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Hallmark has great small cards that you can use to write a note!  

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Hallmark has great small cards that you can use to write a note!  

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Purchase a meal for your buddy at the Senior Bistro!

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A list of gift ideas for teachers, by teachers. Interesting list!

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Photo: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Finding the perfect holiday gift can be maddening - is this the color they'd want? Is it something they already have? Is it so last year? - but really, once you have a sense of a person's taste, it's not impossible. This season, we'll be talking to members of various tribes (we're calling them the Hard-to-Shop-Fors) to find out exactly what to get that serious home cook, skin-care Redditor, or gamer in your life. Think of it as a window into their brain trust - or at least a very helpful starting point.
The best teacher gifts aren't knickknacks or desk objets shaped like pencils or apples. The best gifts for teachers are heartfelt, practical, and generally fall into one of two categories: things that can be used in the classroom to enhance students ' experiences, or gifts that make a teacher's already-difficult job a little nicer - think relaxing things here. But giving gifts that are over-the-top expensive can easily fall into an against-school-policy gray area (unless you pool resources from multiple parents or families).

To find the best gifts for teachers from students and their parents that are both practical and personal, we talked with teachers from kindergarten to middle school, ESL to music and the arts, about the unique gifts they actually want. Below, 26 teacher-approved gift ideas that your kid's teacher (or the teacher in your life) will genuinely appreciate. Don't miss all of the Strategist's holiday gift coverage right here, too.

Gifts for the classroom

"My all-time favorite gift is a picture book full of fun class pictures from the year, from Shutterfly or any of those websites that print books, with handwritten notes from my students within the book or on the back pages," says Laura Owen, a fifth-grade language arts and social studies teacher at Franklin Academy in Pembroke Pines, Florida. "I like those better than CDs or picture slideshows." This rainbow yearbook from Mixbook is easily customizable (and would be particularly nice as a present for a teacher who's retiring).

Gifts for the teacher

"If a student got me a foam roller (or the even fancier RumbleRoller, hint, hint), I would be thrilled," says Dan Safer, head of movement training at New York University's Playwrights Horizons Theater School. "After teaching five dance classes in a row, I am ALWAYS sore, and having a foam roller available everywhere I go - several of different lengths at home, one at school, a short one for when I travel, etc. - would rock. This would even be good for a math teacher. I mean, everyone gets sore, right?"

Stella Benezra, a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing in the Bronx, agrees that "gentle, natural hand sanitizers" would be nice. SNL comedian Aidy Bryant tipped us off to the gentle-yet-multipurpose Jao Hand Refresher, explaining, "I also spray it on mattresses, zits, makeup brushes, and clothes but mostly armpits. It's truly not just for hands."

If you're still in doubt about what gift to give a teacher, there's one fail-safe option. "Families often mean well by trying to get you something very specific and elegant but most teachers actually need things that are boring and unglamorous." says Caplan "A parent thanking me in a note attached to a gift card can mean a lot and also be used to help purchase a new vacuum I need, groceries, or fun night out with friends."

Donation to Mikva Challenge

From $25 at Mikva Challenge

"I am lucky enough to work in a school that provides any resource I might need for my students. This year, however, I have partnered with or used resources from a few incredible organizations that continue to work to engage high schoolers in meaningful work," says Griffin Pepper, an 11th-grade government, civics, and journalism teacher at E.L. Haynes Public Charter High School in Washington, D.C."All I really want is to support these organizations, like Mikva Challenge, [which] provides students [with] authentic opportunities to become civically engaged and solve problems impacting their communities. This year, our 11th-graders participated in Project Soapbox, a speech competition that asks students to identify an issue impacting their communities and how we can address it."

You can do that same exercise with your child, asking them about what issues were addressed in the classroom or that they care about and make a donation in their teacher's name. Jacobson also suggests a membership to a museum or theater company for an arts teacher: "More personal gifts are always better. I'd make sure to talk with my child about their impressions of the teacher. Inside jokes go a long way."

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best women's jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
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The Best Gifts for Teachers, According to Teachers

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Photo: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Finding the perfect holiday gift can be maddening - is this the color they'd want? Is it something they already have? Is it so last year? - but really, once you have a sense of a person's taste, it's not impossible.

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Jokes, motivational notes, encouragement

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Some of these are geared towards an "office" environment, but it might be something that works for you!

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The annual office gift exchange is here, and you have no clue what to buy that silent guy in the other department. Don't freak out. These gifts are sure to please your coworker (and maybe even get you a laugh)-and you don't even have to secretly go over the spending limit. Here are some of our favorite items, categorized for three typical spending limits: $10, $15, and $20.

Under $10

Release Your Anger adult coloring book

The adult coloring book trend may be winding down, but that doesn't make the activity any less therapeutic. Help your peers de-stress and relive their childhood, with the addition of some ahem colorful language. .

This is just a great gift for someone you work with, especially one who handles any administrative duties. $13.

Field Notes are great notebooks. They're lightweight, super durable, small enough to fit in your pocket, and have a variety of tools within them, including a ruler printed inside the cover. PopSci commerce editor Billy Cadden pointed out earlier this year that Field Notes can come with ruled, gridded, or plain paper, but they also now come in a special-made (read: "reversed") version for those who are left-handed. .

Remember: millennials love avocados. In fact, if you believe pundits, we love putting them on toast with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil so much, we can't afford to buy a house. Millennials also love cool socks. These socks have avocados on them and they are very good. Available in men's and women's sizes for $10.

I love Codenames. I've played it a handful of times, and each occasion has been so much fun. Wil Wheaton and the good folks at TableTop did an excellent review of it, wherein they explain the rules and play the game. 11/10, highly recommend. (PS: Wil, if you're looking for new TableTop guests, I will gladly fly out to California to be on an episode.) .

As I mentioned earlier, socks are great. So is space. Show off your love for NASA with these cool astronaut socks. .

Remember how much fun (and definitely not annoying) the Staples "That Was Easy" button was? This is just like that, but it can say more things than "That Was Easy." .

I appreciate a good pun and, as a video producer, a good movie reference (please send puns to jason@popsci.com). Gone with the Gin lists 50 cocktail recipes, each paired to the themes of a movie. .

Exploding Kittens is a great card game that only takes a few minutes to learn. In fact, there's an official tutorial video narrated by Lucky Yates. Multiple PopSci staffers are fans as well. .

PopSci assistant editor Sara Chodosh swears by this thing. She has one under her desk and tells me "it's just so nice" to be able to put her feet up when she gets uncomfortable. .

Love Letters is a pretty classic party card game. In it, each card has an action, and the goal is to eliminate all other players. This version swaps in characters from the original game for Batman, Robin, and a crew of classic villains. The game can be played with 2-4 players. .
Interested in talking about deals and gadgets? Request to join our exclusive Facebook group. With all our product stories, the goal is simple: more information about the stuff you're thinking about buying. We may sometimes get a cut from a purchase, but if something shows up on one of our pages, it's because we like it. Period.

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29 fail-safe present ideas for your office gift exchange

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The annual office gift exchange is here, and you have no clue what to buy that silent guy in the other department. Don't freak out. These gifts are sure to please your coworker (and maybe even get you a laugh)-and you don't even have to secretly go over the spending limit.