Thank-you gifts for teachers under £15
Small, useful thank-yous for the end of term or Christmas, for teachers and teaching assistants who already have plenty of ‘best teacher’ mugs.
Price guide: £ under £15 ££ £15–£40 £££ over £40
More ideas: Gifts for teachers
Teachers are given a lot of ‘best teacher’ mugs. A thank-you that fits the job tends to get more use: something warm for playground duty, a good notebook for planning, a better cup of tea in the staffroom.
Everything here was under £15 when we checked, a comfortable amount for one family, and almost all of it works just as well for teaching assistants, nursery staff and the school office. If a few families are clubbing together, two or three of these make a lovely bundle.
A travel mug for break duty
Price band: £Tea stays hot through a whole playground duty, and the screw lid won’t leak into a bag full of marking.
Our pick
CS COSDDI Insulated Travel Mug (380ml)
Under £10 Price range
A slim, powder-coated steel cup with a screw-on lid and silicone seal that stays shut in a bag. It keeps drinks hot or iced for up to six hours, and the non-slip sleeve and base stop it sliding about.
- 380ml
- Screw-on leakproof lid
- Hot or iced up to 6 hrs
- Non-slip sleeve and base
- Fits car cup holders
What owners say: Owners like the sleek design and the quality for the money, and say it keeps drinks hot and travels easily.
A closer look: The lid unscrews completely for washing by hand; check the seal is sitting flat before the next fill. It makes a good Secret Santa or teacher's thank-you.
Rechargeable hand warmers
Price band: £For whoever’s on the school gate at half past eight in January: one slim warmer for each coat pocket, warm in seconds.
Our pick
OCOOPA UT5 Rechargeable Hand Warmers (2-pack)
£14.99 RRP
Two slim warmers, one for each coat pocket, that heat up in two seconds. Perfect for cold commutes and the school run.
- Two ultra-slim warmers
- Heats in 2 seconds
- 3 heat levels
- Rechargeable
What owners say: Surprisingly warm, great for cold commutes, compact and cute.
A closer look: Both warmers charge together from the dual USB-C cable in the box, a full charge taking about 3.5 hours, so an overnight top-up has them ready for the morning. The side buttons work through gloves, and a silicone lanyard lets one dangle from a wrist or bag strap. They arrive in a gift box, which makes wrapping easy.
A hardback A5 notebook
Price band: £Teachers get through notebooks for planning, meetings and to-do lists. This one has thick paper that pens don’t bleed through, and two ribbon markers.
Our pick
STATIONERY ISLAND A5 Dotted Hardback Notebook
£7.99 RRP
Thick 120gsm paper that pens don’t bleed through, in a smart hardback. For bullet journals, to-do lists or doodling in meetings.
- A5 hardback
- 180 dotted pages
- Thick 120gsm paper
- Elastic closure
What owners say: Lovely thick pages with no bleed-through, and it looks smart on a desk.
A closer look: Two ribbon markers keep today’s page and a running to-do list open at once, and the expandable pocket holds receipts, stickers or spare sticky notes. The dots sit 5mm apart on ivory paper, a light guide for neat tables and habit trackers without committing to lines. As a Secret Santa, it suits almost anyone in the office, from the planner to the doodler.
A hand cream set
Price band: £Whiteboard pens, hand gel and endless washing-up in the staffroom dry hands out. Three little tubes: one for the desk, one for the car, one for home.
Our pick
Cath Kidston Orange Blossom Hand Cream Trio
£8 RRP
Three pretty handbag-size tubes with shea and cocoa butter. A little bit of Cath Kidston cheer for a few pounds.
- 3 × 30ml
- Orange blossom scent
- Shea and cocoa butter
- Vegan
What owners say: A lovely scent, soft non-greasy feel and great value. Perfect for handbags.
A closer look: At 30ml, each tube is small enough to go straight into the clear liquids bag for a flight. The orange blossom scent is fresh rather than heavy, and the tubes come in a mix of leopard and rose prints, made with half recycled plastic and packed in a card box.
A loose-leaf tea sampler
Price band: £Ten teas to try, a step up from the staffroom’s catering box of teabags.
Our pick
VAHDAM Top 10 Favourites Loose Leaf Tea Sampler
£10–£20 Price range
Ten teas sent from India, from breakfast blends to chai, with enough for over 50 cups.
- 10 loose-leaf teas
- 50+ cups
- Black, green and chai
- Gift packaging
What owners say: Fresh, excellent quality and a great range. It looks like an expensive gift.
A closer look: Loose leaves rather than bags means a tea infuser or small strainer is worth tucking in with the gift if they don’t already own one. Brew the black and chai blends with freshly boiled water, but let the kettle rest briefly before pouring on the greens, which turn bitter if they’re scalded.
Fun patterned socks
Price band: £An easy, cheerful thank-you for a male teacher or TA, in a gift box, with designs for book lovers, dog people and more.
Our pick
Cavertin Novelty Socks in a Gift Box
Under £10 Price range
Lots of designs, from book lovers to dog people, in a gift box. Pick the one that fits the person.
- Gift boxed
- Soft cotton blend
- Lots of designs
- One size fits most
What owners say: Cute, comfortable and soft, and they always get a laugh.
A closer look: The sizing covers women’s UK 5 to 11 and men’s UK 4 to 10, a safe bet when you don’t know someone’s shoe size. The reading socks hide a message on the sole, which only shows when feet go up on the sofa. They’re machine washable, and turning them inside out first helps keep the pattern crisp.
