What gift do teachers really want you to give your children this year?

The holidays are right around the corner, not to mention that post(?)-C*VID birthday parties seem to be in full swing. Parents, aunts, and uncles like you are looking for gifts for your pint-sized loved ones, but there are so many options. What if you could pick the mind of a mom, teacher & early childhood expert to see what gifts teachers really want you to wrap up this year? Look no further than this mom-approved gift guide for elementary students!

Yikes, were you actually looking for gifts teachers really want… for themselves?! I got that covered, too. Head over to this blog post for ideas for teacher gifts!

*A note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may get a small commission for your purchases without any additional cost to you!

A quick note from me, this kids’ gift list curator

Hi! I’m Kate and I’m a teacher, mom to two (6 and 3), and a self-appointed childrens gift guide creator. As my very understanding mother-in-law knows well, I am incredibly choosy about the toys we welcome into our home for my two sons (3 and 6.) Loud and noisy choices don’t jive well with my sensory issues. All tech all the time doesn’t match our family’s ethos. One-time-use or do-it-this-way gifts aren’t going to work for this educator mom.

Also: I’m very frugal. I regularly shop at Salvation Army and other secondhand stores for both my home and my classroom and see no shame in thoughtful used gifts.

What follows is a list of toys and games that I, as an early childhood teacher and mom of 2, would recommend over and over. These hand-selected choices encourage creativity and open-ended play. Also, these gifts are ones that have stood the test of time for my not-always-gentle, creative, and energetic kiddos.

I just know that you’ll find some winners on this teacher-mama gift guide. I’d love to hear which items you choose in the comments below!

What gift do teachers really want? Isn’t the right answer books?!

Of course, books are at the top of my gift recommendations list! If you’re looking specifically for book recommendations for children, please check out my ever-growing list of favorite picture books here on my Booksource.org site!

What gifts do teachers really want you to give your little artist?

Let’s start with some of my favorites: art supplies! Often overlooked, these crafty must-haves will encourage your loved one’s creative side!

You can tell that I was really struggling to fit all of my favorites on this one slide. I did my best, OK? I just really LOVE the magic that art can bring!

Here’s what made this exclusive list:

1. Easel Paper Roll: I love the versatility of a nice paper roll. Rip or cut to the size you want and let the creativity flow! Hot tip: a nice long strip on the floor, holiday cookie cutters to trace, and crayons = the perfect cousins activity over the holiday!
2. Fancy (safe!) scissors: Every kid I know LOVES these. They just seem to add the right amount of *pizazz* to a project.
3. Smooth Stix: Haven’t tried them yet? My sympathies. These smooth watercolor gel crayons go on bold and then can be painted over for a watercolor effect. These have a permanent home on our counter and are very popular.
4. Rainbow Art dot painters: A classic, but so so good. Beginner paints for tiny hands, pointillism practice for the more advanced.
5. Kwik Stix Tempura sticks: Washable (!) sticks of tempura paint that go exactly where you want them. Perfect for poster making or general projects, your elementary artist will LOVE these!
6. The brightest chalk I’ve found: I love this chalk. I can’t even look at the bright colors without wanting to dive right in and create! Use on the sidewalk when it’s warm or create beautiful art on black construction paper inside.
7. Washi Tape: bonus points for sparkles. What can I say? Kids love tape and when it’s glittery and beautiful, I’m not sure there’s anything better. Lovely in journals and on basically any project.

Gift ideas for an emerging writer

I’m going to get really teacher-technical on you here: writing is hard. Learning to write is hard. It involves so many processes (phonics, letter formation, sentence conventions, etc.) at once that it can feel burdensome for many of the emerging writers in your life.

Literally, anything that we can do to make writing more fun and (gasp!) enjoyable is worth it’s weight in gold. I still remember getting my Little Town on the Prairie diary *with a lock on it!* in first grade and thinking I was IT. So what gift do teachers really want you to choose for your emerging author? Check out these ideas for young writers below!

1. Secret ink pens: I feel like I don’t need to say a lot more here. “Invisible” ink pens that show up only with the included light? Yes please.
2. Sticky notes: So incredibly versatile and fun to use. Leave love notes around the house, label different things in the kitchen, write reminders for grocery list add-ons.
3. How to Draw Cute Animals: There are several choices in this highly-rated series. THe idea is simple: follow easy, step-by-step directions to draw adorable things. Such a flex to be a good drawer in the elementary classroom.
4. Make-your-own postcards: Mailable, customizable post-cards perfect for thank-you notes, just-thinking-of-you notes and beyond.
5. Cute postcards: Seriously, what’s better than getting or sending snail mail? Break the pack in half and give some to your little’s BFF or cousin from California and watch the pen pal magic! (don’t forget the postcard stamps – I especially love these coral reef beauties!)
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book: With invitingly formatted pages, this is perfect for first graders+ who are looking to follow in the popular character’s footsteps and share their own stories with the world!
7. Mother to Son Journal: There are so many options for these precious back-and-forth journals! Pick one that matches your needs and enjoy! Can’t find one that matches your aunt/friend and god-daughter relationship? Buy a blank journal and a bunch of stickers and make your own!

