Looking for inexpensive gift ideas for students to celebrate the holidays, birthdays, or accomplishments? Look no further! These choices are affordable and fun, and your students are sure to love them. Some of them can even be mailed with a standard first-class stamp, so you can send them home if you prefer.
(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)
1. Personalized Scratch-Off Activity Cards
This is one of our favorite inexpensive gift ideas for students. You can get a pack of 30 of these adorable scratch-off activity cards personalized with your photo for only $15. For a few dollars more, you can even customize the activities on the card.
Buy it: Scratch-Off Activity Cards at Etsy
2. Invisible Ink Pens
Want to encourage your students to write? Gift them with these invisible ink pens with built-in black light, and they’ll be motivated to compose secret messages. You can snag them for just over a dollar each.
Buy it: Invisible Ink Pens at Amazon
3. Assorted Card Games
Give each of your students a fun card game to pass the time at home over a holiday break. This set of 24 decks comes with an assortment of games, including Old Maid, Go Fish, and Monster Hearts.
Buy it: Boredom Buster Card Games at Oriental Trading
4. Leave a Little Sparkle Crayons
You can buy these inexpensive sparkly crayons from Etsy or melt your broken crayons into a DIY version.
Buy it: Sparkly Heart-Shaped Crayons at Etsy
5. Pop Fidget Key Chains
Love ’em or not, Pop-Its are still the reigning king of fidget toys. You can grab a pack of 30 on Amazon for less than a buck apiece.
Buy it: Pop Fidget Key Chains at Amazon
6. Pop Fidget Bracelet
How about a fidget toy that doubles as a fashion accessory? Your students will love these push-pop bracelets, and you’ll love that these inexpensive gifts for students are only about 50 cents apiece.
Buy it: Pop Fidget Bracelets at Amazon
7. Finger Flashlights
These little lights are perfect inexpensive gifts for students who love Flashlight Fridays and want to bring the fun home!
Buy it: Finger Flashlights at Amazon
8. DIY Craft Sets
These adorable craft sets come in a variety pack of 24 featuring four different themes: Secret Clubhouse, Unicorn House, Butterfly House, and Space Center.
Buy it: DIY Craft Sets at Dollar Tree
9. Fun Hand Sanitizer Bottles
Hand sanitizer continues to be a must-have, so give your students a fun way to carry theirs around. Grab a set of these refillable bottles for a fun and useful gift for students.
Buy it: Refillable Hand Sanitizer Bottles at Amazon
10. Colorful Lanyards
These bright-hued lanyards include a safety breakaway mechanism, so they’re even safe for younger kids. It’s the perfect way for them to wear their school ID.
Buy it: Colorful Lanyards at Amazon
11. DIY Winter Coloring Mugs
Your students will love decorating their own winter-themed mug. Pair it with a package of hot cocoa for the perfect gift to keep them busy and cozy over winter break.
Buy it: DIY Winter Mugs at Oriental Trading; Swiss Miss Bulk Hot Cocoa Packets at Amazon
12. Bubble Wands
Bubbles are another one of those little treats that will make any kid’s day.
Buy it: Bubble Wands at Amazon
13. Hand Clappers
These are so fun to use in the classroom! Give them to each student so they can show their appreciation during presentations or book reports.
Buy it: Hand-Clappers at Dollar Tree
14. Make-a-Face Sticker Sheets
One of the best things about these cute sticker pages is that you can pop them in the mail with a card or note.
Buy it: Make-a-Face Sticker Sheets at Amazon
15. Puffy Stickers
What student doesn’t love puffy stickers?
Buy it: Puffy Sticker Sheets at Dollar Tree
16. Motivational Laptop Stickers
These laptop stickers are fun inexpensive gift ideas for students. This set of 250 motivational stickers costs less than $15.
Buy it: Motivational Laptop Stickers at Amazon
17. Light-Up Tops
Sometimes it surprises adults how much fun kids have playing with classic toys. These light-up tops add some extra excitement to an old-school toy.
Buy it: Light-Up Tops at Dollar Tree
18. Cartoon Gel Ink Pens
These adorable gel ink pens are less than a dollar each when you buy a set of 24.
