The last day of kindergarten (German preschool and daycare, ages roughly three to six) is a bigger goodbye than most people expect, for the child, the parents, and especially the teachers who showed up every morning for three or four years. A good farewell gift captures exactly that: gratitude for the time, and a little wistfulness that it's over.
Here are ten ideas: for the teacher, for your child as a keepsake, and group gifts from the class.
Key Takeaways
- Three directions: give something to the teacher (thanks), to your child (a memory), or have the group give something together.
- The most personal group gift: a drawing made by all the kids, turned into a real figure to paint (from €39), a one-of-a-kind piece the teacher will keep.
- Homemade beats store-bought: with teachers, the kids' hands behind it matter more than price.
- Timing: start group collections early; photos, drawings, and coordinating with parents take a few weeks.
10 kindergarten farewell gifts
1. The group artwork as a real figure
The most personal gift for a beloved teacher: the kids paint a picture together, their favorite animal, the whole group, a made-up creature, and it becomes a real figure they paint together as a send-off. A one-of-a-kind piece with the fingerprints of the whole group, still on the shelf long after a new class has moved in.
It also works as a keepsake for your own child: their last kindergarten drawing, turned into a lasting figure. See how it works: Guide: Turn a Kid's Drawing Into a 3D Figure.
Price: from €39 · For: teacher or your own child · Lasts: years
2. The class memory book
Each child designs a page: a photo, a painted picture, a handprint, a sentence from the parents. Bound together, it becomes a book that moves teachers to tears.
Price: €15 to €30 (materials) · For: teacher
3. The planted herb garden or flower box
Clay pots painted by all the kids, filled with herbs or flowers. Practical and personal: the teacher thinks of "her" kids every time she waters it.
Price: €20 to €40 · For: teacher
4. The parents' voucher basket
The group pools together: a spa voucher, a good book, favorite coffee, as a thank-you basket. Reliable when the kids are too young for homemade projects.
Price: open (group gift) · For: teacher
5. The photo book of the kindergarten year
Moments from field trips, celebrations, and everyday life: a look back for your own child, or a keepsake for the teacher.
Price: €20 to €40 · For: child or teacher
6. The Schultüte surprise for your own child
Kindergarten ends, school begins: a small keepsake for the transition. (A Schultüte is the paper cone of treats and school supplies German kids get on their first day of school.) For the next step, see first day of school gifts.
Price: open · For: your own child
7. The framed class photo with signatures
A photo of the whole group, surrounded by all the kids' wobbly signatures. Hangs in plenty of classrooms for years afterward.
Price: €15 to €30 · For: teacher
8. The hand-decorated tote bag or mug
Painted by kids' hands with fabric paint or porcelain markers. Used daily, a small hello from the old group.
Price: €10 to €25 · For: teacher
9. The class recipe or craft book
The group's favorite games, songs, and recipes, collected by the parents, a nice one for the teacher to pass along to the next class.
Price: €15 to €30 · For: teacher
10. The donation gift for the kindergarten
Instead of (or alongside) a personal gift: something for the facility, new playground equipment, books, craft supplies. Benefits the next group of kids.
Price: open (group gift) · For: the facility
Which gift is right for whom?
- For the teacher personally: the group figure (1), the memory book (2), the painted herb garden (3).
- As a group gift from parents: the voucher basket (4), a donation to the facility (10).
- As a keepsake for your own child: the last drawing as a figure (1), the photo book (5).
- If the kids should make it themselves: painting the figure (1), tote bag or mug (8), herb pots (3). More ideas: homemade gifts from kids.
FAQ
What do you give as a kindergarten farewell gift?
For the teacher, something personal with the kids' hands behind it: a memory book, a group artwork, or a figure made from a group drawing. For your own child, a keepsake of their kindergarten years. Homemade almost always beats store-bought.
What do you give a preschool teacher as a farewell gift?
Something that captures the time together: a memory book with a page per child, a framed class photo with everyone's names, hand-painted herb pots, or a group drawing turned into a real figure. Emotional value beats price tag.
What can the whole class give together?
Group projects land the hardest: a memory book with contributions from every child, an artwork painted together, or a figure made from a group drawing. Alternatively, a voucher basket collected by the parents.
How much do you spend on a farewell gift?
For group gifts, families often chip in €3 to €10 each. A personal gift usually runs €15 to €40. With teachers, the gesture matters more than the amount.
What do you give your own child for their kindergarten goodbye?
A keepsake of the time: a photo book, their last kindergarten drawing turned into a lasting figure, or a small transition gift for school.
A good goodbye makes room for the next step
The kindergarten goodbye is the first big one in a child's life, a lovely chance to say thank you and hold onto memories. The best gift carries the handwriting of the kids who grew up there.
Turn a favorite drawing from the kindergarten years into a lasting keepsake: upload it at doodlhero.com, check out the free 3D preview, as a gift for the teacher or a memento for your own child.
