Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated the first full week of May to honor and express gratitude for our educators. Giving a small gift is a wonderful way to say thank you. And while there certainly isn’t anything wrong with a giving a Starbucks or Amazon gift card, why not gift something from a local Kansas City business this year?
Plant Therapy
An indoor plant might be just the thing their classroom is missing. Houseplants can improve air quality and even reduce anxiety and boost focus, qualities that are beneficial for your child’s teacher and students alike. Look for low-light, easy-care plants like spider plants, snake plants, prayer plants, Monstera, succulents and air plants. Try pairing a plant with a ceramic pot to match your teacher’s style. Note: Some houseplants can be toxic to humans and animals if ingested, so this is a gift you may want to skip if young children may nibble.
For local shops specializing in houseplants visit the newly opened Monstera’s Books, a combination independent bookstore and plant shop in downtown Overland Park or Virgil’s Plant Shop, a houseplant oasis in downtown Kansas City, close to Crown Center. Larger nurseries like Colonial Gardens in Blue Springs and Family Tree Nursery with locations in Overland Park, Shawnee and Liberty also carry a wide variety of houseplants and plant wares.
Summer Reads
Even teachers like to skip the required reading and read for fun during the summer! Give a gift card to a local book shop and let your teacher pick out some beach reads. Whether their favorite genre is memoir, novels or nonfiction, these neighborhood bookstores will have titles to top their “tbr” (to be read) piles. Grab a gift card at the aforementioned Monstera’s Books or nearby fellow newcomer, The Pretty Posy, a bookstore and boutique also in downtown Overland Park, Fairway stalwart Rainy Day Books, south Overland Park’s Monarch Books & Gifts or Strawberry Hill’s Flagship Books, which carries both new and used titles.
Buzz-worthy Gifts
Thank your teacher for bee-ing awesome with a gift from Messner Bee Farm. The Messners raise bees on their Raytown farm and turn the honey and beeswax into a variety of gift-worthy items including creamed honey, honey caramels, hand-poured candles and body care products. Treat your teacher’s overly sanitized hands to the skin-soothing honey found in Messner’s luxurious soaps, lotions and salves. Need a quick but thoughtful gift? Visit the Messner’s Etsy shop and send a special gift bag directly to your teacher! Each teacher gift bag comes with a raw honey and beeswax lip balm (choose from 16 scents including plain) and a card saying, “To the best teacher: Thank you For Bee-ing You!” Simply leave a note with your teacher’s name and school address at check-out and the Messners will take care of the rest. Messner Bee Farm products can be found at their Raytown Farm Shop, Etsy shop or in select Made in KC locations.
Local Flavor
For a tasteful gift, check out Made in KC for a one-stop shop of local food and drink offerings. Choose from award winning BBQ sauces and rubs, coffee from The Roasterie or Thou Mayest, Hugo Tea, or cocktail/mocktail mixers from Boozy Botanicals and Kansas City Canning Co. For non-food gifts, consider adorning your teacher’s classroom with artwork and accessories repping their favorite local sports team or alma mater. Wool coasters from Sandlot Goods not only look great on their desk but also keep their graded papers from getting damp, and handmade Coaster to Coaster magnets spruce up even the dullest of filling cabinets. Bonus, Made in KC has locations all over the city, making shopping convenient.