Buy it: Cartoon Gel Ink Pens at Amazon
19. Mini Puzzles
Help your students build fine motor and problem-solving skills with these adorable mini puzzles that feature an assortment of wild animals. They cost less than a dollar each.
Buy it: Wildlife Mini Puzzles at Oriental Trading
20. E-Books
Amazon has lots of terrific children’s e-book options for a dollar or two each, and they make it easy to send a selection to a large group.
Buy it: E-Books at Amazon
21. Reading Bookmarks
These printable (and mailable!) bookmarks are free, so all you need is a printer and some card stock.
Get them: Reading Bookmarks Printable at WeAreTeachers
22. Mini Puzzle Books
Puzzle books will keep kids entertained when they have some free time.
Buy it: Puzzle Books at Amazon
23. Motivational Cards
Sometimes all you need is a reminder that you’re special to make the day better. Get 100 of these motivational cards for only pennies each.
Buy it: Motivational Cards at Amazon
24. Kindness Posters
If you’re looking for an even more inexpensive way to spread kindness, you’ll love these free printable posters!
Get them: Printable Motivational Posters at WeAreTeachers
25. Animal Bookmarks
These animal bookmarks are cute and a real bargain. You can get 30 animal bookmarks for a great price. These are easy to pop into the mail too!
Buy it: Animal Bookmarks at Amazon
26. Emoji Bookmarks
Yes, more bookmarks! They’re such a good gift idea and so useful.
Buy it: Emoji Bookmarks at Amazon
27. Book Lover Pins
Reward your star readers with these cute buttons with clever slogans that any bibliophile will appreciate.
Buy it: Book Lover Pins at Etsy
28. Superhero Slap Bracelets
There are lots of slap bracelet options out there, but these might be our favorite. You can get 38 of them for a really affordable price.
Buy it: Superhero Slap Bracelets at Amazon
29. Earbuds
Your students could probably use some new earbuds. Available in sets of 30 or 50 for a super-low price.
Buy it: Earbuds at Amazon
30. Miniature Calm-Down Jars
Have you seen our calm-down jars? These are such a good experiment, and they can also make a good gift for students. You can get miniature jars to save money.
Buy it: Miniature Jars at Amazon
31. Painted Rocks
If you’ve got an artsy side, make personalized painted rocks for your students. Here are a few ideas we put together for inspiration. It’s easy with a set of perfectly smooth stones and acrylic paint pens made for rock painting.
Buy it: Smooth Stones at Amazon; Acrylic Paint Pens at Amazon
32. Stress Balls
You can find lots of options for stress balls on Amazon, and these globes are some of our favorites.
Buy it: Globe Stress Balls at Amazon
33. Flying Discs
Here’s another great playground toy that makes a perfect student gift.
Buy it: Colorful Flying Discs at Amazon
34. DIY Fidget Sticks
Fidget toys are always a hit with kids. Learn how to make DIY fidget sticks, plus see a list of our favorites to buy here.
35. Game Boards
Grab our free printable game boards and use them to create personalized games for your students. Pair them with some colorful dice and you’re ready to gift!
Get it: Printable Game Boards at WeAreTeachers
Buy it: Colorful dice at Amazon
36. Coloring Books
We like these coloring books with more grown-up themes. They’re nice for older kids who still love this soothing activity.
Buy it: Coloring Books at Dollar Tree
37. Doodle Pads
Kids can sketch away, then swipe to erase with these mini doodle pads. They’re less than a couple of bucks each when you buy in bulk.
Buy it: Doodle Pads at Amazon
38. Dig a Dozen Dino Eggs
You know your students will get a real kick out of these dino eggs! They’re a couple of dollars each when you buy a set of 12.
Buy it: Dinosaur Eggs at Amazon
39. Children’s Books
We mentioned e-books above, but if you’d like to give traditional books, there are all sorts of ways of finding them at affordable prices. Dollar Tree sells them for a $1.25 each.
Buy it: Fun Fact Books at Dollar Tree; Classic Fairy Tales at Dollar Tree
40. DIY Bouncy Ball Kits
Whether you send these home for families to try or use them as an in-class science experiment, they’re sure to be tons of fun.
