Gift Ideas for Child Care Provider Appreciation Day

Provider appreciation day is here Friday! Founded in 1996, Provider Appreciation Day is a good way to show your child’s caregivers and teachers just how much you appreciate them. Being a teacher takes a lot of effort, and many of them see your child more than you do. This May, you can show your child’s teachers how much you appreciate their efforts.

Some parents don’t quite know which teacher to buy gifts for or who to show their appreciation towards: lead teacher, assistant teacher, preschool director, and the list goes on! The best rule of thumb, to avoid hurting any feelings, is to get all of your child’s teachers something. You can always do something extra special for a teacher that has had a significant impact on your child and their education. Below are some ideas for what to do for your child care provider on their special day.

Include your child. Your child probably appreciates their teacher greatly. Having them decorate a card, draw a picture, or deliver gifts to their teachers can be a great way for both you and your child to show appreciation for all the hard work that goes into educating children.

• Have your child deliver snacks to the teachers to celebrate
• Take time to paint or draw with your child
• Make a CD of different songs for the teacher to play during class time that both the teacher and the students will enjoy
• Decorate and personalize a coffee cup sleeve

Buy Providers Necessities. Bringing functional gifts is a good way to show appreciation. It can be as simple as replenishing the paint and art supplies closet. You could even create or buy some games for the classroom that your kid and their peers can play with. Some things teachers may need include:

• paint or other art supplies
• printer paper & printer ink
• wall decorations
• pens and pencils
• books for the classroom

Work with other parents. If you’d like to get something a bit pricey, try pooling together some money to give your provider a paid day off, or money for a nice dinner. Gift cards are also a great treat. You can even get a gift for the teachers that centers around their interests or hobbies. Some examples of things to to with other parents include:

• Dedicate a day for you and other parents to help organize and clean the classroom
• Bring “breakfast buckets” with the teachers’ favorite foods or drinks
• Create a basket of nice materials the teachers can use on a daily basis
• Pool money together for a useful gift card to a place like Amazon, Target, or a school-supply store

Remember, it’s the thought that counts. You don’t have to buy expensive presents to show that you appreciate your child’s teacher and the work they do. Cards and handwritten notes are a very simple, affordable, yet powerful way to show appreciation. Take some time to personalize them and show that you are sincere in your sentiments.

Tip: maybe your child’s teacher has a particular theme they really like (such as ocean themes, Dr. Seuss themes, bird themes, etc.). To add an extra degree of thought into the project, try to make it centered around a theme you know they would particularly enjoy.