Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (2024)

These teacher appreciation printables are so cute! Perfect for PTA members or parents to plan a great teacher appreciation week.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (1)

Sometimes I help with the PTA at our elementary school, and this year they asked me to be in charge of teacher appreciation week. So I came up with these cute teacher appreciation printables, and I’m excited to offer them to you as a free download.

There are two different printables. The first is a schedule we sent out to all of the kids, so they could participate in some fun things for their teachers. The second is a schedule of things the PTA is doing for the teachers.

Teacher Appreciation Ideas from Students

I wanted to make sure we were doing things that the teachers actually wanted. So I talked to a few different teachers and asked what they really like during teacher appreciation week.

From their students, most of the teachers said they don’t care if they get gifts, and they don’t want families to feel like they have to do anything extreme. But they did say they like when the kids do thoughtful things like write notes or give compliments.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (2)

So we came up with a few simple ideas, that any student can do. Because of the varying support each student has from home, we were very careful in what we chose for the kids to do. Nothing cost any money, and everything can be done by a child without much help or preplanning.

Download the Teacher Appreciation Week Flyer Printable below

Teacher Appreciation Week Flyer

Monday- Straighten up your desk and try to keep it clean this entire week.

Tuesday- Wear your teacher’s favorite color to school

Wednesday- Write a note or draw a picture for your teacher

Thursday- Do something nice for your teacher today. It could even be a secret

Friday- Give your teacher a compliment today

Teacher Appreciation Ideas from the PTA

When I asked the teachers what they liked most from the PTA, the teachers said they really just wanted to be fed. Haha!! So we made sure we are going to be feeding them every day of the week.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (3)

I started by putting up a sign in the Faculty Room (teacher’s lounge). I put this sign up on the Thursday before teacher appreciation week, so the teachers knew what to expect for the coming week.

I also asked our school secretary to send a copy of the sign out to each faculty member. They really appreciated that, because they were able to know what to expect for the coming week, and if they should bring lunch for that day or not.

Download the Teacher Appreciation Week Flyer Printable below

Teacher Appreciation PTA Schedule

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (4)

Monday- Candy Buffet

“Stop by and grab some sweets and treats.”

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (5)

We put together a candy buffet for the teachers. Our local grocery store has a bulk foods section, so I was able to pick up all of the candy there, which made it really easy. We got Yogurt covered pretzels, M&M’s, peach rings, salted almonds (for a healthier choice. haha!), chocolate covered almonds, chocolate covered raisins, and mike n ikes.

I got some little zipper bags and some cute paper bags for the teachers to fill up with candy. We loved having this on the first day of teacher appreciation week, because the teachers kept the bag of candy on their desk and enjoyed it all throughout the week.

I made sure to get a lot more candy than I thought I would need. For our faculty of 65 people, I got almost double the candy in this picture. There was a lot of leftovers, of course, but we left them out and the teachers would grab a little here or there. By Thursday, every bit of candy was gone.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (6)
Download the Candy Buffet Printable below

Candy Buffet Printable

Tuesday- Yogurt Parfait Bar (breakfast)

“Put together a delicious fruit and yogurt parfait for breakfast.”

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (7)

We put together a yogurt parfait bar for the teachers. We got these plastic cups that are the perfect size for a parfait. Then we had vanilla greek yogurt and regular vanilla yogurt. We had fresh strawberries, frozen blueberries, and frozen raspberries. We washed and cut the berries, and put out some granola to top the partfait.

We also got some miniature muffins to go with our parfaits. The teachers loved this idea. It was one of their favorite parts of teacher appreciation. They loved that it was a healthier, but yummy way to start their day.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (8)

The next time I do this yogurt parfait bar, I will do a few things differently. Next time I will just get a frozen berry blend. Since I had fresh strawberries, I had to wash them and cut them up. But I got frozen blueberries and raspberries. Almost all of the teachers got a mix of all of the berries anyway, and they didn’t mind the frozen fruit. So buying a frozen berry blend will definitely save on cost and effort.