Buy it: DIY Bouncy Balls at Amazon
41. Happy Journals
Give them a place to jot their happy thoughts and fun memories. These little notebooks are about a dollar each when you buy 24.
Buy it: Happy Journals at Amazon
42. Fun Sticky Notepads
Sticky notes are incredibly useful in any classroom. Give kids their own cute pads to use when they want to send a cheery message to a friend.
Buy it: Inspirational Sticky Notes at Dollar Tree
43. Kawaii Squishies
These are so popular with kids of all ages. Your students will love choosing one, or you can choose it for them along with a special note. Consider turning them into desk pets too!
Buy it: Kawaii Squishies at Amazon
44. Six-Color Pens
What’s old is new again with these retractable pens with six colors of ink. They make great gifts, and they’re affordable when you buy in bulk.
Buy it: Colorful Retractable Pens at Amazon
45. Personalized Pencils
You can order personalized pencils from places like Amazon. If your budget is a little slimmer, learn how to make them yourself with a printer and clear tape. Then just buy solid-colored pencils.
Buy it: Shiny Rainbow Personalized Pencils at Amazon; Solid-Color Neon Pencils at Amazon
46. Pull-Apart Erasers
Pair these adorable food pull-apart erasers with your personalized pencils. Get a pack of 30 at a great price.
Buy it: Pull-Apart Erasers at Amazon
47. LEGO Brick Crayons
This is such a clever way to use up old bits of crayons. Grab this mold and make some yourself!
Buy it: LEGO crayon mold at Amazon
48. Scrabble Tile Names
Make initial necklaces or create a nameplate students can use anywhere. They’re surprisingly easy to make using wood craft sticks.
Buy it: Scrabble Letter Tiles at Amazon; Wood Craft Sticks at Amazon
49. Punch Balloons
Give kids a way to work off some of their energy after sitting at a desk for hours each day.
Buy it: Punch Balloons at Amazon
50. Globe Beach Balls
Combine a little learning with your inexpensive gift ideas for students! These inflatable globes are fun to throw around but can be used for reference too.
Buy it: Inflatable Globes at Amazon
51. Mini Building Block Sets
Have you met a kid yet who doesn’t love LEGO bricks? These mini building block kits are basically the same thing, but you can get 12 of them for less than a couple of dollars apiece.
Buy it: Mini Building Block Kits at Amazon
52. Miniature Game Tins
Save up those tins or just buy empty tins in bulk. You can create the games we did with our free printables.
Buy it: Mini Tins at Amazon
Get it: Printable Games at WeAreTeachers
53. Mini Notepads
Colorful mini notepads make a practical, simple gift for kids of all ages.
Buy it: Mini Building Block Notebooks at Amazon
54. Bendable Pencils
These flexible pencils will wow your students for less than a quarter each. They’ll get a kick out of bending them into fun shapes.
Buy it: Colorful Bendable Pencils at Amazon
55. Plastic Bendy Tubes
Kids love playing with these plastic bendy tubes. You can get packs of two for just over a dollar a piece when you buy in bulk.
Buy it: Plastic Bendy Tubes at Dollar Tree
56. Mini Puzzle Cubes
Challenge your students to solve this Rubik’s Cube–style puzzle. They’ll have fun while building dexterity and problem-solving skills. Buy in bulk and they’re less than a dollar each.
Buy it: Puzzle Cubes at Amazon
57. Slime Putty Unicorn Galaxy Eggs
These vivid putty and slime eggs are surefire inexpensive gift ideas for students.
Buy it: Slime-Filled Eggs at Amazon
58. Mini Rainbow Springs
There’s something irresistible about spring toys. Pick up a bulk pack for pennies each.
Buy it: Mini Rainbow Springs at Amazon
59. Magic Speed Cubes
Students use their imaginations to turn these magic speed cubes into snakes, dogs, and more fun shapes.
Buy it: Magic Speed Cubes at Amazon
60. Thank-You Notes
Knowing that their teacher sees them for who they are can make all the difference for some kids. You can write thank-you notes on any kind of paper or grab a set of greeting cards.
Buy it: Thank-You Cards at Amazon
What’s your go-to when you need inexpensive gift ideas for students? Come share on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Plus, check out our list of inexpensive classroom rewards you can get at Dollar Tree.
