Teacher Appreciation Ideas

May 8 - 12 is Teacher Appreciation Week this year and it is almost here! You may be looking for some fun ideas to show your gratitude to your child's teacher, so I am sharing some fund ideas.

I used to be a teacher and I always remember that by this time in the school year, teacher appreciation really was appreciated by teachers. It helped give us a little boost to help make it to the end of the school year. Teaching is a hard job. It is certainly rewarding, but it is hard. That doesn't mean you need to spend tons of money though. Simple and meaningful gestures are appreciated.

Why is Teacher Appreciation Important?

This may go without saying, but teachers are critical. They spend a significant amount of time with our children and help shape their lives - their education, their character, and more.

Many teachers put in a significant amount more time than they are required to make sure that our children are getting a good education. They are working on nights, weekends, and even during summer break to get everything ready for our kids.

Additionally, roughly 94% of teachers spend their own money to buy things for their classroom and their student. This is often despite barely making enough to live off of. From personal experience, I used to buy all sorts of decorations, books, and classroom supplies. These are the types of things that make the classroom environment welcoming and warm so students feel comfortable. I know many teachers who will also provide snacks and food for their students to help students concentrate on learning instead of hunger.

Teachers often put their whole hearts into teaching, so teacher appreciation week is a good opportunity to show our appreciation. Though I personally recommend showing appreciation all year long (even if it's just a quick "thank you for all you do"), trust me your child's teacher will notice.

Tips for Teacher Appreciation:

• Get your child involved

Getting a gift a student has put time into is so meaningful. And too often, parents buy a gift and the students do not even know it is teacher appreciation week.

• Personalize it for your child's teacher

When you get your child involved, you may be amazed to find out they know a lot about their teacher(s). Have your child brainstorm things they think their teacher would like based on what they know about them.

• Talk to your child about teacher appreciation

Teacher appreciation week is a great opportunity to discuss with your child what it means to be appreciative and why we appreciate teachers.

• Homemade gifts for the win

Teachers love getting a gift their student has made. Consider having them include things such as memories from the school year, favorite learning moments, a classroom-wide gift with all students' names on it as a memento from the year.

• Be Creative and Have Fun

No matter what you do, if you are taking time to say "thank you" it will be appreciated. So have fun!

Ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week:

1. Write a heartfelt thank you note

2. Bring in the teacher's favorite snack

3. Bring in the teacher's favorite drink

4. Gift cards for coffee, favorite restaurants, Target, bookstores, craft supply stores, etc.

5. Pick out their favorite school supplies (do they love flair pens? They probably buy a lot of their own supplies!)

6. Have your child make a homemade thank you card

7. Bring the teacher's favorite flowers

8. Journals/notebooks (bonus if they are personalized)

9. Good coffee

10. Good Tea

11. Coffee mugs/insulated coffee mugs

12. Tumblers

13. Water bottle

14. Bath bombs

15. At home face masks

16. A favorite candle

17. Shower steamers

18. Homemade baked goods

19. A craft project your child loves

20. Personalized bookmark - your child can even make one!

21. Adult coloring book

22. Plants

23. Pencil case

24. Letterboard

25. Comfy blanket

26. Personalized towel for summer break

27. Personalized Stationery

28. Hobby related gifts

29. Personalized keychain

30. Personalized tote bag

31. Chocolate

32. Personalized teacher library stamp

33. Personalized stamps

34. Slippers

35. Spa gift card

36. High-quality hand cream

37. Mug warmer

38. Desktop organizer

39. Planners

40. Bookends

41. Bluetooth speaker

42. Comfy socks (like Bombas)

43. Wireless phone charger

44. Reusable straws

45. Personalized desk sign

46. Fun subscriptions (book of the month, coffee, treats, etc)

47. Offer to volunteer in the classroom

48. Record a video of your child thanking their teacher and telling them why they are great and send it to the teacher!

49. Classroom supplies and cleaning supplies are always appreciated

50. Work with the PTA to plan a week of appreciation events

Here are just a few school-wide ideas that could be implemented throughout teacher appreciation week:

I think everyone loves a pun, check out Healthy Happy Teacher for a great list of teacher appreciation puns.

1. Plan a breakfast or luncheon

2. Have a coffee bar/station

3. Have an ice cream bar or deliver ice cream sandwiches

4. Set up a candy bar for teachers and staff

5. Set up a popcorn bar for teachers and staff

6. Set up a S'mores bar

7. Decorate a bulletin board exclaiming your appreciation

8. Deliver donuts

9. Have 15 mini massages in the teacher lounge for teachers to enjoy during their planning period

10. Set up a photo booth for teachers and staff

11. Chalk the sidewalks outside the school with messages of appreciation

12. Gather thank you letters from families and deliver them to teachers

13. Plan a teacher car wash, where families wash the teachers' cars

14. Decorate teachers' doors

15. Ask the principal for permission to provide teachers with passes - such as a jeans pass, a cover a duty pass, an early leave/late arrival pass/ long lunch pass, etc.

