Labels from Mabel’s Labels ($29 for the Basic School Label Pack)

Help your teacher keep track of their classroom things with Mabel’s Labels. As a teacher, my Mabel’s Labels helped me ensure my stapler, tape dispenser, hole punch, etc. didn’t wander off and end up staying in a classroom down the hall. I could instantly tell which school issued laptop was mine when I affixed my Mabel’s Labels to the front. With so many different shapes, designs, fonts, and graphic icons to choose from, Mabel’s Labels are an incredibly practical gift that no teacher would turn down which is why they’re on my Best Teacher Gifts list. Plus, your child will have just as much fun creating custom Mabel’s Labels for their teacher as their teacher will enjoy using them.

CORDBRICK ($14.99, AUTOMATICALLY SAVE 10% MORE WHEN YOU USE THIS LINK)

I used to hate when my charging cables would slip off my desk in my classroom and I’d have to crawl around on the dirty floor trying to fish them out from behind! CordBrick would have been the answer to this classroom problem which is why it makes a great gift for your child’s teachers. This patented device and cord solution is made of silicone and weighted with steel so it weighs down and gathers cord ends with a weighted, specially designed BRICK of silicone. The 6 special channels are designed for holding: 4 cords and wrapping/grabbing 2 cords and phones. All 6 channels can fit Apple AirPods, and things like pens, too. Its unique design allows it to adapt to ANY charging situation and since there’s no adhesive, it can be used multiple times. It comes in several colors, including glow-in-the-dark (limited availability). Get 10% off your total purchase using this link or use TECHSAVVYMAMA at checkout which is one step past the cart page.

HEY DEWY Wellness Humdifier ($99.95)

Hey Dewy’s Wellness Humidifier is a must have for teachers who are subjected to forced air heat in their classrooms during the winter months. Hey Dewy features a 1.5 liter capacity and an 24 hour mist run time, ultrasonic wave technology for quiet and efficient cool mist control, continuous and intermittent settings, and soft evening LED illumination. Small in size yet powerful, Hey Dewy’s size makes it perfect to keep on your teacher’s desk. The cool continuous mist dispersed from Hey Dewy helps teachers stay hydrated and healthy throughout the year which is important because no teacher really wants to have to subject their students to a sub when out sick! Having to not write sub plans is a reason enough for Hey Dewy to make my Best Teacher Gifts list! 

PURA 4 SMART FRAGRANCE DIFFUSER (STARTING AT $69)

Fragrance has the power to change the energy and atmosphere of a space, which is why Pura 4 Smart Fragrance Diffuser makes my Best Gifts for Teachers list. What teacher wouldn’t want to be transported to a new place of have their mood enhanced with scent? Pura 4 is a smart fragrance diffuser that uses innovative smart features paired with premium, clean scents for modern, customized, and high-end scents. Pura 4 pairs with the Pura app so schedules and timers can be set so fragrance isn’t being diffused in the classroom on the weekends or over breaks. Pura last technology allows your diffuser to learn from your feedback to efficiently fill your space with your desired scent intensity for up to 120 hours per smart fragrance vial. I love Pura’s smart fragrance technology and the clean scents made with ingredients safe for kids.

ASOBU TOWER MUG ($33.99)

This 20-ounce mug from Asobu would make any teacher happy! It features an easy to grip handle that still allows it to fit in the cup holder of the car. The stainless steel insulated and has a ceramic inner coating that prevents metal aftertaste from transferring from the stainless steel to your coffee, like other mugs do. Double durable insulated walls ensure the feeling the heat of your tea or the cold of your cold brew while holding the mug never transfers to your fingers. The lid is made of non-breakable Tritan BPA FREE plastic that pushes on, fits tightly, but comes apart for easy and thorough cleaning.

Help Fund a Donor’s Choose Classroom Project

While not a gift for your teacher, donating funds to your teacher’s DonorsChoose.org project is always appreciated since it’s money they don’t have to personally spend on classroom supplies. Helping to fund a Donor’s Choose project is a gift you can feel good about giving because it’s something your child (and others after them) can enjoy using in the classroom this year and for years to come. To find out if your teacher has a project, visit the DonorsChoose.org site and use the search boxes to type in your teacher’s and name of your school along with your zip code or just ask your child’s teacher!

Uber Eats/DoorDash/GrubHub Gift Card

For most teachers, lunch time is never glamorous. I used to spend my 30 minutes of lunch time helping students and getting ready for my afternoon classes. My colleagues often made copies, graded work, tried to return parent phone calls, or use their time to complete paperwork. Treat your teacher to lunch with a gift certificate to a favorite local restaurant or a gift card to Uber Eats, Postmates, GrubHub, Domino’s, etc. Gift cards make my list of Best Teacher Gifts because they can help satisfy a mid-day craving for lunch. Not having to think about dinner can also be a great pick me up on a hard day or a long day with staff meetings or parent-teacher conferences that keep teachers at school later than usual.

Best Teacher Gifts: Group Gift Ideas

I always loved serving as the room parent for my kids’ elementary school teachers. I enjoyed using contributions from family members and coming up with gift ideas for my child’s teachers based on their interests and needs. If the parents at your child’s school take up a collection like I used to do, here are my ideas for best gifts for teachers to give as a class gift.

Restaurant Gift Certificate

Everyone has those days when they don’t want to cook and teachers do too! Find out your teacher’s favorite restaurant and purchase a gift certificate they can use on those days where it is just too much to go home and make dinner. If they live close to school, give them a gift certificate to a local place so they can stop and get dinner on their way home or use Restaurant.com. Put the gift card inside a great lunch bag so your teacher can carry their leftovers to school in style.

Streaming Services for Movie Nights

A gift card for a year of streaming is a great way for your teacher to unwind and enjoy a night in after a long day or week of work. Pick up a gift card for Hulu, Netflix, Disney Plus, or Paramount+ at the gift card station of your favorite retailer and put it in a basket with microwave popcorn and boxes of movie theater size candy.

Fund a Getaway

Have a teacher with family far away? It is hard to travel on a teacher budget especially since winter break days likely fall on blackout days where fares are higher. Help offset the cost of travel by taking up a collection to send your teacher away on a real vacation or be home with their family for some real TLC with an airline or VRBO gift certificate. If know they’re traveling somewhere new for winter break, you can also give them CityPass to help them explore the city they’re visiting.

Give the Gift of Flowers

Flowers always brighten anyone’s mood especially when they are a surprise. Teachers swoon when they see beautiful bouquets delivered to the office and hope they are meant for them. 1-800 Flowers.com has a great selection of flowers that are available for same day delivery. A monthly flower subscription also makes a great gift to show your appreciation throughout the year.

Send the Gift of Fruit

If your teacher loves fresh fruit, send a fruit bouquet to school or check out Harry and David’s fruit clubs where you can have 3 months of fresh fruit delivered for as little as $94.99. 6-12 month fruit of the month clubs are also available depending on your budget.

2023 Holiday Gift Guides

AGE-APPROPRIATE GIFT GUIDES

SPECIALTY GIFT GUIDES:

FAVORITE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES FROM LAST YEAR

Need other ideas? Here’s a look at last year’s gift guides:

I hope you enjoy this year’s picks and wish you happy and stress-free holiday shopping!

Note to PR: I am happy to accept items for review to consider for specialty guides which will publish through December 17. Please be specific about the products you’d like me to consider reviewing in your pitch and if you’re able to offer a reader giveaway. Giveaway items will be directly shipped to readers upon conclusion of the giveaway. Thanks for understanding I’m on a short deadline to publish gift guides and do not have the bandwidth to return samples during this extremely busy time of the year.