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Adorably simple, and best of all, inexpensive!
It’s almost the last day of school, and you want to give special parting gifts to your students without breaking the bank. We pulled together some end-of-year student gifts that you can DIY for about a dollar each. These tokens give students something to remember this year by, plus they’re a fun way to celebrate accomplishments.
1. Smiles all around
Students are sure to love these emoji pins! Pair them with a note saying “I’m all smiles because we had a great year!”
Learn more: Emoji Pin Cards
Buy it: Emoji Pins at Amazon
2. Package up some bookworms
How cute is this?! Pair some gummy worms with a cute note for a quick and easy DIY.
Learn more: Bookworms
Buy it: Gummy Worms at Amazon
3. Send them off with a STEAM challenge
Assemble this rocket STEAM challenge in a baggie. All you need is one straw, two sticky notes, and a sheet of paper per bag. The challenge for students is to create an efficient rocket.
Learn more: STEAM Challenge
Buy it: Pipe cleaners at Amazon
4. Let them know it’s been “dough-lightful”
Who doesn’t love their own tiny tub of Play-Doh? These sweet end-of-year student gifts will send them off with a smile.
Learn more: Play Dough Treat Bags
Buy it: Play-Doh at Amazon
5. Parting is such sweet sorrow
Kids love candy, but not every teacher loves giving out candy, so if you’d like to substitute a healthier option like fruit chews or honey sticks, go for it!
Learn more: Sweet Treats
Buy it: Chewy candy at Amazon
7. Give ’em s’more
This gift will definitely come in under $1 each when you buy the supplies in bulk. You can create your own printable or get one from Etsy.
Learn more: S’more Time
Buy it: S’more Gift Tags at Etsy
9. Wise little grab bag
Same idea as above but without the candy! You can fill this simple, inexpensive gift bag with pictures, stickers, popcorn—whatever you like!
Learn more: Owl Grab Bags
Buy it: Brown paper bags at Amazon
10. Time to get crazy
End-of-year student gifts should be put to good use, and you know your students will love these crazy straws! Create your own design or download it from this awesome Etsy store.
Learn more: Crazy Straws
Buy it: Crazy Straw Printable Tags at Etsy, Loop Silly Straws at Amazon
11. Chalk it up
There are several ways you could give chalk as a DIY end-of-year student gift, and this is one of our favorites. Buy chalk in single packs or in bulk from the dollar store along with chalk bag toppers from Etsy.
Learn more: Chalk Full of Fun
Buy it: Chalk at Dollar Tree, Chalk Bag Note at Etsy
12. Ombre bookmarks
This is a project you can hand out on the last day. Make a bookmark out of paint sample cards and a ribbon … so simple and so cute!
Learn more: Paint Sample Card Bookmarks
Buy it: Curling Ribbon at Amazon
13. Freeze pop bouquets
These end-of-year student gifts come in as one of the cheapest gift options. Get a 100-pack of ice pops for under $10!
Learn more: Freeze Pop Bouquets
Buy it: Freeze Pops at Amazon
14. Celebrate your smart cookies
No doubt your students have put in a lot of hard work and grown as learners over the school year. This sweet end-of-year gift will show them how proud you are of them.
Learn more: Smart Cookie Packs
Buy it: Oreos and Variety Cookie Packs at Amazon
15. Get creative
Send your students off with love with these sweet personalized keepsakes. Collect your own rocks or buy them in bulk at the link below.
Learn more: Painted Rocks
Buy it: Craft Rocks at Amazon
16. Have a ball
You will be one of their favorite teachers EVER with this DIY idea! These beach balls come out to under $1 each.
Learn more: End-of-year beach balls
Buy it: Beach Balls at Amazon
17. Blow some bubbles
Nothing says summer like a fresh container of bubbles! You can get bubble wands at Dollar Tree at only $1 for two. This is an end-of-year student gift that’s hard to pass up!
Learn more: Bubble Wands
Buy it: Bubble Wands at Dollar Tree, Bubble Wands at Target
18. Sip a taste of summer
Inspire students to start a lemonade stand or make a cool drink to kick-start the summer. Use crazy straws from the dollar store and attach to Kool-Aid packets for a fun gift.
