Teacher Gifts

Thank You Gifts for Teachers

Finding the perfect teacher gifts can be tough, and it's often easy to fall back on the old favourites like chocolate, bath treats or a gift card. Homemade teacher's gifts from children are obviously lovely but you might want to stick to a card as although teachers are wonderful at accepting gifts from students there are only so many cupcakes and homemade cookies you can eat before they go off.

Zero Waste Gifts

Obviously, at Babame we think that a great gift is one that as good for the planet as it is for the recipient. With that in mind, we have compiled a few lovely gifts from students that teachers can put to good use and are either good for reducing waste or have been made from recycled materials.

• Reusable coffee cups. Ok, so you can definitely have too many mugs that say great teacher but a really nice insulated reusable cup like the U-Konserve Insulated Mug would make a very thoughtful gift for a teacher who rarely gets to finish a drink while it's hot. You could even club together with other parents and get a gift certificate from a local coffee shop to pop inside and treat them to plastic-free takeaway coffee.
• A FOSH water bottle also makes a great gift and could be a good choice for male teachers who might be trickier to buy for. Not just great for school these reusable stainless steel water bottles are perfect for the gym, days out with the family or making sure you stay hydrated on the daily commute.
• Or if you know they get lots of bottles of wine why not treat them to a set of recycled wine glasses. The fair trade wine glasses have been hand blown into a mould by expert glass workers in Bolivia. They are made from 100% recycled glass, which gives them a lovely colour and they are dishwasher safe making them a great gift for wine lovers.
• If your teacher brings food to school with them or is a fan of outdoor adventures during the holidays, then the Boc n Roll sandwich wraps make great Christmas gifts for teachers and would make lovely gift wrapping for some homemade cookies or mince pies. Plus they are an easy zero waste switch.
• A reusable shopping bag makes a lovely inexpensive gift and can be used to carry home their Christmas presents and bring marking to and from school the rest of the year. And if you wanted to buy something else they would also make a lovely gift bag.
• Stationery gifts. Chances are teachers will receive a lot of pens and post-it notes. Nkukus brass bookmarks are simply gorgeous. They are full of character, fairly traded and perfect for marking a page in a book or register. The giant paper clips also make a fun but a practical gift as would a somewhat unusual elephant dung notebook.
• A present made from recycled crayons. Our range of fair trade gifts made from pencils make the perfect quirky gifts for children to give teachers. You could choose a fun necklace to jazz up a work outfit, a coaster to put one of their best teacher mugs on or pen pot to classroom supplies tidy or brighten up their desk at home. The crayons photo frame is also really lovely and could easily become a personalised gift with a photo, picture or note from your child.

Teacher Christmas Gifts

As holiday time approaches you'll likely be looking for Christmas gift ideas for all sorts of people including teachers. While handmade Christmas cards from the children are always going to go down well we have lots of other lovely ideas that are a bit different to dry erase markers or Pinterest projects with scrapbook paper and pipe cleaners that you probably don't have time for.

The Nkuku Tiny Kiko Frames are super cute, handmade and fairly traded. They make lovely Christmas decorations or can be hung on a wall and come in a set of four which could be split between teachers. These would also make lovely alternative gift tags. Then you just need to get the glue or pens out and you have a lovely personalised gift that won't take up too much space and will last for years.

Socks! Everyone wears them and they are a classic Christmas gift for anyone that's hard to buy for. These bamboo socks by Thought clothing are super soft, luxurious to wear and come in lots of great patterns. The ideal gift that is practical, usable and in this case eco-friendly too.

Clubbing together with other parents and making a gift basket is also a lovely way to make sure your child's class teacher doesn't get multiple best teacher Christmas presents. If you know the teacher well a few bath treats might be a winner, some fair trade chocolate is always going to go down well, a bottle of something if you know they drink, and any money left over can be turned into a gift certificate.

A lovely idea if you do this would be to get a mason jar and fill it with little notes from all the children because when all is said and done it's not the monetary value of a gift but the acknowledgement that all their hard work is appreciated that really counts.

Its the middle of June, all the hard work has been done, there are only a few more weeks left and the schools out for summer. That means it is time to say a huge "Thank You" to the person who has been minding and teaching our children since last September. It doesnt matter if you are looking for a head teacher gift or a little token gift for the nursery staff - dont just get a bottle of wine and some chocolates this year. Select one of our ethical and fairly traded unique gifts to put a smile in the face of your favourite teacher!