The teachers loved that I had both regular yogurt and greek yogurt. Some teachers chose regular vanilla yogurt and some chose the vanilla greek yogurt. I kept them on a bowl of ice, so the yogurt stayed fresh while it sat out most of the day.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (9)

I also noticed that because I left the yogurt out most of the day, a lot of the teachers had a parfait for breakfast, and then again for lunch.

Download the Partfait Bar Printable below

Partfait Bar Printable

Wednesday- Soda Bar and Lunch

“Enjoy a soda bar all day and then join us for some yummy lunch.”

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (10)

Our teachers love the soda bar! So we make sure to set it up first thing in the morning so they can enjoy their favorite drink all day long.

We get different kinds of soda pop. Diet co*ke and Dr Pepper are the favorite. We also get co*ke, Diet Dr Pepper, 7 up or Sprite, Mtn Dew, and Diet Pepsi.

Then we get some drink syrups. I like to get the Torani variety pack on Amazon. We add some lemon and lime wedges, and some pureed strawberry and mango (just frozen strawberries and mango blended up). Then we put out some half and half for those who like to top their drink with cream. And we put out some cups, lids, straws, and plenty of ice.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (11)
Download the Soda Bar Printable below

Soda Bar Printable

On Wednesday, our school has early out, so when the kids leave at 1:00, we feed the teachers and staff lunch. We make sure to do our lunch on an early out day so after the students leave, the teachers can sit for a while and chat while they eat lunch.

We have a few PTA members who love to cook, so they usually put together a fabulous lunch. But you can also have this meal catered, or if your budget doesn’t allow for a big lunch, you can consider a potluck style lunch.

Thursday- Veggie Bar

“Swing by for some veggies to balance out the rest of the week.”

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (12)

We try to do at least one healthier option during the week, and believe it or not, the veggie bar is always a huge hit! We get whatever veggies we can find, and wash them and cut them up. Or if we can find the vegetable already cut in a bag (like the broccoli), then that makes it even easier.

We have celery, broccoli, carrots, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and then you have to have a dip! So this year, we did a ranch dip and a fried pickle ranch dip we found at Sam’s Club. Since we were leaving this out all day, we made sure to put the ranch in a bowl of ice to stay cold.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (13)

One thing that we found that was a HUGE hit was buying some nacho trays from Amazon. They worked perfectly because the teachers could fill up the tray with veggies, and then put some ranch in the little dip cup.

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (14)
Download the Veggie Bar Printable below

Veggie Bar Printable

Friday- Cookie Buffet

“Stop in and get a cookie to get you to the weekend”

We got some gourmet cookies from a local cookie shop. We told them this was for teacher appreciation, and they even gave us a discount!

This was definitely the easiest day out of the whole week. All we did was put the cookies out, and set out some cups for the milk. Because what is a cookie without some milk to go with it?

Download the Cookie Buffet Printable below

Cookie Buffet Printable

Related

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas (with free printables) - The Creative Mom (2024)

FAQs

What do teachers actually want for gifts? ›

Save the apples for your own lunch and surprise your teacher with one of these thoughtful gifts instead.
  • The pencil sharpener that all the teachers are talking about. ...
  • Everyone loves a good book. ...
  • Personalized pencils. ...
  • Gift cards. ...
  • Their go-to grading tool, but better. ...
  • A bottle of nice wine. ...
  • A new lanyard. ...
  • School supplies.

How can I make my teacher appreciation week special? ›

Affirmations
  1. Give handmade notes and artwork from children.
  2. Host an awards day where every teacher wins a trophy for something special they bring to the program.
  3. Send a personal, handwritten note to each teacher sharing what you appreciate about them.
  4. Put together a book with thank you notes from each child.
Apr 19, 2024

How do you say thank you to a teacher as a parent? ›

Your patience, encouragement, and dedication have made all the difference in [child's name]'s progress. We are amazed at how far they have come under your tutelage, and we are forever grateful for your unwavering belief in [child's name]'s potential. Thank you for being an amazing teacher and role model.

