Teachers near or far are finishing out the school year with engaging and memorable activities for their students. There are all kinds of celebrations and end-of-year field trips and field days…fun, fun, and more fun! But teachers, students, and parents are getting ready to say their goodbyes and on that never-ending to-do list include getting farewell gifts for students.

I’ll never forget the gift my 2nd-grade teacher gave me at the end of the school year. It was a personalized keepsake box with my name on it. I still can visualize it to this day. It was purple and my name was written on it with a yellow gel pen with a flower on each side of my name. I absolutely loved this gift and it meant the world to me that my teacher personalized it just for me. There is something about seeing my name on something or somewhere that just makes me smile. It’s just so personal. So now as a teacher I love to personalize gifts for my students. Here are my absolute favorite personalized parting gifts.

Summer Reading Books & Bookmarks

I always shop on Scholastic to check out their dollar deals or even purchase a book set of 6 books to distribute separately. I keep my students’ interests and reading levels in mind when trying to match students with just-right books. I always found the right books I was looking for whether it was a chapter book, classic novel, summer Mad Libs, or just a fun, summer read. There is such a variety of books that you are bound to find the perfect fit for whatever grade you teach.

I write a personalized message inside the front cover of the book and include a personalized bookmark. This was a little treasure for my students. They loved writing notes to me and it was even more special when I wrote them back every time. This was a gift and a note from me that they could take with them and remember me by, just like the gift my teacher gave me. My students truly love special gifts like this.

Other years I would select some of my favorite books for my students to choose from. Since most of my students were avid readers and have read so many books, it was sometimes hard to choose books they haven’t read yet. I’d place a sign that says, Mrs. Weis’ Must-Read Summer Books…go ahead…take one! On the inside cover of the books, I would write a personalized note explaining why it was one of my favorite reads. Many of the kids loved the choice in what they picked and skipped out of the classroom with a smile. Choose some of your favorite books for your students!

Summer Writing Journals & Fancy Pens/Pencils

My classroom has always been a classroom full of writers and authors so personalized summer journals were especially fitting for my students. I would personalize the journal by putting the student’s name on the front with a picture of them working on a writing piece. Inside I would include more photos of my students during writer’s workshop. On the first page of the journal is a farewell letter from myself telling the student how much they have grown as a student and writer, and of course how much I will miss them. I’d also include a fun pen, pencil, or even better a mechanical pencil. What kid doesn’t love mechanical pencils?! We leave the back inside cover for classmates’ autographs with a way to contact each other for summer playdates. I bought notebooks or journals at the Dollar Tree for a buck and then personalized them.

Writer Gift Bags

I loved creating these gift bags for my students. These gift bags were a very special gift for my students who were one of the 3 classes that won the Scholastic Kids Are Authors writing competition, a national writing competition that focuses on reading, writing, and artistic skills. (You could read about the Kids Are Authors competition here.) We came in the top 25 nationally for our fiction picture book entry 3 years in a row. Since the winners were announced at the very end of the year, this was a perfect time to celebrate and fill these little baggies with all things writers love, like little notepads, pens, pencils, erasers, sticky notes, etc. On the front was a poem that was dedicated to them as writers.

And For The Parents…

I always send home a little personalized farewell note as I give them back their child. I love this freebie that you could find on TPT. I also include an informational end-of-year newsletter with summer resources, my Handy Dandy Summer checklist, which could be downloaded here, and these editable Summer Reading Brochures as a reminder to READ and to keep going with some kind of learning over the summer. As a parent, I know how hard it is to balance work, home, and school so I think these simple one-pagers are so useful. Stick it on the fridge and you are good to go. Or at least that is what I hope they do. 🙂

Other inexpensive gifts that I’ve done in the past:

• Give each student an Inflatable 12″ Rainbow Color Beach Balls (12 Pack) (affiliate link to Amazon.com) and a sharpie to get all of their classmates to sign their ball before leaving for summer.

• Pail with shovel filled with summer goodies for younger grades, like sunglasses and sidewalk chalk. (Pails and shovels $1 each, pack of sidewalk chalk $3 at Target, 24 Pack 80’s Style Neon Party Sunglasses (affiliate link to Amazon.com).

• Bubbles- necklaces or wands are fun! (one bubble wand or pack of 4 bubble necklaces for $1 at Target)

I attached a personalized note to each and every gift I give as a memory for my students.

How do you end the year with your students? What goodies do you prepare? Share them! I love getting new ideas.

Follow me to be notified when new resources are uploaded to the Shop and join the email list to receive the latest and greatest updates, posts, and some awesome freebies!!

Missed it? Read my previous posts 5 Meaningful Ways to Engage Your Students at the End of the Year and 5 Must Do End of Year Activities.

If you like it, then pin it!