Thanksgiving Gift Ideas for Teachers
These Thanksgiving gift ideas for teachers are things a teacher will actually use, not one more apple mug for the back of the cabinet. Some are fall themed. Some are just good gifts that happen to show up in November.
Shopping for more than the teacher? Our gift ideas for everyone page has a guide for just about anybody else on your list.
In a hurry? Start with the quick picks. The full list is grouped by type, so you can skip straight to gift cards, classroom supplies, treats or the more personal stuff, with DIY ideas and the usual questions at the end.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission when anything is bought. This is at no additional cost to you.
Quick Picks
- Best Thanksgiving gift: Crochet Coffee Cup Gift Card Holders
- Best for the whole staff: Fall Sticky Notes and Thanksgiving Pen Sets
- Best gift card: Starbucks Gift Card
- Best for the classroom: Paper Mate Flair Pens
- Best splurge: Kate Spade Canvas Tote Bag
26 Thanksgiving Gifts Teachers Will Actually Use
Every product link goes straight to Amazon. Prices move around a lot in November, so click through for today’s price.
Thanksgiving and Fall Teacher Gifts
1
Crochet Coffee Cup Gift Card Holders
Tuck a coffee gift card into a tiny crocheted pumpkin cup and suddenly a gift card looks like you tried. The pack makes 6, so it covers the main teacher plus the specials teachers who never get remembered.
Buy the Set on Amazon
2
Fall Sticky Notes and Thanksgiving Pen Sets
Twelve little sets of pumpkin sticky notes and Thanksgiving pens. I especially like these for the aides, the office staff and the bus driver, or for a room parent who needs a small something for a whole hallway.
Buy the 12 Sets on Amazon
3
Let’s Eat Kids Punctuation Turkey T-Shirt
Commas save lives, and this turkey knows it. A good pick for the English teacher who has corrected that exact sentence a hundred times.
Buy the Shirt on Amazon
4
Teacher’s Last Nerve Candle
It says the teacher’s last nerve is on fire, which by mid-November is just accurate. Funny without being mean, and every teacher has a spot for a candle.
Buy the Candle on Amazon
5
Thank You Candle
A plain thank you in a jar. If the funny candle feels like too much, this is the safe version that still says the right thing.
Buy the Candle on Amazon
Gift Cards That Always Fit
6
Starbucks Gift Card
Ask teachers what they actually want and gift cards win every time. Coffee is the one most of them will use the very first week back from Thanksgiving break.
Buy the Gift Card on Amazon
7
Amazon Gift Card
For the teacher who buys her own classroom supplies, which is most of them. She can spend it on the room or on herself, and I hope she picks herself.
Buy the Gift Card on Amazon
Classroom Gifts They Will Actually Use
8
Paper Mate Flair Pens, 24 Count
Ask a teacher what pens she wants and a lot of them will say Flairs. Grading in purple is just more fun than grading in red.
Buy the Pens on Amazon
9
Self-Inking Teacher Stamp Set
Great job, nice work and see me, without writing them a hundred times. Self-inking, so there is no ink pad drying out in a drawer.
Buy the Stamps on Amazon
10
Classroom Desk Bell
The classic call bell. One ding and the room gets quiet, at least in theory.
Buy the Bell on Amazon
11
Teacher To-Do List Notepads, 12 Pack
A dozen notepads for the dozen lists every teacher keeps going at once. Easy for a class to chip in on, nice enough to feel like a real gift.
Buy the Notepads on Amazon
12
The Tired Teacher’s Journal
A weekly planner that admits the job is exhausting. The title alone gets a laugh in the teachers’ lounge.
Buy the Journal on Amazon
13
Teacher Appreciation Notebook Set
Spiral notebook, pen and a little charm, ready to hand over without wrapping. Good for the teacher who still writes everything down on paper.
Buy the Notebook Set on Amazon
14
Thank You for Being Part of My Story Bookmark
An engraved metal bookmark with a tassel. Pair it with a note your kid wrote and you are done.
Buy the Bookmark on Amazon
15
Best Teacher Ever Succulent Pots
Small ceramic pots that fit on a crowded desk. Add a fake succulent if the classroom plant track record is not great.
Buy the Pots on Amazon
Treats for the Teachers’ Lounge
16
Barnetts Chocolate Biscotti Gift Box
Two dozen individually wrapped biscotti. They can share them in the lounge or hide them in a desk drawer, and either way they disappear.
Buy the Biscotti on Amazon
17
Oh! Nuts Dried Fruit Gift Basket
For the teacher who has had plenty of candy since Halloween. It arrives in a gift box, so there is nothing to wrap.
Buy the Basket on Amazon
Something Just for Them
18
Kate Spade Canvas Tote Bag
The splurge on this list. A book-stack print, sturdy canvas, and room for a whole stack of papers to grade at home.
Buy the Tote on Amazon
19
Embroidered Initial Canvas Tote
A personal touch without a custom order. Pick her initial and it looks a lot more thought out than it took.
Buy the Tote on Amazon
20
Teacher Appreciation Bracelet
Simple enough to wear every day. A sweet pick from a kid who really loves this teacher.
Buy the Bracelet on Amazon
21
Tree of Life Necklace with Thank You Card
It comes with its own card, which saves you a step. Delicate enough that most people would actually wear it.
Buy the Necklace on Amazon
22
Teach Love Inspire Bar Necklace
Three words that sum up the job, engraved on a thin bar. Works just as well as an end-of-semester gift.
Buy the Necklace on Amazon
23
Funny Teacher Socks
Teachers are on their feet all day, so socks are not a silly gift. Funny ones are just better.
Buy the Socks on Amazon
24
Teacher 20 oz Travel Tumbler
Most teachers drink their coffee cold because nobody gives them five minutes. This keeps it hot through first period and well past it.
Buy the Tumbler on Amazon
25
Teacher Appreciation Throw Blanket
A soft throw with teacher sayings on it, made for the couch after a long week. Which is every week.
Buy the Blanket on Amazon
26
The Heart of a Teacher Box of Blessings
A little box of scripture cards and encouragement for a teacher who shares your faith. Small enough to keep on the desk and pull from on a rough day.
Buy the Box on Amazon
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! You'll also get regular recipes & printables to your inbox!
Easy DIY Thanksgiving Gifts for Teachers
Homemade still counts, and teachers keep the stuff kids make. These are simple enough to do on a weeknight:
- Gratitude jar: decorate a mason jar with ribbon and fill it with little notes from your kid, like “Thank you for helping me learn” or “You make school fun.”
- Hot cocoa jar: layer cocoa mix, mini marshmallows and chocolate chips in a jar, then add a tag with directions.
- Fall candle: a store-bought pumpkin or apple candle with a tag that says “You light up the classroom.”
- Handmade card: let your kid draw a Thanksgiving picture and write a few lines. It is the one most teachers keep.
Tips for Giving a Thanksgiving Teacher Gift
- Check your school’s gift policy. Some districts cap the value.
- Give it the last day before break so it doesn’t get lost in the Christmas pile.
- Add a note from your kid. That is the part that gets saved.
- Going in with other families? A group gift card goes a lot further than five small ones.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The questions parents ask most before the Thanksgiving break, answered.
