Awesome Back-to-School Gift Ideas for Students

Ah, the start of a new school year… It’s more than just fresh notebooks and new backpacks. It’s an exciting mix of anticipation and nerves. So how do you make returning to college not just bearable but downright fantastic? Whether you're a teacher looking to welcome your new students or a family member wanting to support a student's academic journey, finding the right gift can make a significant difference. These thoughtful gestures can ease anxieties, spark enthusiasm, and set the stage for a successful and enjoyable school year.

Gifts for College Students

Essential Gadgets and Tools

Staying Connected and Powered Up:

A portable charger ensures that your devices never run out of power.
Noise-cancelling headphones provide a peaceful environment for studying or relaxing.
A high-quality, reusable water bottle helps college students stay hydrated throughout the day.

Organization and Efficiency:

An academic planner helps students organize their schedules, manage deadlines, and plan their social activities.
A desk organizer helps keep your study space tidy and efficient.
Sticky notes are lifesavers for jotting down quick reminders or marking important textbook passages. They come in handy during study sessions and group projects.
A set of high-quality pens is essential for any college student. Smooth-writing and reliable, they’re perfect for taking notes, filling out forms, and even doodling during breaks. Having a variety of colors can make studying brighter, too.
A sturdy, comfortable backpack with lots of pockets can carry books, laptops, and other essentials.

Comfort and Well-being:

A sleep mask and earplugs combo is great for getting quality rest, especially in bright and noisy dorm rooms.
Comfy, warm socks are a small luxury that can make a big difference. They’re good for cozy days in the dorm or long walks across campus.
Cozy slippers can make living in a dorm so much more comfortable. They keep your feet warm and add a touch of homey comfort. They’re perfect for walking around your room or heading to the shared bathroom.
A good desk lamp is crucial for late-night study sessions. Adjustable brightness can protect your eyes from strain.

Entertainment and Relaxation

Digital Delights:

An e-reader, like a Kindle, gives access to a vast library of books and textbooks.
A subscription to a streaming service like Netflix or Spotify provides entertainment and relaxation.
A portable Bluetooth speaker can be used to play music in the dorm room, enhancing both study time and social gatherings.

Personal Touches:

A stuffed animal adds a sense of comfort and home to a dorm room. Whether you’re feeling stressed from exams or just need a cozy companion, these plush friends are perfect for both!
A small indoor plant brightens up any dorm room and improves air quality. It’s a little piece of nature that can help reduce stress.
Adult coloring books serve as a soothing escape from the pressures of academic life. They are perfect for those with creative minds who need to unwind and de-stress.
A fun party game provides entertainment and a chance to bond with new friends. Great for downtime or social gatherings.

Health and Sustenance

Wellness Boosters:

A fitness tracker encourages a healthy lifestyle by monitoring steps, heart rate, and sleep patterns.
A stash of healthy snacks like granola bars, nuts, or dried fruit is perfect for busy college students. They provide quick energy boosts during long study sessions or between classes.

Fueling the Mind:

A dorm-friendly cookbook offers simple, nutritious recipes that can be made with minimal equipment. It’s a must-have for students who want to cook their own meals.
A coffee gift card gives college students their caffeine fix without breaking the bank. It’s good for those early-morning classes or late-night study sessions.

Gifts for Younger Students

Affordable and Fun Welcome Gifts

Cultivating Positivity and Inclusivity:

Friendship bracelets: Cultivate an inclusive classroom culture from the very start by gifting your students matching friendship bracelets.
Positive messages: Kids love to hear nice words, so try writing your new students a personalized message. Writing these messages on a pencil is one idea, but, whatever you write them on, your students will be off to a positive start to the school year.
Stickers: Let your students know how happy you are that they are stuck with you this school year with an adorable sticker sheet.

Engaging and Educational:

Building toys: “Build” an amazing year with your students by giving them building toys to play with.
Bookmarks: Not only are they handy to have once school starts, but bookmarks are also a cheap way to make your students feel welcome. Use store-bought bookmarks or whip out your computer and get creative.
Crazy crayons: Not a boring box of crayons, but shaped crayons! Molds are cheap, easy to find in craft stores, and come in plenty of shapes. Simply melt some crayons, pour the wax into molds, and pop them out once they’ve hardened.
Backpack keychains: Use beads to create personalized keychains that your students can hang on their backpacks.
Sidewalk chalk: Give your students a gift that they can enjoy at recess when school starts again. Plus, sidewalk chalk is fun and cheap.
Dough: This is another cheap and easy-to-find gift that students will love!
Highlighter: This is a great gift for older students who take notes and highlight key ideas. Attach a tag welcoming students with the message that having them in your class will be a highlight!
Fancy pencils: Kids love fancy pencils! Plus, when you give them to your students, they also have an essential school supply to help them be ready for the first day of school.
Six-color pen: You probably remember how important you felt when you whipped one of these out of your desk. Give your students the same experience with one of these inexpensive pens!
School supplies: Package a few school supplies in a clever way and your students will already be set up for success from day one.
Personalized pencil bags: Give your students the gift of organization with personalized pencil bags.

