May is Teacher & Staff Appreciation month, and this year, we’re more grateful than ever for all the hard work and dedication our teachers have displayed through this challenging time. We know many families love to join us in celebrating our teams, and with COVID protocols in place, things look a little different this year. So we’ve rounded up some safe teacher appreciation ideas that will have your children’s early educators feeling the love.
5 Socially Distant Teacher Appreciation Ideas
- Purchase a gift card. This idea is simple, but can go a long way. Buy a gift card to one of your teacher’s favorite local spots (bonus points for supporting small businesses!) or food delivery carriers, or sponsor a “movie night in” with a voucher to a streaming service. If you’re looking to provide more flexibility, try a pre-paid card that can be used like a credit or debit card almost anywhere.
- Send a virtual “thank you.” The possibilities are endless when it comes to utilizing technology to show your appreciation. Have your child create a drawing, eCard, or video, and email them to your teachers. Or, reach out to the parents of your child’s classmates and host a teacher appreciation party via Skype.
- Show some non-food related love with a handwritten note, beautiful plant, or picture of your child. If you are gifting food, please stick with prepackaged, individually-wrapped treats to keep it safe!
- Mail a gift. Find out from the school or center where to send teacher gifts, and then have fun online shopping! From school and cleaning supplies to more personalized tokens, a considerate gift in the mail is a nice way to show how much you care.
- Shout them out. If you love your teachers, let others know! Take to social media and share your appreciation with your community. If you’re a Bright Horizons parent, use #AwesomeEducators on Facebook and Instagram to show us all of the fun, creative ways you’re saying THANKS! Or, brag about all of the wonderful ways your teachers are making a difference in an email to a supervisor or administrator.
Don’t let social distance get in the way of teacher appreciation – get creative and explore new avenues to say “thanks” to all of the SUPERHEROES in your life.
Editor’s Note: If you’re a Bright Horizons parent, make sure to nominate your children’s teachers for an Award of Excellence! Links to the nomination site are in the Family Satisfaction Survey and will be sent via email mid-May as well.
From all of us at Bright Horizons, we want to say THANK YOU to our amazing teachers for giving other heroes the critical family support they need during these times.
More on Teacher Appreciation
- Teacher appreciation is encouraged all year round! Here are some fun ideas to celebrate teachers once school and center protocols allow.
- Being a preschool educator takes special skills in teaching, caregiving, and patience. Read a special teacher appreciation thank you letter from a mom of a preschool boy.
