Teachers' Day in Singapore falls on 4 September 2026. Whether your child is a baker, a crafter or a pocket-money shopper, here are the gifts that teachers actually love: straight from the teachers themselves.
Having a great teacher can make a world of difference to your child’s experience at school. And there’s a lot to thank them for. This Teachers’ Day — Friday, 4 September 2026 — take the opportunity to say thank you, Xiexie, Terima kasih or Nandri to the teachers who have made a difference. We asked teachers what they actually love to receive, and rounded up the best gift ideas across every budget — with a focus on local Singapore brands worth supporting.
Why trust this guide?
We’ve done what most gift guides skip: we actually asked teachers what they love to receive. Several teachers across Singapore shared their most treasured gifts and honest preferences, and their answers are woven throughout this guide. Every brand listed here has been checked and updated for 2026, with a focus on local Singapore businesses worth supporting.
Teachers’ Day gifts at a glance
Best handmade gifts: Homemade card, painted paperweight, handmade bookmark — teachers consistently rate handmade cards above everything else.
Best local stationery brands: The Paper Bunny, Purple and Pure
Best local lifestyle gifts: Le Petit Society, The little dröm store, House of Happy
Best chocolates: Mr. Bucket Chocolatier, Janice Wong
Best tea gifts: Tilly Tea, TWG Tea, Gryphon Tea
Best self-care gifts: Lush, Lynk Fragrances, Silkfairy
Best for a budget under $20: A potted succulent, a tea sampler, a coffee shop voucher (teachers love it — see Mark’s story below)
Jump to a section:
Handmade gift ideas ·
Stationery ·
Gifts by special people ·
Baked goodies ·
Chocolates ·
Self-care ·
Local Singapore gifts ·
Flowers and plants ·
Candles and soaps ·
Tea hampers ·
Snacks and nibbles ·
What teachers actually love ·
Handmade Teachers’ Day gift ideas
1. A handmade card
Every teacher we spoke to put handmade cards at the top of their list. Not because they’re free, but because they’re irreplaceable. A drawing, a genuine message in the child’s own handwriting, a little something that couldn’t come from anyone else — this is the gift that gets kept. You genuinely cannot go wrong with this one.
2. Homemade cookies
A batch of biscuits baked with the kids is a perennial favourite. Cut them into apple shapes for extra teacher-friendly charm, pack them into a clean jam jar with a ribbon and a handwritten label, and you’ve got a gift that feels genuinely personal. Check out our chocolate chip cookie recipe as a starting point.
3. A bookmark
Handmade bookmarks are wonderfully practical and endlessly personalised. Press dried flowers onto card, add washi tape, watercolour, glitter or buttons — whatever your child is into. Teachers use them, keep them and actually remember who made them.
4. A painted paperweight
Find a smooth, flat pebble and get creative with acrylic paints. A caricature of the teacher alongside their name, a motivational quote, or simply a burst of colour — it takes up no space on a desk and always sparks a smile.
5. A sweet treat box
Take a recycled cardboard box, fill it with your child’s favourite sweets and treats, decorate the outside with doodles and a handwritten thank you note. Simple, personal and always appreciated.
6. A framed quote
Choose a favourite teacher quote that means something to your child, write it on a brightly coloured sheet of paper in their best handwriting, and pop it in a simple frame. It’s the kind of gift teachers keep on their desks for years.
Thoughtful Teachers’ Day gifts to buy in Singapore
Not every child is crafty, and that’s completely fine. If your little one wants to shop rather than make, here are our picks across every budget — all from brands worth knowing about.
1. Stationery
Most teachers love stationery more than they’ll admit. Two local brands stand out in 2026:
The Paper Bunny is a Singapore lifestyle and stationery brand with beautiful notebooks, planners, washi tape and card sets that make genuinely lovely teacher gifts. Their gift sets are well-packaged and feel considered rather than generic — exactly right for a teacher who appreciates the details.
Purple and Pure offers plantable stationery — seeded paper cards and notebooks that can be planted after use and grow into herbs or flowers. A thoughtful, eco-conscious choice for the environmentally aware teacher.
For personalised stamps and accessories, Sweet Favour has a solid selection of personalised teacher gifts worth browsing.
2. Gifts by special people
Some of the most meaningful gifts you can give are made by people with remarkable stories.
Mustard Tree sells handmade goodies and beautiful bag charms created by Ryan Koh, a young man who hasn’t let autism stop him from creating gorgeous, gifted work. The leather bag charms are particularly lovely for a teacher who carries a tote.
The Animal Project at The Art Faculty features bright, funky designs on pencil cases, mugs, totes and tumblers — all created by students from Pathlight. Their gift bundles are ideal for a Teachers’ Day present with genuine heart behind it.
Arts@Metta offers vibrant batik print coasters, bags and lifestyle products crafted by talented youths from Metta School. Beautiful, purposeful and genuinely unique.
3. Baked goodies
If baking isn’t your thing, buying is perfectly fine. Singapore has excellent options:
Dapiku Sweets has some exceptional cakes and they usually have cookies during special occasions. We’re huge fans of All Things Delicious and their baked goods too — if your teacher isn’t a fan of sweet food, their savoury scones are some of the best on the island! They’re also halal-certified!
4. Chocolates
Mr. Bucket Chocolatier is a Singapore artisan chocolate brand making handcrafted bon bons with flavours like ganache, praline and pate-de-fruit. Their build-a-box option is genuinely fun and makes an elegant, considered gift that feels anything but generic.
Janice Wong chocolates are vibrant, melt-in-the-mouth and beautifully presented — opening a box is an experience in itself. Her Singapore series is particularly relevant for a teacher who’s been here a while.