16. Have an ice cream float party

17. Ask for donations from families to have a food truck come to school to serve the teachers and students lunch.

18. Have a teacher appreciation cookout

19. Play bingo for treats and gift cards

20. Have a pizza party for teachers and staff

21. Deliver goody bags to teachers

22. Use seed packs to thank all of the teachers and staff

23. Provide school t-shirts/jackets/sweatshirts for teachers

24. Set up a smoothie station for teachers

25. Provide take-and-bake dinners for teachers and their families

Sources:

• Education Corner

• U.S. News & World Report

• Reading Rockets

• Teacher Career Coach

• Women's Health Magazine

• We are Teachers

• NBC News

• Business Insider

• Healthy Happy Teacher

• PTO Today

• Etsy

• Pinterest

Calming Bottles How To

Have you seen calming bottles before? Also known as a calm-down bottle or a sensory bottle. This is such fun craft for kids AND it's a great tool for them to have in their toolbox when trying to calm down or cope.

There are a number of different versions out there, so if you want to explore your options a bit, you can google "calming bottles" and a bunch of versions come up. The one I am sharing is a very simple version. I have done this with my little one (with a lot of assistance), and he loved it!

Supplies:

• water bottle or jar with a lid that will close tightly

I recommend plastic so you do not need to worry about kids dropping it. The first time I made these, I went to Trader Joe's and got a couple of juice bottles, emptied them, and took their labels off. Then I ordered some on Amazon because I wanted to make a bunch as a party favor. These are similar to the ones I ordered.

• Hot water

• Clear glue

• Glitter (your child can choose the color they want)

• Super glue or hot glue

• Food coloring

Optional: mix-ins that your child will like (they can help you choose if you want) - it can be anything that can sit in water. Some ideas: LEGO bricks, beads, glow-in-the-dark pieces, googly eyes, etc.

Instructions:

• Clean out the bottles if needed

• Fill the bottle about 3/4 full with hot water (leave a little more space if your mix-ins are bigger)

• Add clear glue (to within about an inch of the top of the bottle; more if your mix-in take up some space)

• Add glitter

• Shake well

• If you want the glitter to fall more slowly, add more glue. If you want the glitter to fall more quickly, add more water.

• Add food coloring

• Add mix-ins

• Super glue or hot glue the top (Be sure your child will NOT be able to get it open, especially if they are young).

Want to check out some fancier or more complex versions of the calming bottle, check out these sites:

• The Realistic Mama

• Play Dough to Plato

• Childhood 101

How to Use a Calming Bottle

Okay, so now you have this cute calm-down bottle, but now what? It is important that you teach your child how to use the calming bottle, so it is a useful tool in their toolbox.

Calm-down bottles can be a tool to help children learn how to control their emotions and learn to self-regulate. Now children under 7 absolutely cannot self-regulate on their own (see my previous post on Emotional Regulation), but we can start to teach them and show them the skills so that when their brains are developmentally ready they will have the skills.

So when your child starts to get upset, they can shake up this bottle (which can help them direct their physical energy into something safe) and watch the glitter settle giving them time to calm down (this visual can help children start calm breathing and re-regulate). They can do this as many times as they need.

Step 1: You will need to teach them how to do this and model it for them, likely more than once. Calming skills take practice. I recommend practicing it when they are calm as it will make it easier for them to transfer the skill when they are not calm. Show them how to use the bottle, regulate their breathing, and regulate their emotions.

Step 2: Try to catch your child when they are beginning to leave the green pathway/calm (see my previous post on Emotional Regulation), but before they are in the red (meltdown) stage. Then you can offer this as a tool to help them. For example, " I see that you are frustrated and feeling anger, let's take a break to shake up this bottle. Let's try breathing while you watch the glitter fall."

Step 3: Have the bottle where it can be easily accessed. Continue to teach them and guide them in using it as a tool as needed.

Note: You can have multiple calming bottles in various places. For example, in a spot your child may go to calm down, in an area where they often play, and in an area they often do homework or are challenged.

I love this idea to help our kids and it is a fun activity for them to make.

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!

Sources:

• Connecticut Children's

• The Realistic Mama

• Play Dough to Plato

• Childhood 101

• Michigan State University

• Differentiated Teaching

Gardening with Kids

Gardening with your kids is a great way to get them outside, spend quality time with them, and has many benefits for your child. Starting a garden with my little one is on my goal list for this year, so I am doing some research and sharing it with you!

