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10 Teacher Appreciation Gifts that Don’t Cost a Thing

I taught 2nd grade for 4 years and then preschool for 4 (and still going!).  I remember spending all my money on supplies and special projects and being at the school late at night creating bulletin boards and grading papers.  I remember praying for my students and their families and looking for ways to best serve them.

I know without a doubt that the teachers who care for my boys give 100 times more to my kiddos.  They love them and serve them as if they were their own!

Finding ways to honor these precious teachers is a goal of mine.  I have shared dozens of posts helping you do just that (see them all HERE)!  But most of them require some amount of money and, let’s be honest, most of us don’t have money.

Teacher Appreciation Week is next week, May 8-12, so how about some FREE ways to bless your child’s teacher?

Principal Letter

This is my favorite free way to appreciate a teacher >> let the principal of your child’s school know that you think your kid’s teacher is amazing.  Simply take 5 minutes, sit down at your computer, and draft up a simple email or document detailing why the principal made the best choice when hiring your child’s teacher!  It’s Always Autumn explains this idea in detail and even provides sample writing prompts to get you started!  Check it out HERE.

Recess Coverage

Do you know what would make your teacher’s day?!  Arrange with the school for you to drop in and take over her recess time so that she can take a quick break.  I imagine every school has different policies on stuff like this, but it doesn’t hurt to ask and it has potential to totally knock your teacher’s socks off!

Social Shout-Out

The next time you are on Facebook, update your status with a shout-out to your child’s teacher.  It can be as simple as, “My boy, Noah, has had the best year because of his teacher, Mrs. Sandoval.  Thank you, Mrs. Sandoval, for helping my child grow!”  Some of you might be social media friends with the teacher, so make sure to tag him/her if you do this.  If not, tag the school’s Facebook page!

Child Note

When I was teaching, my favorite gifts were the letters from my kids.  It meant the world to me to hear their little hearts and encouragement.  Don’t know what to say?  You can find a FREE Printable letter for your child to color and personalize HERE from Frugal Novice.

Door Decor

Trace every student’s hand on construction paper and cut-out, write HANDS DOWN, YOU ARE THE BEST on a poster board and hang everything on the teacher’s door for a happy surprise.  This year at our school the students are all receiving a small, cut-out sun.  They will take these home and write what they love about their teacher across the front.  Then they will send the suns back in and we will hang all of them on the teacher’s classroom door.  Nothing elaborate like THIS DOOR of awesomeness, but simple, free, and meaningful.

Bathroom Break

Like the recess coverage, see if your child’s school will let you pop in to the classroom for 5 minutes so that the teacher can take a bathroom break.  Don’t know what to do with a class full of kids?  Be prepared with a quick story time!  HERE are my favorite books to get kids laughing!

Classroom Clean-Up

Having a whole mess of kids in one small space can offer a terrific amount of germs!  Ask the teacher if she needs any cleaning done in her classroom.  Maybe wiping down the blinds or dusting the bookshelves or scrubbing the desks could be a huge blessing to a busy teacher.

Car Surprise

Find out what kind of car your child’s teacher drives, then while he/she is teaching, leave a note under their windshield.  You can find an adorable FREE Printable Teacher Appreciation Poem HERE from Kindergarten Works.  THIS FREE Printable inspirational sign is also super cute! If you have a few bucks, tie a helium balloon to the door handle, too!

Applause Time

Have the teacher leave the room for a minute, then tell all of the students that when the teacher returns, they get to give the teacher a standing ovation!  A round of applause for a job well done!

Photo Fun

Take a photo of the teacher with your child or the whole class.  Upload the photo to a free photo editing site like PicMonkey to add cute sayings like BEST TEACHER EVER to the picture (Need help with that?  Click HERE for the how-to).  Print or send it to her in an email.

Whatever you decide, the teacher will love it.

And so will your checking account. 😉

Joyfully,

Julie

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About Happy Home Fairy

Julie Brasington is a Preschool Director, wife of a South Florida Worship Pastor and mom of 3 boys. She writes at Happy Home Fairy where you can find easy craft ideas, FREE printables, simple recipes, holiday fun, thoughts on raising kids, and encouragement for moms.

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Loving God Loving Others and Having Fun

Hey there! My name is Julie, the Happy Home Fairy. I am married to a Worship Pastor, we have 3 boys, and I am a Preschool Director. I love sharing easy, fun ideas to help moms build a happy home! Here you will find simple crafts, FREE Printables, yummy recipes, stories about my journey to trust Jesus with my family, and encouragement for your mama's heart. You can read more about me HERE!

