While most teachers admit they have way too many candles, there are things you can give to show the teachers in your child’s life how much you value their hard work. Here are seven ideas to help celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week.

1.Make thank you cards. Nothing against Hallmark, but I’m a fan of the handmade card. Ask your child to write on the cards answering these prompts: “Thank you for teaching me to…” “You’re extra special because…” “I love how you…”

2.Make a gift. I keep seeing these crayon monograms and I’m thinking I’m going to have to make a few this year.

3.Make a bouquet of flowers from your garden. My son’s preschool class is doing this for their teachers this year. I can’t wait to see the colorful arrangements that are made.

4.Donate books to your child’s class library. Now that your child is moving to the next grade level, pass along some of those books you ordered from Scholastic throughout the year. I know my children’s teachers are always thankful to get more books for reading time.

5.Give gift certificates to stores where teachers can purchase classroom supplies. Don’t forget about iTunes gift cards if your child’s teacher purchases apps for classroom use.

6.Give a gift basket full of the things teachers love to get: hand sanitizer, tissues, Ziploc bags, small prizes for rewards, candy and snacks, crayons, markers, glue, and dry erase markers. Or, go all out and make this school supply cake.

7.Volunteer. Teachers can always use an extra set of hands. The end of the year is an especially busy time. You can offer to provide meals on the long-hour days of parent-teacher conferences. Or, help coordinate clean-up the last week of school by bringing moving boxes, storage bags, cleaning supplies, and helping the teacher carry items to their cars.

How do you celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week? Leave a comment and tell us what you do to let your child’s teachers know how much you value their hard work.