They’ve taken care of your children for nine months, through spelling quizzes, spilled milk and forgotten homework. Don’t they deserve more than another ‘World’s Greatest Teacher’ mug? The best teacher gift may be a gift card - a shopping spree in which she gets to choose her own thank-you gift from you.
Gift cards have become the most popular way to give presents. By giving a gift card, you’re ensuring that the recipient is getting exactly what she wants. Giving gift cards takes the guesswork out of gift giving.
By the end of the school year, you probably know a little something about your child’s teacher: her family, her hobbies, her likes and dislikes. A gift card to a specific store you know she’ll like can be the perfect gift.
You can get creative with the wrapping or presentation of a gift card by attaching it to an inexpensive gift.
Housewares and Home Improvement Store Gift Cards
Even if your child’s teacher is young and lives in an efficiency apartment, she’ll still have use for duct tape and light bulbs, and even a new bedspread or some throw pillows.
Gift cards for stores like Linens ‘N Things, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s, or the local hardware store are appreciated gifts for any teacher.
Attach the gift card to a scented candle, a wrench or a DiY magazine.
That’s Entertainment!
A gift card to a restaurant, local hot spot, movie theater or live arts venue is always a popular gift. If there is an extra special place in your town, pool your resources with other parents and give a significant gift card to a fancier place. A night out is a treat for a teacher who has just put a full school year.
Attach the gift card to fun, inexpensive pair of earrings, a bottle of cologne, or a small evening purse.
The Teacher Store
If your area has a teacher supply or educational resource store, your child’s teacher probably is a regular shopper there. Many teachers say they use their own money to buy classroom supplies and extras that make their job easier but which aren’t provided by the school.
Can’t find a teacher supply store? Give a gift card to Staples, Office Max, Office Mart, Office Depot, or any office supply store where school supplies are plentiful.
Attach the gift card to a pack of dry erase markers, pencils or notebook paper – something most teachers can’t get enough of.
Grocery Store Gift Cards
Everyone buys groceries and it seems everyone needs a break in the grocery bill every now and then. A grocery store gift card has an added bonus: the convenience of rushing through the checkout line without having to write a check, count out cash, or sign.
Attach the gift card to a candy bar, a cooking magazine or a copy of a guilty pleasure tabloid.
Family Fun
What does your child’s teacher do with her family? If you know something about her family, you can guess how they spend their time together. Gift cards to Pizza Hut or the local pizzeria (preferably one that delivers), or Blockbuster or other movie rental store, will provide your child’s teacher with a fun, free weekend on you.
Attach the gift card to a pizza cutter or a box of microwave popcorn.
A Gift for Hobbies
What does your child’s teacher do in her spare time? A dog lover will love a gift card to a pet store; a gym teacher, coach or sports enthusiast could use a gift card to a sporting goods store; music lovers can always use an iTunes gift card; and someone who loves needlework, sewing or scrapbooking would enjoy a gift card to a craft store.
Attach the gift card to a dog bone, a water bottle, a pack of stickers, or another appropriate small token gift.
Spring, Summer and the Great Outdoors
Summer is the teacher’s godsend. For end-of-year gifts, get your child’s teacher ready for summer fun with a gift card to a garden center, a porch and patio store, or a store that specializes in pool and beach wares.
Attach the gift card to a pair of gardening gloves, a sun visor or an inflatable beach ball.
