Say thanks this National Teacher Appreciation Day.

National Teacher Appreciation Day falls on May 5, and we have a few ideas for you. However, recent events have reminded us that we should celebrate our educators every day of the year.

As families adjust to school closures, teachers have worked around the clock to make the transition as seamless as possible. With almost no time to prepare, they redesigned their classrooms to accommodate distance learning. They’re also delivering meals, reassuring parents, and creating new material, all while juggling their own duties at home.

In other words, they’re making a confusing and overwhelming time a little easier for the tiniest ones affected.

Looking for teacher appreciation ideas to show you care? We’ve got you covered. Read on for 12 simple gifts that can make a major impact.

1. Treat them to lunch.

You might not be able to visit your child’s school and volunteer in the cafeteria just yet; however, that doesn’t mean that you can’t make lunchtime a little easier for their teacher.

Contact them and ask for their PayPal or Venmo address, and send them some money to cover lunch! Many establishments are still offering take-out and this is a great way to support local businesses at the same time.

2. Send a virtual gift card.

From local spas and restaurants to Target and Walmart, you can find virtual gift cards for almost any business. Think about where your child’s teacher might like to shop (or ask them!) and send a gift card to their school email address. This way, when businesses do open back up to foot traffic, they can treat themselves!

Not sure what to get? You can always send a Visa Virtual Account gift card and let them decide!

3. Create a thank you card.

For your daily homeschool art lesson, ask your children to create a thank you card for their teachers! Bring out the paint set or the markers and let them get as creative as possible. If your child has mastered their writing, you can even ask them to write a short list of the things they’ve been doing and learning.

4. Schedule a Zoom call to check in.

Chances are, your child isn’t the only one feeling the effects of this time apart. Being apart from their classroom of tiny faces can be hard on teachers, too.

If possible, see if you can schedule a Zoom call to check in and say hello. While some districts might have regulations around video, most will allow audio conferences. It could do everyone’s heart some good to hear a familiar voice.

5. Gift a streaming subscription.

Self-isolating at home is an ideal time to catch up on all those television shows you’ve missed. Why not give your child’s teacher the opportunity to do the same?

Check to see if they have a Netflix subscription and if not, pay for their membership with a Netflix Gift Card. You can also find gift cards to Hulu, HBO Now, Starz, FandangoNOW, Sling TV and others. This post breaks down all of the options and shows you how to buy online.

6. Send a video.

If live chatting isn’t an option, your children can always create a short video expressing how much they love and appreciate their teacher. They can sing a song, perform a short skit or simply share a few of the things they love about them.

Send it to their school email for an instant day brightener. Or, you can share it to social media and tag them. People all around the world are taking to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to acknowledge and shine the spotlight on the incredible teachers in their community.

7. Buy Amazon Prime gift membership.

Who doesn’t love free, two-day shipping and access to millions of items with a single click? If your child’s teacher doesn’t already have an account, give them an Amazon Prime Gift Membership and set them up with one.

If they do have a Prime account, check their wishlist! Many teachers will post items they need for their classroom on there, and you can send a smile their way by buying a few supplies.

8. Cover their groceries.

It’s no secret that grocery shopping has changed over the past few weeks. Now, the very act of heading to the store can feel both daunting and complicated. To help relieve that hardship, you can always buy the teacher in your life a gift card to a grocery delivery service.

Start by researching Instacart Gift Cards. First, enter the teacher’s area code to make sure they deliver in their area. If they do, you can send a virtual gift card to their email in seconds.

9. Pay for their take-out.

Along the same lines as the grocery delivery service, you can also buy DoorDash gift cards. With these, teachers can order take-out from their favorite local spots, and receive the food at their doorstep.

More than 310,000 restaurants currently deliver through DoorDash, so it’s likely they’ll find something they love.

10. Send a meal kit delivery service.

We’re all becoming home chefs now. Help your child’s teacher channel their inner Food Network star by sending a meal kit delivery service their way.

From HelloFresh to Blue Apron, most of the major meal services allow you to easily send gift subscriptions. You should be able to choose your plan based on the amount you want to spend.

11. Give the gift of music.

We’d venture to guess there are a lot more kitchen dance parties lately. Give your teacher an entire album to dance to by sending an iTunes gift card to their school email address.

In addition to music, they can also redeem the card on apps, audiobooks, movies, and even iCloud storage for their photos and data.

12. Create a duty-free lunch sign-up sheet.

When school does resume, it’s going to be a challenge for everyone to adjust to the new normal. One way you can make it a little easier is to gather a group of parents together who are willing to relieve the teacher during lunchtime.

If your institution will allow in-school volunteers to help in the cafeteria, use Sign-Up Genius to create an online sign-up page for duty-free lunch. Share it with other parents in your child’s class who would be willing to help. Then, surprise the teacher and let them know that at least one thing will be off their plate during the first week back.

Show you care with these teacher appreciation ideas.

As challenging as it might be to adjust to a new homeschool schedule, there are educators working behind the scenes to alleviate that strain. As we move forward together, let’s use these teacher appreciation ideas to make sure they feel equally adored.

In the end, the best gifts are those given from the heart. Let your children help with the presents and make sure they know why you’re giving them. They’re learning every day, in their classroom and yours.

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