A pretzel for the teacher: Teacher Appreciation Week gifts with a twist

All of a sudden it is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I have been feeling a bit tapped out on ideas.

Two years ago we gave flyswatters with a poem I wrote.

Last year we gave pinwheels—also with a poem.

You can probably see a trend here. This year, though, I was not feeling inspired. Daniel and I picked daffodils from our yard and took them to the teachers on Monday, but that didn’t seem like enough.

Most teachers would probably be happy with gift cards or a thoughtful letter from me or my child. The reality is that gift cards are no fun for a 5-year-old to give. And the letters I want to write are going to take more time than I have this week, so those will have to wait.

As I was walking through the grocery store, I thought of the pretzels we have been making lately. We first tried them during Lent, and we all loved them. So I bought boxes of pretzel mix, snagged oven mitts to go with them, and found some ribbon to tie them together.

Then I wrote a poem because, let’s be honest, this was mainly an excuse for me to write a poem:

Pretzels are twisty

and yummy and fun,

And I hope you love eating

these up when they’re done.

Sometimes they’re salty,

and sometimes they’re sweet.

But days with you, Teacher,

are always a treat!

I figure pretzels are universally fun and that the teachers can choose to bake them with their students—because they do love to bake—or take them home and make them for themselves.

Best of all, Daniel is thrilled to give these out at school. And that’s really the point. Oh, and thanking his teachers. That’s important, too. Because they are amazing, and we love them so very much.

How are you celebrating the teachers in your life this year?