BestGifts.com may receive a portion of revenue if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. The products are independently researched, reviewed and chosen by our writers without influence from our partners. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use.
Valentine’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to let your child’s teacher know how much you appreciate all they’ve done this year. A cheerful little holiday at the end of a long winter is just the right time to offer a token of your appreciation for their important role in your child’s development.
Like any other small gift, the best Valentines for teachers blend the practical and the thoughtful while not breaking the bank. Teaching can be difficult, stressful work, and the right gift will be something that lets them know you appreciate their hard work and gives something they’ll actually use—making navigating tight school budgets and the cost of school supplies that much easier.
Best Stress-Busting Gift
Bersiler Aromatherapy Candles
Help teachers breathe in relaxation and breathe out stress at the end of a long day with these aromatherapy candles. Candles may be a familiar gift, but that’s for a reason—they give a lot of happiness and warmth for a long time.
Pros:
- A long-lasting gift they’re sure to use often
- Infused with stress-soothing aromatherapy oils like lavender and sage
- Natural soy wax and cotton wick, meaning no black soot or smoke
- Comes in masculine and feminine scents and styles
Cons:
- Preferred scents can be personal
- Not the best gift for those very sensitive to smells
Starting at $12.99 Amazon.com
Best Universal Gift
Starbucks Gift Card
Quick and easy, yet useful and sure to be appreciated, a Starbucks gift card hits the sweet spot in stress-free gifting. This card acknowledges that it takes a lot of energy to run a classroom—while letting educators indulge themselves in something nicer than reheated coffee from the teacher’s lounge.
Pros:
- Practical
- Offers a wide selection of pastries or drinks every morning
- Doesn’t require intimate knowledge of teacher’s tastes
Cons:
- A little impersonal
Starting at $25 on Amazon.com
Most Whimsical Gift
KINNOSE Graduated Beaker Mug
The coffee mug is a staple of any teacher’s desk, and as a gift, it adds a little personality to an everyday item. This graduated beaker mug is a fun nod to lab equipment that’s perfect for your kid’s favorite science teacher. As a bonus, it actually provides accurate measurements of fluids inside!
Pros:
- Food-grade glassware
- Safe for hot or cold drinks and microwave
- Durable build
- Non-toxic materials
Cons:
- Glassware might not be appropriate for classrooms with very young children
Around $13.99 on Amazon.com
Most Useful Gift
Reliancer Colorful Self-Inking Motivation School Grading Teacher Stamp Set and Tray
Grading can be a lot of work, but a dedicated stamp set adds a little color to a tough job. This set of eight vibrant self-inking stamps is a uniquely useful gift—one that the teacher might end up using every day.
Pros:
- Eight different positive messages in multiple colors to brighten up student’s work
- Each stamp is self-inking with over 30,000 uses
- Ink and stamp made with nature friendly, non-toxic materials
Cons:
- Some reviewers complained of ink leakage
Starting at $13.99 on Amazon.com
Most Fun Present
Out of Print Literary and Book-Themed Unisex Cotton Socks for Book Lovers, Readers, and Bibliophiles
Paying tribute to checkout cards of libraries past, these socks are a fun novelty gift that allows any bibliophile teacher to show off their love of literature. They come in a few different designs and colors, each honoring great books. Best of all, proceeds from each purchase go to funding literacy programs for communities in need.
Pros:
- Fun and nostalgic
- Soft, durable polyester/cotton blend
- Comes in several other designs
Cons:
- May require guess on the right size
Starting at $8.99 on Amazon.com
FAQs
Got questions about selecting the right gift for your teacher? Here are some of the most common Valentine’s Day gift-giving queries, answered:
How much should I spend on a Valentine’s Day gift for a teacher?
Even simple gifts like candles and socks can run a wide price spectrum—too cheap means straying into the low-quality material zone, but too expensive probably isn’t appropriate for a small-gift holiday. Somewhere between $10 and $30 dollars is probably best.
What about a Valentine’s Day gift card?
Gift cards are scalable based on how many teachers you’re shopping for. Around $10 per card is a good minimum—a gift card you can only use once isn’t very useful.
What features are important to consider when shopping for gifts for teachers?
It depends on the gift. For school supply-centric gifts, you should look for non-toxic and environmentally friendly materials to ensure the materials are safe for use around children. If your teacher works with younger children, you may want to avoid breakable glassware might be a risk to bring around younger kids every day.
Going the scented candle route? Make sure to look for high-quality candle materials—natural materials like beeswax or soy wax are less sooty than paraffin wax. Because you might not know the teacher’s candle-holder situation, we recommend candles that come with their own containers when it comes to gift-buying.