7 Unique Teacher Gift Ideas

1. Teacher mug gift - rainbow style

A mug is probably one of the more classic end-of-year presents for school teachers and teaching assistants. However, there is nothing nicer than starting a new school term with a new favourite mug, especially when it comes in rainbow colours! Our rainbow crockery is hugely popular and no matter if your child's teacher is a tea or coffee lover - they will absolutely adore their new rainbow mug! If you would like to say a big Thank You to more than one teacher, you could always get the rainbow teapot, the milk jug, sugar bowl and mugs for the schools staff kitchen.

2. Big Green Tree Spa & Therapy Kit gifts

Is there anything nicer at the end of a busy school year than a little bit of pampering? If you asked any teacher, I think they would probably say no - and we agree! If the primary school of your child has a big vegetable garden, chances are the teachers are always busy planting, weeding and gardening, especially in those weeks before the summer break. The Big Green Tree Gardeners Hand Therapy Kit is the perfect present for those hard-working hands, it includes a natural gardener soap as well as some nourishing hand balm and a pack of meadow flower seeds. With the Big Green Tree Pamper Me Spa Kit you are giving your little ones teacher the pampering they deserve. The kit consists of a detox face mask, a bath melt and a candle to create a relaxing atmosphere.

For bearded male teachers, the Excellent Beard Kit by Big Green Tree is one of our bestselling gifts. With the included beard balm, comb, and beard care guide your teacher is all kitted out!

3. Magical moments with suncatcher gifts

A suncatcher is surely one of those presents your childs teacher will treasure for a very long time. Once hung by the window in their home or even in the classroom it will create some magical and glistering light effects all year round, whenever the sun is out. You have a choice between the large string of butterflies, owls and rainbow hearts or the more compact rainbow or glittery heart - all of which are ethically made in Bali and fairly traded!

4. Reusable Jute Bag gifts

One of our most popular teacher gifts this year is a reusable jute shopping bag. No wonder, teachers always have to carry a massive amount of books, papers and other teaching materials from A to B - imagine their faces when they are able to use one of our beautifully designed jute bags from now on!

They come in a range of different colours and prints - pop some fairtrade chocolate and homemade teacher cards inside and you have the perfect teacher thank you gift!

5. The gift of lasting memories

Instead of your child's' teacher receiving 25 or more individual gifts, you could organise a collection and create a personalised best teacher hamper! Beside some fairtrade chocolate, a rainbow mug, some speciality coffee and a natural scented candle this hamper could include something very special - a photograph of the entire class in one of our beautifully handcrafted photo frames. For an understated, classic look you cant go wrong with the recycled wood frame, or for all the rainbow loving teachers out there, the mosaic rainbow frame will be a cherished eye-catcher. The rustic yet chic look of our whisky frames will make for a very special present! Or celebrate how your children's teacher has helped them all grow with the mango wood tree of life frame.

6. The gift of comfy feet, all year around

Especially in nurseries, pre-schools and kindergartens teachers are always on their feet playing and running after your little ones - comfy feet might be the most important thing for a teacher to have!

That is precisely why the super soft, durable and comfortable bamboo socks from thought clothing are probably the most practical and appreciated teacher gifts in 2018. Once a pair of thought socks has made its way onto your feet, you never want to wear anything else. Ethically made from bamboo fabric the company is very conscious of their carbon footprint and ensures that as little resources as possible are used in the production process. Hence these socks are a great gift as well as good for our planet - Win-Win!

By the way, thought also has a fabulous range of hemp scarves which your childs teacher will love.

7. Quirky gifts made from recycled crayons

Our accessories range made from recycled crayons has teacher gift written all over it. Choose between a pen pot, a necklace, bracelet or even a photo frame. With their unique and colourful look, these items will instantly put a smile on every teachers' face - not just on the last day of school but throughout the entire next term!

'Thank You!' teachers gifts made easy by Baba Me

It is not always an easy task to pick the perfect present for the teacher of your child. This year you can stop panicking about the end of year present and say Thank You to your little ones favourite teacher with our unique and ethical teacher gifts.

What have you chosen as this year's teacher gifts?