From toilet roll to lipstick – list of odd gifts given to teachers & poll shows what they’d actually like from kids

Toilet paper, used lipstick and a frog are among the unusual gifts given to teachers at the end of the school year.

Others include a half-eaten advent calendar, a half-empty bottle of shampoo, and a pet rabbit.

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Some teachers were given clay models and stuffed animals that the students said looked like them.

And one teacher even got a mug that said ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ – but the word ‘dad’ had been crossed out and replaced with ‘teacher’.

Other well-meaning gifts included a hammer and screwdriver, a stalk of rhubarb, kitchen utensils, fancy trousers, a Halloween mask and a sock puppet, according to a gift card survey of more than 300 UK teachers by One4all.

More than a third of respondents said they would give gifts from their students, and more than half said they would rather not receive a gift.

Those who were keen to receive said they would prefer something homemade, followed by chocolates, a gift card, flowers and baked goods.

A third also said they would rather receive a collective gift from the class than individual awards.

One4all Chief Marketing Officer Lou Hickey said, “Teachers undoubtedly receive many weird and wonderful gifts throughout their careers, and there will be some standout gifts and moments that will stay with them forever.”

“And while every teacher is unique in their own way, everyone agrees that when choosing a thank you gift, it’s the thought that counts.”