How do you honor teachers during teacher appreciation week? ›

Public tributes through PTA
  1. Host a special breakfast or lunch for your school's teachers and staff. ...
  2. Create a giant teacher thank-you card for display in the school community. ...
  3. Start a “teacher feature” on a school or library bulletin board. ...
  4. Plant trees or flowers in public areas or on school grounds in honor of teachers.

What do teachers want most? ›

So, what do teachers really want? It's simple, really—and fits every budget: notes of appreciation, school supplies and gift cards.

Is $50 too much for a teacher gift? ›

Our etiquette expert would like to remind parents, “You don't have to spend a lot of money, and sometimes, a handwritten note from the heart is the best gesture of appreciation.” That said, Schweitzer says that, depending on the school policy, $50 may be appropriate (and she prefers a pooled gift) if your child has the ...

How much to spend on a teacher appreciation gift? ›

"A good rule of thumb is to spend around $20-$30," Lauren Grace, a high school math teacher by day and crafter at night wrote on her company blog, a business that sells accessories for teachers. "It's not so much about the price tag but the thought and appreciation that count," Grace shared with USA TODAY.

What is appropriate for teacher appreciation? ›

Our etiquette expert would like to remind parents, “You don't have to spend a lot of money, and sometimes, a handwritten note from the heart is the best gesture of appreciation.” That said, Schweitzer says that, depending on the school policy, $50 may be appropriate (and she prefers a pooled gift) if your child has the ...

Is Chipotle doing anything for teacher appreciation? ›

CHIPOTLE SERVES UP REAL SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS WITH $100,000 IN SCHOOL SUPPLIES - Aug 15, 2023. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG), a longtime education advocate, today announced it will support teachers by giving away up to $100,000 in supplies for back to school.

What is a good message for teachers from parents? ›

Appreciation Messages for Teaching

Your passion for teaching has made a positive impact on our child's learning journey. We are grateful for your commitment to education and for going above and beyond to ensure our child's success in the classroom.

What are good comments from parents to teachers? ›

Examples of Positive Feedback for your Child's Teacher
  • “Thank you for your hard work in supporting my son / daughter as they develop. ...
  • “With your guidance, our son / daughter has developed into a confident and capable child. ...
  • “Your expertise in teaching has put our minds at ease.
Sep 1, 2019

How do you honor your teacher? ›

5 Simple ways to thank a teacher
  1. Handwritten love. Sometimes, it's the little things that can go a long way. ...
  2. More coffee please. Their days start early, and they may just need that extra cup of jo. ...
  3. Take to the kitchen. Who doesn't love a gooey chocolate chip cookie? ...
  4. Gratitude Flowers. ...
  5. Stock the classroom.

Do teachers prefer gifts or gift cards? ›

“I am always thankful for classroom supplies and gift cards to places that I can purchase those things — Amazon, Target, Walmart.” “Gift cards are honestly the best thing! We can use it to buy supplies for our classroom, gas to get to work and back, or even just dinner when we've had a rough day.”

Is $100 too much for a teacher gift? ›

It really depends on each individual family's circ*mstances, too. For some, $100 is right on the mark, while for others it's overly generous. It certainly seems that no one finds it stingy, however.

Do parents give gifts to teachers? ›

“If your child has the teacher for just one period of the day, $10 to $20 is appropriate.” Melissa Verity Baral teaches kindergarten in Los Angeles and tells SheKnows that most parents give $25 to $50 gift cards.

Are you supposed to give teachers gifts? ›

While giving a gift at the end of the school year isn't required, it's a nice way to tell teachers THANK YOU for being there for our kids every day.

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