A clip-on book light
Price band: £For reading the class novel ahead at bedtime, or finally getting through their own pile in the holidays.
Our pick
Gritin 19 LED Rechargeable Book Light
£10.99 RRP
Clips to a book and throws a wide, even light, with a warm amber setting that won’t disturb whoever’s sleeping next to them.
- 19 LEDs, wide beam
- 3 colour modes
- Stepless dimming
- Rechargeable
- Remembers your setting
What owners say: Brilliant light with lots of brightness choices, and the battery lasts a good while.
Heads up: Gritin has just launched a Gen 2. This one is the proven version and usually costs less.
A closer look: Amber is the setting for reading in bed, with the softest glow, while the crisp white helps with small print in a crossword or a dim armchair corner. Charging is by USB-C, so the same lead as most modern phones will do, and at about 71g it sits lightly on a paperback.
A grow-your-own herb kit
Price band: £Twenty-four herbs to sow on a sunny windowsill: a thank-you that’s still growing well into the next term.
Our pick
Pronto Seed Herb Bumper Pack (24 varieties)
Under £10 Price range
Twenty-four herb varieties to grow on a windowsill. A gift that keeps giving well into spring.
- 24 herb varieties
- 4 themed collections
- Indoor or outdoor
- Easy instructions
What owners say: A great selection of herbs and a nice gift.
Heads up: It’s seeds only, so they’ll need a few pots and some compost.
A closer look: Cress, rocket and mizuna are the quick wins for a January windowsill, while lavender, borage and fennel are better saved for sowing outdoors once spring arrives. Label each pot as you sow, as young seedlings look alike. The maker offers help if anything struggles to germinate.
Hot chocolate stirrers
Price band: £Three Belgian chocolate spoons for three well-earned hot chocolates once the marking’s done.
Our pick
Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Spoons with Marshmallows (3-pack)
Under £10 Price range
Belgian milk chocolate spoons topped with mini marshmallows: stir into hot milk and there’s instant hot chocolate.
- 3 × 25g stirrers
- Belgian milk chocolate
- Mini marshmallows
- Snowman gift box
What owners say: Delicious, not too sweet and a lovely little gift.
A closer look: Heat a mug of milk until it’s steaming, then stir until the chocolate has melted away. Each stirrer is wrapped separately, so the three can be shared out between people. Check before gifting: the marshmallows contain pork gelatine and the pack may contain traces of nuts and peanuts, so they don’t suit vegetarians or anyone with a nut allergy.
Scented candle tins
Price band: £Four small soy candles for the first quiet evenings of the holidays, in a gift box with a card.
Our pick
Scented Soy Candle Tins (4-pack)
Under £10 Price range
Four little soy candles in lavender, freesia, vanilla and rose, in a gift box with a card. Instantly cosier desks.
- 4 soy candle tins
- Lavender, freesia, vanilla, rose
- Gift box and card
What owners say: Good quality, lovely scents and a great little gift.
A closer look: Each tin holds about 71g (2.5oz) of soy wax, roughly 15 to 20 hours of burning, so they share out nicely: lavender by the bed, vanilla in the kitchen. The metal warms up as it burns, so stand it on a coaster or heat-proof surface. Once finished, the plant-print tins make handy pots for paperclips, hair ties or earrings.
An insulated water bottle
Price band: £Teachers talk all day. A small steel bottle keeps water cold on the desk and fits the car’s cup holder for the drive home.
Our pick
OTTO KONING 500ml Insulated Water Bottle
£9.99 RRP
A neat 500ml bottle that fits most cup holders and keeps tea hot through the morning.
- 500ml
- Cold 24 hrs, hot 12 hrs
- Leak-proof screw lid
- 18/8 stainless steel
- Fits most cup holders
What owners say: Good quality and keeps water cold or tea hot all day. Owners like the handy size and the secure screw cap.
A closer look: The screw lid seals tightly enough to throw it in a handbag with tea inside, and at 500ml it slips into a car cup holder or a coat pocket. It suits water, tea, coffee or juice, but not fizzy drinks. A good size for the commute or a classroom.
A hot water bottle
Price band: £A cosy Christmas thank-you for evenings on the sofa with a pile of marking, in a soft faux-fur cover.
Our pick
Revitale Luxury 2L Hot Water Bottle with Plush Cover
£11.99 RRP
A thick natural-rubber 2-litre bottle in a soft faux-fur cover, made to exceed British Standard BS1970:2012. The single ribbed side keeps the heat gentle against you, and the wide mouth makes filling less splashy.
- 2 litres
- Natural rubber
- Removable faux-fur cover
- Made to BS1970:2012
- Wide, easy-fill neck
What owners say: Owners say the cover feels wonderfully soft, it stays warm for a long time, and it's lovely on cold winter nights.
A closer look: Pop it under the duvet a little while before bed and the sheets are warm when you get in. The cover comes off for washing.
Tips for teacher gifts
- A short note from your child saying what they enjoyed this year is often the part a teacher keeps.
- Some schools ask families to keep gifts small, and most staff prefer it, so there’s no need to spend more.
- With food gifts, leave the packaging on so allergies can be checked: the hot chocolate stirrers contain milk and gelatine.
Photos are illustrative. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How we pick · How this works.
Not quite right? Our gift finder picks from all our lists.
Try the gift finder