Learn more: Kool Summer treat
Buy it: Krazy Straws at Dollar Tree, Kool-Aid at Amazon
19. Jump into summer
Encourage healthy habits and challenge them to jump rope every day. Tell them that you’ll do it too. (Now you have to actually follow through!) Jump ropes from Amazon or Dollar Tree come out to a dollar or less each.
Learn more: Jump for Joy
Buy it: Colorful Jump Ropes at Amazon, Foil Jump Ropes at Dollar Tree
20. Add some bounce
You can buy bouncy balls in bulk, making this option an easy and inexpensive gift for a large classroom.
Learn more: It’s Been a Ball!
Buy it: Bouncy Balls at Amazon
21. Stay hydrated
These make a really special DIY end-of-year student gift you can create with $1 water bottles and a little creative customization with an acrylic pen.
Learn more: Personalized Water Bottles
Buy it: Water Bottles at Dollar Tree, Acrylic Pens at Amazon
22. Fun in the sun
These DIY dollar sponge balls are genius. Kids will have so much fun with them this summer. Better yet, show your students how to make them themselves so they have a fun craft to do this summer.
Learn more: Sponge Balls
Buy it: Sponges at Amazon
25. … and a journal
Encourage your students to keep track of their summer adventures. Some teachers even offer a prize if students bring back completed journals at the beginning of the next school year.
Buy it: Journals at Amazon
26. All aglow
Did you know you can get up to 25 glow sticks in one package from Walmart? This gift is too inexpensive to pass up!
Learn more: Glowing Stars
Buy it: Glow Sticks at Walmart
27. Poppin’ summer
Just popping in with a quick note! You can buy popcorn packages in bulk, making this a DIY project that costs less than 50 cents each.
Learn more: Popcorn Bucket
Buy it: Popcorn at Amazon
28. Send them off with a “pop”!
Fidget poppers are all the rage with students and make a great end-of-the-year gift. They come in a variety of different shapes and sizes—even bracelets and key chains! Definitely look for the smaller sizes that come in multipacks to keep the gift affordable.
Learn more: Popper Gifts
Buy it: Fidget Poppers at Amazon
29. Slime till the end
Did slime drive you bananas this year? Probably. But now you can give students a gift they’re going to love. DIY this slime along with your students, then add some mini plastic fish for just a few cents more per student.
Learn more: Fishy Slime
Buy it: Plastic Fish at Amazon
30. This year was buckets of fun
Your students will “dig” this sweet end-of-year gift from you. Tip: Buy buckets and shovels in bulk for the best price.
Learn more: Buckets of Fun
Buy it: Buckets and Shovels at Amazon
31. We built a great year
Students can build STEM skills and create at home with these adorable $1 block sets. Print off a quick note, and these are ready to go.
Learn more: Building Blocks
Buy it: Building Blocks at Amazon
35. Class friendship bracelets
What a sweet way to remember the year! Four friendship bracelets to remind your students that they are smart, you believe in them, you all are family, and you love them.
Learn more: Class Friendship Bracelets
Buy it: Rope Bracelets at Amazon
36. Have a rockin’ summer
Start the summer with a rockin’ fun treat.
Learn more: Pop Rocks Fun
Buy it: Pop Rocks at Amazon
40. Hopin’ summer rocks!
An inexpensive and easy year-end gift that will delight your students. The cute tag plus pet rock care manual makes it an adorable way to end the year.
Learn more: Pet Rocks
Buy it: Googly Eyes at Amazon
41. Blooming good wishes
If succulents are your thing, this is a perfect keepsake for your students. Simply add a card that says “You’ve bloomed this year!”
Learn more: Succulent Blooms
Buy it: Tiny Terracotta Pots at Amazon
42. Load up on freeze pops
Got a talent for crochet? Whip up a batch of these cuties for your students to use all summer long.
Learn more: Freeze Pop Koozies
Buy it: Multi-colored yarn at Amazon
43. You color my world
Send your students off for summer with one of the all-time favorite kids’ school supplies.
Learn more: Colorful Kids
Buy it: Multi-colored pens at Amazon
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Also, check out Delightful End-of-Year Bulletin Boards.