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  • by happyhomefairy 3 days ago
    Henry James once said, “Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.” And in honor of God’s best act of kindness in sending JESUS to the world, today I am sharing my top 6 favorite Christ-centered Christmas Acts of Kindness  #ontheblog ! ❤️❤️ ALSO Baby Zion is excited to tell you that we are partnering with  @zonderkidz  to give away TWO copies of the brand new  @thebeginnersbible  special Gift Edition to one amazing winner - one Bible to keep and one to give
  • by happyhomefairy 1 week ago
    Ryan is outside hanging Christmas lights and the boys are hiding “turkey feathers” in the back yard for one another to find. Zion is crawling around pulling all the things off and out of all the things and I am getting ready to put on my  @spanx  faux leather leggings so that I can eat all the mashed potatoes later at Grammie’s. Happiest of Thanksgivings from our crazy crew to yours!
  • by happyhomefairy 2 weeks ago
    Ungrateful eyes: Messy pantry. Christmas boxes. Laundry on chairs. Dirty floors. Dishes in the sink. Sugar ants taking over. Grateful eyes: Chubby, happy baby. Christmas magic actually happening early this year. Full bellies. Clothes to wear. House buzzing with life. Chubby, happy baby
  • by happyhomefairy 3 weeks ago
    It can be so hard to keep this time of year about Jesus and not the 2-page Christmas Wish List one of our boys recently hung on the refrigerator. ‍♀️ Today I am partnering with  @zonderkidz  and  @thebeginnersbible  to share a bunch of fun and simple ways you can use their amazing products to celebrate the Christmas story in your home this holiday season! These products are the perfect stocking stuffers and are so helpful in bringing God’s Word to life for little ones. And the best news is that  @thebeginnersbible  is no assembly required! LINK IN PROFILE Photo credit-
  • by happyhomefairy 4 weeks ago
    One of the funniest comedy bits I have heard is by Jim Gaffigan on bedtime. As a father of 5, he says, ✨ “Bedtime is a crisis. It’s like a hostage negotiation… but in reverse. I will meet your demands… just stay in there!” ✨ In an effort to make it not a crisis every night, I am sharing 5 simple ways we try to help our boys get calm for bed  #ontheblog . Also, I am partnering with  @hmhkids  to giveaway a copy of the latest book in the  #littlebluetruck  series. It is the sweetest book - the perfect way
  • by happyhomefairy 2 months ago
    Ohhh sweet Baby Z. How can it be that we have had you with us for one whole year already? These last 12 months have been our favorite. Your smile and sweetness have made all of our lives brighter. ⭐️You keep waking up with more and more teeth. ⭐️You eat everything we give you - except . ⭐️You love to stand at the piano, hitting the keys and shaking your leg happily. ⭐️You haven’t slept through the night yet, but that’s okay. When you wake up, we all go running because we can’t wait to see you. ‍♀️ ⭐️You love
  • by happyhomefairy 3 months ago
    So thankful that Hurricane Dorian took a turn away from our area because if it hadn’t, we would not have been able to pop over to Mom-Mom’s house and celebrate her birthday with her yesterday. . I’ve been all tangled up in knots trying to think of something to get my mom for her birthday because what do you give to someone who you wish you could give EVERYTHING? No new shoe or gift card can express how much I love and admire and appreciate this lady. So we showed up on her doorstep with birthday headbands and party blowers
  • by happyhomefairy 4 months ago
    Just when I think that my little website might be winding down, the Lord brings an opportunity my way that makes me think He is not finished with Happy Home Fairy yet! I would love it if you would click the link in my bio to check out an interview I got to do recently for  @voyagemiami ! I feel so blessed to get to share some blog history and my heart there. Thank you all for hanging with me and supporting what I do. I truly love sharing life with y’all! ✨
  • by happyhomefairy 4 months ago
    Jet came to school without shoes, the baby didn’t make it out of his pajamas, the boys desperately need haircuts, and we read nothing on the summer reading list. We didn’t feel put together today, but we felt the fresh hope of new beginnings and sharpened pencils! ✏️✏️  #backtoschool 
  • by happyhomefairy 5 months ago
    It seems that every day Baby Z wakes up with more teeth! I am always looking for things that he can chew on that are safe and cute. I was SO excited when I heard about Christina at  @the_joyful_teether  because she makes the most adorable, high-quality paci teether clips for little ones. ✨ I especially love that she has designs in neutral colors. But BEST of all is that Christina loves Jesus and makes her teething toys with His love and for His glory. Grab one for your baby or a gift for the teething baby in your world! *NOT
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