Top Ten Gifts Under $10 for Teachers
Buying gifts for your child’s teachers, coaches and after-school activity leaders can be down right difficult. This is an especially hard holiday chore because it is very likely that you don’t know much about the personal likes and wants of your child’s teacher, much less those of his or her piano instructor, scout leader and soccer coach. Add in the constraints of a tight budget and many parents don’t know where to turn.
This list of Top 10 Gifts Under $10 for teachers has been developed based on past experiences of parents as well as discussions with teachers, coaches, music instructors and scout leaders.
1. Movie Lover’s Gift Bag: You can resist the movies? You can create a quick and cute movie themed gift with a $5 Blockbuster gift card or “movie bucks’ from the local theatre, microwave popcorn and movie candy. Place the items in a “recycled” movie popcorn bucket (or see if the local theatre will just give you one) or gift bag with colorful tissue paper or even shredded newspaper comic sections. Recently, Target’s “Dollar Spot” featured plastic popcorn boxes that will be perfect when I pull this gift together for my son’s college-aged coach.
2. Kitchen Kit: Hunt the local dollar stores for kitchen accessories such as spatulas, measuring cups and other gadgets. Wrap the items up in a holiday print dish towel. Renee B. a mom from Maine hunts the bargain bins and clearance shelves for kitchen items year round so she is well stocked when the holidays roll around. She says her kitchen gift baskets are always a hit.
3. “Tea for You”: Search tag or estate sales for pretty antique tea cups. You can usually find cute patterns for less than $8. Add a delicate silver teaspoon from a lot of mismatched sterling for a dollar or two, a small selection of assorted gourmet tea bags and you have a one-of-a-kind collectable present. This gift works especially well when you create a few at the same time. You can buy two small boxes of gourmet teas at the grocery and place a few packets from each in the tea cups. You can also negotiate a better deal when buying multiple items at the estate or tag sales. You may even find a sweet little cup and saucer among things your own things. Don’t be afraid to “re-gift” it âÂ?¦ remember there is no such thing as a “new antique!” Connie H. a teacher in Florida for more than 20 years says she still remembers the family her gave her an antique tea cup and teas she received more than 10 years ago. She says she has given dozens of other gifts from students to charity over the years but she still uses the tea cup and keeps it because it was such a special gift..
4. Magazine subscription: You can often find discount magazine subscriptions on Ebay for less than $10. Print up a “gift card” on your computer and wrap it up with a copy of the current issue available on the newsstand. Consider subscriptions to a children’s magazine’s such a Ranger Rick, Time for Kids or Highlights for the classroom or something a bit out of the ordinary you think your child’s teacher might enjoy. Is he or she interested in science education? Try Popular Science, Nature or Psychology Today. Subscriptions to Smithsonian, Newsweek or Time are also popular. Magazines are an especially great gift for a male teacher or coach.
5. Gifts for Entertaining: Festive printed cocktail and dinner napkins are also a welcome and used gift. You can pick up gorgeous prints by Caspari at most supermarkets for $4-6 a package. Wrap them up with matching candles for a lovely gift. Julie a working mother with four boys doesn’t have a lot of time. This grocery store gift is one she swears by, not only for teacher presents but also as a great hostess gift.
6. A Notable Gift: A lovely package of stationary or a gift box of assorted greeting cards always makes a terrific gift. Discount department stores such as Target or Stein Mart often have selections of adorable cards, notepaper, and stationary. Wrap it up with a coordinating pen for a truly useful gift.
7. Holiday dÃ?©cor: There is no shortage of holiday dÃ?©cor items at every price in just about every store. Check discount department stores such as TJ Maxx or Stein Mart for holiday salt and pepper shakers, small plates, trivets and the like. Home dÃ?©cor superstores such as Bed Bath and Beyond or Linens and Things are a great source for holiday candle and finger tip towels. When it comes to holiday dÃ?©cor: Shop early for the best selection or stock up for next year just after Christmas for the best price. Last year I purchased lovely top quality embroidered hand towels at both JC Penny’s and Kohl’s for 75% off.
8. Treats for Teacher: For years my son’s Cub Scout Pack sold gourmet popcorn gift tins prior to the holidays. Each year, I’d purchase an extra tin of chocolate or caramel covered popcorn as a teacher gift. Each year his music teacher wrote a lovely thank you note saying how much his family enjoyed the treat, and looked forward to it. If the local scouts aren’t selling popcorn, look for holiday treat baskets at Sam’s Club and even TJ Maxx. You can also put your own treat basket together with a few gourmet items available at most grocery stores such as imported English jams, Swiss chocolate and gourmet coco tucked into a cute basket stuffed with tissue paper (both from a dollar store). Go for themes such as breakfast treats (imported teas, gourmet jellies and real maple syrup) or BBQ (boutique BBQ sauces and rubs). Check out the imported food section at your local store for more ideas.
9. Supplies for the classroom: With school budgets more and more teachers end up purchasing supplies for the classroom out of their own pockets. Your gift can lighten the burden. Books for the class collection are always appreciated. You can also pull together a selection of colored pencils, crayons, glue sticks, and other supplies. Rewards or incentives for students also make a great gift. You can find large assortment of stickers, mini erasers and colorful pencils at party or office supply stores or on the Internet. Oriental Trading company has a huge variety and often is running specials on shipping (www.orientaltradingcompany.com). Nancy, a teacher from Texas, loves when parents forgo the tradition gift box of lotion and soaps (she received 6 last year, which she promptly re-gifted to her hair stylist, and teen daughter’s friends) and opt for classroom supplies. On her wish list this year: books, little items for incentives and dry erase markers.
10. Gift Cards: Gift cards are always appreciated. Many bagel and donut shops offer gift certificates. Find one near the school and wrap up of gift card along with a note indicating where the shop is in an inexpensive travel coffee mug or a cute ceramic mug. A $10 certificate for the grocery store or a major discount store such as Target or Wal-Mart is always useful, as are gift certificates at teacher supply stores, home improvement centers such as Lowes or Home Depot and office stores such as Office Max or Staples.
No matter what you give, make it extra special by adding a personal touch. Be sure to include a note indicating your appreciation for all the time and effort your child’s teacher, coach or leaders gives. Be sure to have the child, no matter how young, sign the note next to your signature. Often these words of thanks and encouragement are the best gifts of all.
With a little creative shopping you can find the perfect gift for that special teacher, coach or activity leader, even on a tight budget. Good luck and happy shopping!
