Life
Parents and students have never appreciated teachers more than they do this year, but thanks to social distancing, they can't express their gratitude in person. Not all is lost though, because there are plenty of e-gifts for teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week that can be sent right to their inbox (no physical contact required). Plus, since everyone is in the same boat, you won't feel upstaged by the Pinterest-perfect gift basket from another family.
This year, Teacher Appreciation Week runs from May 4 through May 8. During a regular school year, this is the week teachers' classrooms are full of flowers, candy, and other gifts from families to let them know how loved they are. But right now, classrooms are online chats and assignment boards, and gifts need to be chosen wisely in order to comply with quarantine measures.
Now that you've been trying to homeschool your child, you likely realize how difficult it is to keep them on task and engaged (while you try to remain patient and sane). So, one thing is for sure, this is definitely not the year to skip out on teacher appreciation gifts. Here are a few digital gifts you can send that are still as thoughtful as the traditional flowers and candy.
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1
Digital Newspaper Or Magazine Subscription
There are so many great newspapers and magazines that can be sent right to a tablet or Kindle. The Washington Post offers an annual digital subscription for $29 or you can browse Amazon subscriptions like the Kindle version of HGTV Magazine for only $6 year!
2
Meal Prep Delivery
To help your child's teacher avoid trips to the grocery store, send them a gift card to a meal prep delivery service like Blue Apron or HelloFresh. You can decide if you want to gift them a gift card that covers a week's worth of dinners (usually three meals/week) or a set dollar amount that they can decide what to do with ($120 covers a two-week delivery of three recipes on any two-serving Meal Plan).
3
A Personal Video From Their Student
Their students are the whole reason teachers went into education. So, one of the best gifts you can give them is simply a video of your child saying hello, thanking them, and telling them how much they miss them. It's from the heart and will make their teacher feel very appreciated.
4
Meditation App Subscription
Teachers deal with a lot, especially as they desperately try to teach kids through distance education. To help your child's teacher manage their stress, consider gifting them with a subscription to a meditation app like Headspace. You can gift them with one month of access ($14) or a whole year ($70), no matter what they'll appreciate the chance to relax. (Heads up: educators get free access to Calm, so avoid that app!)
5
TV Or Movie Streaming
If anyone deserves to plop on the couch and zone out to some TV, it's a teacher. You can help give them access by gifting them a subscription or gift card for services like Netflix, Sling, Hulu, Disney+, ESPN, and more.
6
All Things Houseplants
The Sill
When school is in session, are there plants all around the classroom? Or, do you just know your child's teacher happens to have a green thumb? The Sill offers a variety of options for plant-loving teachers. They have a membership with perks, plant delivery subscriptions, and one-time purchase options. You can give them a gift card to pick their own plant or set them up with a subscription.
7
Donation To Their Favorite Charity
Do they have an Amazon Wish List or DonorsChoose project you can help with? If not, is there a charity or organization that they particularly love? You can always make a donation to someone, somewhere in your child's teacher's name as a way to honor them for all that they do.
8
Online Yoga Class
Since many gyms and studios are closed during quarantine, you can give the gift of yoga at home. If there's a small local studio offering online classes, pick up the tab for a few months of access or gift a subscription to a site like Glo, which offers a variety of classes at varying difficulty levels on demand.
9
A Subscription To Audible
Sometimes, you have the time to listen to an audio-book but not quite enough time (or energy) to sit down and actually read. Your child's teacher might enjoy a subscription to a platform like Audible that lets you download one audio-book a month plus two "Audible Original" titles.
10
Crafty Classes
Access to this website is a fantastic gift for a teacher who enjoys crafting. It's full of video classes to help them perfect their techniques in things like watercolors, cake decorating, and quilting, downloadable patterns for projects, and a community of like-minded people to connect with. If you don't think they'll love a membership, you can also gift them with a one-time craft kit.
11
Spotify Premium
Spotify Premium is a paid membership that gives you access to a lot of great features on the streaming platform, most notably no commercials. Your child's teacher can make playlists and stream music, podcasts, comedy shows, and more on their phone, tablet, computer, or smart TV. It's well worth the price tag.
12
The Classic e-Gift Card
There is still something to be said for the classic e-gift card. It allows your child's teacher to put that money toward something they really want or need. Sometimes, its nice to have the spare money to indulge in something that may otherwise seem frivolous.
