The holidays are around the corner, and I’m always running last minute to buy for my teammates and my Secret Santa.
If you are exchanging gifts at school, it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Here are 10 of the Best Teacher Gift Exchange Ideas.
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A Bob Ross Inspired Paint Kit from the Dollar Store
Pick up paintbrushes, mini canvases, and paint from the dollar store. Create a holiday card, complete with Bob’s face, and a YouTube link to one of his videos. Bonus if you get your coworker two sets, so he/she can paint with a partner! (Great cheap date night idea too!)
Greeting Card Sets
Hear me out on this one. This is one of the best gifts I’ve ever received! At the Dollar Store, grab a set of 5, 10, or 15 miscellaneous cards. They can be birthday cards, graduation, congratulatory, etc. Package and wrap these cards up as a set.
Greeting card sets make GREAT backups when you’re running out the door and need a card STAT.
Not to mention, greeting cards are expensive at Target or the grocery store. Sometimes they’re close to $6.00 apiece! This gift is a HUGE money saver for people.
You can also grab greeting card sets from Amazon.
Check out this one here!
Hand Soaps
I don’t know about you, but I do not enjoy buying cute hand soaps. In fact, when I don’t have any more in my cabinets, my heart breaks a little.
Put a cute little bell or bow on a bar of hand soap and call it a day! You can grab sets of handsoaps from Costco or Amazon and then you’ve got an easy gift for multiple people! Mary from My Beautiful Mess has free printable gift tags for your soap too. Find them here!
Here’s a set of 6 hand soaps that I love from Amazon.
Coloring Books
Help a stressed-out coworker calm down and gain some peace of mind with an adult coloring book. Looking to make their heart sing? Pair the coloring book with a brand new set of colored pencils! Mmmm, sharp tips and the smell of compressed wood, a dream come true.
There are some funny adult-themed coloring books if you want to have a little fun with your coworkers too.
Lid Locking Glass Lunch Bowl
This seems like a weird gift to give, but I received one of these filled with Hershey Kisses and topped with a card once, and it was great! I use this bowl all the time for lunch.
I love the strong lid lock too! No more spilled soup all over my teacher bag! (Been there, it’s not fun.)
Cool Sticky Notes
I love these sticky notes because they’re simply better than the ones we have at school. They have this great little tab on the right and a large enough space to write notes in your curriculum books or lesson plan binder.
Isn’t it a great feeling when you have a luxurious school supply that your students can’t use? Give these a try!
“What It Means to Be a Teacher” Book
Shameless plug time. I wrote a book!
“What It Means to Be a Teacher” is near and dear to my heart. It was a labor of love and I created it to bring a smile to teachers’ faces after a long day, week, month, or school year.
This book is designed as a gift book and is filled with funny little anecdotes, jokes, and inspiring quotes.
Grab this book for a teacher that’s near and dear to your heart!
(PS – It’s great for college grads and student teachers too!)
Self-Inking Stamps
I use stamps all the time in my classroom. They help me send things home without grading a million papers.
I also use a personalized stamp to mark all my books in my classroom library.
These make great gifts because you know they’ll be used!
Here are two that I like:
Scrunchies
This gift isn’t for your bald PE teacher, but it is a cute little gift for your teacher friend with the long hair.
Grab your teacher buddy a pack of scrunchies. You know they’ll come in handy for hopping on the couch after a long day at work.
I like the brand Kitsch. They have cute everything!
Sugar Scrub or Bubble Bath
Help your coworker unwind with a sugar scrub or some bubble bath. Winter is harsh, and we know that teachers and moms always put themselves last. Give them the gift of pampering themselves.
I also like to pop a bow on these and give them as is!
Charcuterie Accessories
If your teacher buddy loves to host and entertain, gift them charcuterie accessories. Charcuterie boards are all the rage, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a snack tray/adult Lunchable?
I love these little terracotta bowls. They’re great for spreadable cheeses and dips. Plus, they’re so cute!
Don’t forget to take care of YOURSELF this season too! Give yourself the gift of time by grabbing a Holidays Around the World Unit that has everything you need for the entire month of December!
Holidays Around The World For Older Kids
“I love how everything is included, and there is no extra work for me. I am excited to use this for my social studies classes during the month of December. This will keep students learning and on task all month long!”
– Kristin T, 5th Grade Teacher –
Interested in adding diverse holiday books to your classroom?
Check out this post with my favorite Hanukkah books!
Check out this post with my favorite Diwali books!
Check out this post with my favorite Christmas books!
Check out this post with my favorite Kwanzaa books!