5. Self-care kits
Teaching is genuinely demanding work, and a self-care gift hits differently when you’ve seen someone pour everything into a classroom all year.
Lush gift sets under $40 are colourful, sensory and feel indulgent without being expensive. Lynk Fragrances offers beautifully packaged aromatherapy gift sets from a Singapore-based artisan brand. And Silkfairy, a women-led local company, creates sustainable silk sleep essentials including pillowcases and eye masks that feel genuinely luxurious.
6. Local Singapore gifts
These are the brands we reach for when we want something that feels specifically Singaporean.
Le Petit Society is a much-loved Singapore lifestyle brand with beautifully designed tote bags, accessories and gift items that feel elevated without being over the top. Their bags in particular make a genuinely stylish teacher gift.
The little dröm store has a Strangely Singaporean collection with locally-inspired brooches, totes and planners that any teacher who loves Singapore will appreciate. We particularly love the Singlish brooch pins and the kopitiam tote.
House of Happy makes beautiful eco-friendly table decor sets — a considered, grown-up gift for a teacher who takes their desk seriously.
Carer offers handmade and personalised products — cookies, flowers, pet collars — made by seniors and carers. A purchase here supports a genuinely good cause and gives you something personal in return.
7. Quirky gifts
Oh Happy Fry has an adorable and slightly unexpected collection of gifts. A cloud cushion for desk-sitting, an anatomical skeleton puzzle, or a fun phone stand — all of them land well with teachers who appreciate a bit of personality in their workspace.
8. Flowers and plants
Sometimes the classic choice is the right one. Petite Fleur’s cotton and lavender dried bouquet is simple, long-lasting and genuinely lovely. Roses Only is our HQ favourite for a clean, minimal arrangement that makes an immediate impression.
If flowers feel too temporary, a well-chosen succulent in a pretty pot is a practical, long-lasting alternative. Throw in a few tiny landscape ornaments to make it extra charming. Singapore’s plant nurseries have a wonderful variety — browse our indoor plants guide for inspiration.
9. Candles, soaps and aromatherapy
Sacha Botanicals makes a Teachers’ Day Pencil Soap Set — a handmade pencil-shaped soap bar in a refreshing citrusy fragrance, made right here in Singapore. Charming, practical and on-theme.
For candles, Soul Good Project makes scented candles with a hidden message at the bottom — a lovely little discovery moment for the teacher. Other solid Singapore candle brands worth exploring include innerfyre co. and The Rituals Co.
10. Tea hampers
A thoughtful tea gift works for practically every teacher and nearly every budget.
Tilly Tea is a Singapore artisan tea brand with beautiful packaging and locally inspired blends — exactly the kind of find that feels personal rather than generic. Their gift sets are well-priced and look lovely.
TWG Tea remains a Singapore classic for gifting — a small tin of signature blend never goes wrong. Gryphon Tea is another Singapore brand with beautifully designed tins and interesting blends worth discovering. For herbal and wellness teas, Eu Yan Sang offers something a little different that teachers with a wellness bent will genuinely appreciate.
11. A box of delicious nibbles
In a food-loving city, a well-curated snack box is always welcome. Amazin’ Graze does wholesome nut butters, granola and snack boxes that feel considered. Wai makes locally-inspired Singapore snacks in beautiful packaging — a genuinely fun gift that feels specific to this place. boxgreen has superfood snack gift sets in neat, giftable packaging.
We asked teachers what they actually love to find on their desks
Before you buy anything, it’s worth knowing what teachers genuinely treasure. We asked several teachers across Singapore, and here’s what they told us.
“I have been touched hugely over the years by a number of really thoughtful gifts. One really special present came in the form of a scrapbook with a photo and a message from every child in my class. The class mums had passed the book among themselves, getting their kids to add their own sentiments until it was finished. I was recently reminded of it when I ran into one of the boys from my class who now towers above me and has grown into quite the charming young man.”
— Paulina
“I still use a very special gift I received from one of my students — a simple metal keyring with my name engraved on one side, and the words ‘Teach. Laugh. Inspire’ on the other. It was just so touching, so personal and thoughtful.”
— Lisa
“I love each and every one of my mugs, brooches and teddy bears from my pupils, and I keep them all. A particular gift that sticks out was from a little boy who made every teacher in school a chocolate bouquet using pipe cleaners, cellophane and a whole pile of love. He then took the bouquet apart once in school and handed each teacher a stem of their own.”
— Rachael
“I’ve taught in various countries and I’ve had some really memorable gifts. My list includes a half-eaten bag of sweets, a pre-loved teddy with huge sentimental value, and — one year — airline tickets from a student! I’ve been given the bizarre and the beautiful, and genuinely, the thought behind each one is what I remember.”
— Lesley
“My name is Mark and I am a coffee addict. My students all know this. So along with a collection of ‘best teacher’ mugs, a present that really stuck out was when one of my kids bought me a coffee shop voucher for just the right amount for one coffee. It turned out perfectly — the other kids took note and I have been happily receiving vouchers ever since.”
— Mark
“Being from the UK, I was genuinely thrilled to find a packet of my favourite British crisps on my desk here in Singapore. So if your teacher is from overseas, sourcing a small gift from their home country is always a great gesture.”
— Catherine
Gifts are all well and good, but Teachers’ Day is ultimately about showing gratitude to the people who help shape our children. We all remember our favourite teachers from our own school days — the ones who went the extra mile, who saw something in us, who made us feel capable. They all deserve a little something to say a great big thank you.
Happy Teachers’ Day 2026.
