Small Gifts for Graduating Seniors -

After enduring all the sweat and tears of high school years, the graduation ceremony will be a very emotional moment for both seniors and teachers. It is not only a moment of academic celebration, but also a moment of recalling back the journey both sides have gone through. Giving small gifts to graduating seniors will preserve the moment that should be remembered their entire lives.

In this post, I share some ideas for small gifts teachers can give to graduating students. In addition, I share a few tips to make the gifts more meaningful.

3 Tips Before Giving Small Gifts for Graduating Seniors

Don’t just choose any random small gifts for your graduating seniors. The following tips will make your gifts more meaningful for your students.

1. Make It Personal

Go through the class photo album or your phone gallery to recall a specific moment that deeply touched your heart. Choose a specific thing that is related to that moment. Integrating your gift with that special moment will make your gift more memorable.

For example, on the field trip to a national park, your students and you sang a song together. Then, you put one line of the song’s lyric to be engraved in the notebook you give them as a gift.

2. Choose Long-Lasting Gifts

Beautiful cards might be meaningful at the time you give them, but they might not be looked at so often after that. Think about how your gift might be useful later on. For example, how the beautiful card is a beautiful bookmark at the same time. Or a mini ruler.

Useful gifts tend to last longer and retain memories longer.

3. Think Forward

Think about how life is going to be for these seniors after they enter college. Will most of them study in different cities and live in dormitories? What major did they get accepted into? What will be their needs in the future? What kind of support will they need?

Choose a gift that will be useful for them in the future. For example, if your students will be moving away from their parent’s home to dormitories, they might need a new laundry bag. Or a pillow that they can hug when they miss home.

50+ Ideas for Graduation Gifts

Still have no idea what to choose? I compiled a list of graduation gift ideas that you may take into consideration.

Here are gift ideas you can adapt to celebrate the graduation:

1. Mini flower bouquet

Flower bouquets are traditional gifts that are given during graduation ceremonies. I remember when my sister graduated from high school, she mentioned how her friends all received flower bouquets while she hadn’t got any. At the end of the ceremony, my sisters and I appeared with a blue flower bouquet for her. She still keeps the flower bouquet in her room until today.

If you are a class teacher, you might consider a small sized flower bouquet. Personally write a message for the bouquet.

You might also consider flower bouquet pins. Small, affordable, but beautiful. Seniors can use them as accessories to put on their suits or dresses.

2. Custom photo frames

A custom photo frame with a class photo or the student’s individual graduation photo with graduation robes and caps would be a memorable gift for graduating seniors. Add the year of graduation or a picture of the school mascot on the frame design to make it more personalized. You can also add encouraging words, a school slogan, or simply a “Happy Graduation” greeting on the design.

3. Engraved pen

Pen will always to a useful gift for seniors that will go to college. Engrave encouraging words on it, like “Never give up” or “You can do it”. College life can be hard for them. Holding the pen might give them a boost of motivation to push through.

4. Custom notebook/journal

A custom-made notebook or journal that they can use for taking lecture notes or journaling can be a useful gift. Journaling can increase college student's mental health.

Add small question prompts to discuss on each page, such as “How are you feeling lately?”. Writing the answer can feel as if talking to their favorite high school teacher.

5. Books with personal notes

If you know a book that will be helpful for the graduates, it can become an educational gift for them. Ordering in bulk directly from the publisher can save you some money. If you have plenty of time before graduation, you might also request the author to sign them for your students. It will be so memorable.

6. Gift cards

An Amazon gift card can be a surprise for the graduates. But a local store gift card or voucher can be an equally thoughtful present. Imagine receiving a gift card to a local cafe you usually go together with your classmate. More than its economic value, it will be something that always reminds them of the days with high school friends.

Other graduation gift ideas can be:
7. Tickets to local events
8. Custom keychain
9. Custom bookmark (metal, acrylic, or leather will feel more luxurious)
10. Stationary sets
11. Mini class photo album
12. Personalized mugs/tumblers
13. Custom tote bags
14. Class photo magnets
15. Custom pouches/pencil case
16. Cute animal plushies wearing graduation robes and caps
17. Personalized graduation teddy bears
18. Earphones
19. Mini Bluetooth speakers
20. USB Flashdrives
21. Mini power banks
22. Custom wallets
23. Custom pillowcases
24. Personalized T-shirts
25. Personalized laundry bags
26. Raincoats with a personalized message
27. Custom blankets or bed sheets
28. Custom e-wallet cards
29. Custom mini golds
30. Snack bouquet
31. Cute succulents/cactus
32. Portable mini prayer mat and cover (for Muslims)
33. Mini alarm clock with personalized messages such as,” Don’t be late to class.”
34. Tie
35. Mini multi-tool sets (something like the Swiss army knives or the cheaper alternatives)
36. Eco-friendly stainless steel spoon sets (a little box consisting of a spoon, fork, chopstick, and metal straw)
37. Custom laptop sleeves
38. Aromatherapy candles
39. Personalized bracelets
40. Class rings
41. Reusable coffee filters
42. Mini Card cases
43. Lipbalms or sunscreens
44. Custom hats
45. Custom sleep masks
46. Mini mirror with a message of affirmation
47. Custom night lamps
48. Mini table calendar with positive affirmation messages
49. Custom duffel bag
50. Mini taggable world map with personalized message
51. Personal hand-drawn portrait of each graduates

Those are more than 50 small gift ideas for graduating seniors. Choose wisely and thoughtfully so that your memories will support student's lives in the future. Do you have more unique gift ideas? Please comment below.

Teaching and Education