Idea for a farewell gift???

Hi everyone,

since I’ve gotten such quick and helpful advice here so many times before, I thought I’d ask the
group:

My little daughter is switching schools this summer, and she wants to give her homeroom teacher something
crocheted. But I don’t have any ideas, and neither does she.

Do you have any suggestions?

The homeroom teacher is 29 years old—if that helps.

I’d appreciate any ideas.

Best regards, Heike

Hi Heike,

I think that’s such a sweet idea—that your little one wants to give her teacher a gift.

Without knowing the teacher better, though, I don’t have any specific ideas right now, but maybe the following suggestions will help a bit:

1) Does the class have a specific animal it’s named after?—It’s quite common for first-grade classes to be named after an animal; for example, my friend’s little daughter was in the “Frog Class.”

2) Or does the school itself have a mascot?

3) You could also dress up any figure as a teacher or professor—with glasses, a book, etc.

4) Or something completely different—maybe she likes to wear scarves or other accessories?

5) Or a bag for her books (e.g., a colorful crossbody bag)

.... it depends a bit on how much effort you want to put into it ;-)


Maybe the others have some other ideas.

Best wishes, Stefanie

Hi :)

First, you should check whether this is customary or allowed at the school and in the state.
There have been various reports of teachers getting into trouble after accepting gifts from students... There are also certain value limits, etc.
It would, of course, be a shame if the teacher then didn’t accept the gift or got into trouble.

With keychains, you might want to keep the CE issue in mind.
Normally, no one would bat an eye at this in a private setting, but where there are lots of kids—and therefore lots of parents—you never know what might happen...

Okay, enough of that—let’s get back to the actual topic ;)

With that in mind, I’d definitely go for a small token, but not a stuffed animal or anything like that.

Maybe a bookmark or something? A bracelet? A headband?
Or just a shawl. It just shouldn’t be made of silk or anything like that ;)

Hi Heike,
I’d start by checking what the maximum value of the gift is allowed to be.
Then you can think about what to give the teacher.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

It’s customary here to give the teacher a farewell gift.
So far, there haven’t been any guidelines on the value of the gift.

There have already been some great suggestions.
I really need to give this some thought.

One thing I can already rule out is an animal.

Well, I’d maybe go with something she can actually use… a pencil case, a tablet sleeve, or something like that. Your daughter could maybe help design it and decorate it with fabric markers.

A bookmark would definitely be a hit, too.

Homemade gifts are generally no problem. Small gifts for teachers are quite common. As long as the value doesn’t exceed 10–15 euros, I’m sure no one will say anything (that’s how it was always handled at our school). Plus, since your daughter is changing schools, no one can accuse you of trying to influence the teacher in any way.
How about a crocheted pencil case?

How about a bookmark or a small keychain? For example, a little guardian angel is always a hit. Maybe even one that can be hung in the car or on a bag as a good-luck charm.

Hi Heike,

I’d be a little cautious about your daughter’s idea. Not everyone likes to have or wear something crocheted. Do you know anything about the teacher’s preferences? You crocheted something for each child at your daughter’s birthday party, and it went over well—maybe that’s why your daughter came up with this idea? Personally, I don’t think “individual gifts” for teachers are such a good idea (and I’ve heard the same from teacher friends of mine); I’d prefer a group farewell gift. Alternatively, the kids could do an activity: for example, each one could felt a flower, and together that would make a bouquet for her. That way, it’s homemade and comes directly from the kids.

Maybe a holder for writing supplies or something handmade from photo cardstock.

I think storage baskets are super practical, and anyone can really use them for all sorts of things. The material costs aren’t that high either, and you can fill them with candy later on.