Fun and Playful:

Bubble wands: Show your students that you’re “bubbling” with excitement that they are in your class this year.
Pop toys: Kids love these pop toys and there are so many small versions that are inexpensive. Attach a handmade tag and you have a great back-to-school gift!
Glow sticks: Glow sticks are always a win with kids! Get your year off to a bright start by giving them to your new students.
Mini piñatas: Create tiny piñatas filled with tiny erasers or pieces of candy to welcome your students to your classroom.
Bubble gum: Tell your students that you bursting with excitement to work with them this year.
Rubber ducks: Rubber ducks are just plain fun, and you can use them to welcome your students to your classroom and let them know what a “Lucky Duck” you are to be their teacher.

Treats and Refreshments

A snack: Snacks are key for kids! Choose a snack, place it in small bags, and attach a clever tag.
Candy: You’ll already be a favorite teacher if you give kids a sweet treat as a back-to-school welcome gift.
A tasty drink: Attach a clever tag to a bottle of water and a drink powder packet for a refreshing first day of school treat.

Theme-Based Gift Ideas

Carnival Theme:

Bubbles

Pop It Theme:

Pop it keychains

Building Blocks Theme:

Hashtag blocks or other small building blocks.

Lucky Charms Theme:

Attach a student gift tag to a baggie filled with Lucky Charms cereal for a “charming” back to school treat.

Smart Cookie Theme:

Attach tags to snack bags of cookies or a baggie filled with cookies.

Ready to Roll Theme:

Play dough

Scooby Doo Theme:

Attach tags to either Scooby Doo graham cracker sticks snack bags or baggies filled with the Scooby Doo graham cracker sticks which resemble dog bones.

Bright Start Theme:

Glow stick student gifts

Beach Theme:

Sand buckets filled with classroom supplies

Jumping for Joy Theme:

Jump ropes

Personalized Gifts

Keepsake Bookmarks

Teachers can choose to make the bookmarks with scrapbook paper and letter stickers (or magazine letters) OR they can make the bookmarks digitally (using powerpoint or Canva). When creating these digitally, it is fun to include a clipart image of something the student is interested in. After creating the bookmarks, write a message on the back, laminate, hole punch and thread a ribbon through the top. Great keepsake!

Personalized Pictures

A lot of kids love taking, posing for, and getting pictures. Make it extra special by framing the picture. Hey! Better put your name on it too!

Personalized Fleece Scarves

Cut long strips out of the fleece lengthwise. Fold the piece in half. Cut a fringe (1 inch apart and about 4-6 inches long) on both ends at once. You can either leave the ends as they are OR tie a knot in each. Speaking of adding student names to gifts, here are other gifts that can be personalized.

Experiential Gifts

Class Party

Like the idea of giving experiences instead of gifts? How about a class party? This could include snacks, games, and centers.

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Party Game Ideas

Cake Walk Style Musical Chairs - no chairs needed! This version of the game is perfect for this crazy school year! Instead of chairs, print off Christmas images! Print off two sets of the images-one for students, and one for you to “draw” from. Make sure to use enough images so that everyone in your class with have one. In this game students walk around the classroom in a circle while the music plays. When it stops, they go stand on a picture. The teacher then draws out one of the pictures from their matching set.
You can’t beat the timeless game of BINGO!
Set up a craft station at your party!

Gifts Inspired by Teachers

A cozy and literary combo: The Mitten book, a pair of mittens from Amazon, and a full sheet of classroom coupons.
Give her students a $2 bill each year. “It’s something that most of my students never forget.” (Local banks should have $2 bills.
Turns comfort into a practical gift: fun socks filled with long grain rice, creating reusable warmers.
Has her students sponsored by community members for $10 each, and then gives them a Kohl’s Cares plushie and matching book.
Wraps books like snowmen and adds Shein holiday socks, fun pens, and a ring pop.

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