Benefits:

• Boosts the immune system (playing in the dirt is good for them!)

• Boost the brain through discussing/practicing math and science while gardening

• Increases brain-boosting vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients through your child eating the produce grown in your garden.

• Increases physical activity

• Increase your child's calm and focus

• Promotes team building

• Promotes communication

• Provides a sense of purpose and responsibility

• Provides an opportunity for children to gain respect and responsibility for the Earth

• Improved mood

• Better learning experiences

• Decreased anxiety

• Increased self-esteem

Steps to Building a Garden:

So I am writing this for beginners, for someone who does not have an existing garden and has no experience gardening. (Because that's me!)

Step 1: Make a plan.

What do you want to grow? Vegetables? Herbs? Flowers? You will want to make a plan so you know what kind of light and water they need, so you know where to plant them.

Need growing guides to find that information? Check out these resources:

• Kids Gardening

• Old Farmers Almanac

• Gardenista

Consider how much light and space your chosen plants need!

Tip: If your children are old enough, let them help you choose what to grow! Since my little one is a bit young for this, I am going to choose some vegetables I know he enjoys such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peas.

Step 2: Choose Where to Put Your Garden

Most vegetables need 6 - 8 hours of full sunlight. So it is important to observe your yard/gardening space to determine the best spot for your garden to get the sunlight it needs.

Be sure when doing your plan you find the amount of sunlight your plants need. Additionally, some plants do better if there is a trellis or fence to grow on.

Gardening will be easiest if you choose a flat space in your yard. You may also want to make sure that your hose can easily reach the space.

Step 3: Prepare the Space

Clear out weeds and grass (sod) to create a flowerbed or build a raised flowerbed. For directions on creating a flowerbed, check out this article from The Spruce. If you prefer a raised flowerbed, there are so many different options, online, at Walmart, at Home Depot, etc.

When planning your vegetables, check out how much soil depth they need to grow the best.

Step 4: Prepare the beds

Loosen the soil in your beds before planting any seeds. You can do this with a shovel. The soil should be moist enough to form a loose ball, but dry enough to fall apart when you drop it.

Often the soil in our backyards is not sufficient in nutrients for growing. So you can add 2 - 3 inches of compost to the soil. You can purchase this at Lowe's or Home Depot.

Step 5: Start Planting!

When planning, check out when your chosen vegetable should be planted for the best results. Many need to be planted after the chance of frost has passed. You also need to know how deep the seeds should be planted, and how far apart.

You can get a head start on growing by starting your seeds indoors and then moving them to the outdoor garden. You can buy the appropriate containers to do this (flats) at gardening centers.

For an easier method to get your garden started, buy young plants and transplant them to your garden.

Step 6: Water

Seedlings need water daily, but less once the plants start to grow larger. The growing guides can help you know how much to water. You will also need to pay attention to the weather. If you are not sure if they need water, feel the soil 3 - 4 inches below the surface. If it is dry, it is time to water. Be sure to water slowly and deeply so the water soaks in.

Tip: The best time of day to water is in the early morning.

Step 7: Maintain

Be sure to keep your garden watered and weeded. Also, be sure to harvest your produce as soon as they are ready!

Tools Needed:

• Garden gloves

• Hand pruner

• Shears/scissors

• Watering can

• Hand Trowel

• Sprinkler/hose

• Garden Kneeler

• Shovel/spade

Other Tips:

• Start small, so you do not get overwhelmed

• Grow foods your family loves to eat

• Be flexible with your kids - if they become focused on a bug, that's okay. Talk to them about the bug. The goal is for them to have positive associations with gardening

• Let your kids choose what to grow

• Choose projects that will work for your kids age and abilities - have reasonable expectations

• Failure is a learning opportunity - what a great opportunity for kids to learn resiliency and persistence

• Leave your kids a designated dig space - kids love to dig and it's good for them!

• Make the garden joyful - you may need to assist (a lot) with the garden, but it shouldn't become punishment or a chore they want to avoid- embrace their preferences when gardening so they have positive associations

• Set time aside for kids to explore and have free play in the garden

• Bring toys into the garden and encourage creativity and imagination

• Have fun! Your kids are more likely to enjoy it if you do

Okay, so to be fully honest I am a little nervous about this! I do not have a green thumb. So I created this digital planning tool to help me get everything planned. Check out this Garden Planner!

I hope you have so much fun playing in the dirt with your kids!

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!

Sources:

• PBS

• Kids Gardening

• Old Farmers Almanac

• Gardenista

• Better Homes and Gardens