What gifts do teachers really want you to grab for your STEM-loving little?

STEM gifts are all the rage and it’s not hard to see why. Whether at home or in the classroom, these gifts encourage creative thinking, cooperation, and problem solving! What I love about each of these choices is that they’re built to last, so you can start a collection that you can add to little by little.

1. Picasso Tiles Cars: These awesome magnetic cars coordinate with both Picasso Tiles and another popular brand of magnetic tiles. My little builders love to add walls to them, transforming them into construction trucks or garbage trucks.
2. Picasso Tiles Marble Run kit: Don’t get me started on this one. I *maybe* play with it more than my sons do because it’s that. much. fun. Create a new masterpiece each time and enjoy the satisfaction of watching the weighted balls roll on through! Hot tip: We have two sets of these (thanks, grandparents!) to make even bigger creations!
3. Picasso Tiles Magnetic Tile set: You’re probably picking up on a theme here: I am a big fan of Picasso Tile toys! They’re more affordable than other brands on the market, yet I find them to be every bit as durable. We take these out daily at home and are working on building a collection for the students in my classroom!
4. Lego classic Set: I’m going to lose some folks here and that’s OK. I love Legos, but am not a fan of the set (waits for hissing and booing). Maybe I’ll warm up to them as my own kids get older, but for now, I love the versatility of these colorful create-what-you-will set. (PS: a baseplate will keep your kiddo’s creations a bit more contained!)

What gifts do teachers really want to recommend as stocking stuffers?

Sometimes it’s the little things that really light up a child’s holiday season. Here’s what you’ll find in this teacher mama’s shopping cart this season!

1. Dinosaur lights: Because, cool.
2. Dinosaur stacking game: OK, a bit of a repeat with the dino theme, but these are super fun. Check out the reviews to see how much grown-ups and kids alike enjoy this simple balancing toy. Alternative idea: Use the dinosaurs as stencils to create art – OR set them up in front of a light to create totally roar-some shadows!
3. Invisible Ink Pens: Split up this multi-color set for gifts all elementary kids will love!
4. Glow in the Dark Stars: How magical. Your loved one can create their own glow-in-the-dark constellations with these beauties. Hot tip: super bright LED flashlights (and your phone’s flashlight!) charge these up in a flash for maximum shine.
5. Paper Airplane Kit: Use awesome paper to create (teacher-endorsed, not forbidden!) paper planes? Count me in.
6. Watercolor paint sheets: These awesome sheets come with embedded watercolor swatches for a simple art activity.
7. Washi Tape: More washi tape! Because it’s really that fun.
   

What gifts do teachers really want you to buy for family fun?

These teacher-approved games are favorites at our house and several have been great for playfully pushing the skills of my math-inclined 6 year old.

1. Deck of cards: There are SO many games you can play with a simple deck of cards. Math fluency games, fun matching games – the possibilities are endless. Check out some of my favorite math-related card games for ideas here!
2. Box and Balls: My son recently got this Fat Brain Toy from his grandparents and it. is. genius. Endless ways to play as you follow the suggestions on the boxes – or make up your own!
3. Sushi Go Party! This fast game is perfect for when you want a short blast of fun. Simple math incorporated with quirky, cute cards.
4. Kingdomino: When I was searching for a choice that my board-game-loving dad and 6 year old could play together, this tile-placing game was the choice! With a very soft introduction to the ideas of multiplication, it’s also educational!
5. Qwixx: Shhhhhh! This dice game will be under our family tree this year. A Mensa Select product with impeccable reviews, it’s sure to be a winner!
6. Dry Erase Blocks: Make up your own game with these reusable dry erase blocks! Put numbers on one and exercises on the other – roll to see how many of each you get to do! Write sight words on one and silly voices on another – roll to see which sight word you’ll read or spell in a giant-like voice.

What gifts do teachers really want you to grab this season?

At the end of the day, we teachers have the same goals as you: put smiles on those littles’ faces and provide joy that will last beyond the holiday season. Whether you choose a gift on this list or not, I wish you all the best!