22 Genius 5th Grade Graduation Gifts that Make Kids Smile

Leaving behind elementary school is a big deal. If you’re like most moms, an elementary school graduation makes you feel all nostalgic. You’re remembering about all the sweet moments you spent attending award ceremonies and class parties, helping them through a year of Zoom meetings, and arguing about homework.

Consider these 5th grade graduation gifts, as you look toward (or fear, haha) the middle school years with your kiddo.

If you’re looking for other graduation day ideas for kids, be sure to check out this post! Remember, graduation celebrations can take place for any educational milestone that is important to your family.

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn pennies on the dollar anytime you click on one of my affiliate links. This won’t affect your purchase price. Read more here.

Here are 25 genius 8th grade graduation gifts for your favorite teenager!

Jewelry

Jewelry can be a great gift for any graduation. Here are a couple of ideas.

Personalized Name Bracelet

These personalized bracelets from Etsy are so cute! If you haven’t totally procrastinated, this is an adorable gift for a girl about to enter middle school. Little girls love to put their name on things, but this bracelet feels both sophisticated and youthful at the same time.

Compass Necklace

I also love these necklaces from Etsy with a compass charm. Perfect for kids trying to forge their own path!

Are you nervous about transitioning to middle school? Are you starting to see your preteen’s confidence waver as they approach puberty? Check out my Printable Positive Affirmations for Kids.

Books for an Elementary School Graduation Gift

Not all kids love to read, but the ones who do will read to get them through ANY life transition! If you need a 5th grade graduation gift, check out these books.

A Smart Girl’s Guide: Middle School (Revised): Everything You Need to Know About Juggling More Homework, More Teachers, and More Friends!

This book is a great preparation book for girls to read over the summer after 5th grade. Many kids are nervous to start at a brand new school. This book gets outstanding reviews!

God and Me! 52 Week Devotional for Girls Ages 10-12

If you’re buying a 5th grade graduation gift for a Christian kid, a devotional can be a thoughtful choice. Here’s a wonderful, age-appropriate devotional for girls to start over the summer after 5th grade. Hopefully, they’ll use it throughout their sixth grade year, too.

The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School

This fun book gets great reviews from both boys and girls who are nervous about entering 6th grade. Kids say it’s super funny and helpful! Some kids just don’t like to talk with adults about their fears – so why not address them head on in a way that makes them feel comfortable?

Strong in Spirit: 5-Minute Devotions for Preteen Boys

If you’re buying for a Christian family, this is a great devotional to use as a 5th grade graduation gift for boys. It gets great reviews!

If your child has a history of getting in trouble at school, you might be anxious about the middle school years. I have a post about what to do when your kid keeps getting in trouble at school!

5th Grade Graduation Gift Tee Shirts

These gamer tee shirts are a great summer-after-5th-grade celebration shirt.

Summer-Themed 5th Grade Graduation Gifts

Summer is coming, so why not celebrate both things at once?

Personalized (or just kid-friendly) Beach Towels

Most kids have one FAVORITE thing about summer (aside from sleeping in), and that’s spending time in the water. Whether it’s a backyard pool, favorite water park, or community pool, kids love swimming! Celebrate the summer with them by buying a personalized beach towel!

Support their Quiet Time Hobbies

Summertime means down time, and many kids have fun hobbies they get to enjoy in the summer.

Does your 5th grade graduate love art? These Faber-Castell gel crayons are incredibly pigmented and so fun to use! They feel like an entirely different experience than regular crayons.

Here’s a really adorable sewing kit for summertime fun.

Here’s another fun summertime experience gift. Crystal growing kits are pretty popular for science lovers!

5th Grade Graduation Gift Experiences

The best elementary school graduation gifts are experiences that a child will remember forever. It doesn’t always have to be a big and expensive. Here are some great ideas!

Card My Yard

Have you seen yards full of celebratory signs? Kids LOVE these. They can write just about any message! This is a nationwide chain, and many cities have more than one company providing these yard signs. How about asking for a graduation sign?

Amusement Park or Water Park

Many kids love amusement parks and water parks, so why not plan a day trip to the nearest one? Even if it’s not with a big group of friends, these trips can be really special as a one-on-one opportunity for quality time.

Summer Lesson Package

Summer is a great time for new experiences. Maybe you could purchase a short series of horseback riding ir golf lessons, art classes, gymnastics or karate classes. The opportunities are endless!

Overnight Trip with a Parent

There’s something really special about a parent-child overnight trip, without siblings or friends. It’s hard to make quality time with one child. Can a spouse or grandparent hold down the fort so you can celebrate with your little rising middle schooler?

Preteen Friendly Gift Cards

Gift cards can be a really great 5th grade graduation gift because you’re also providing a shopping experience, which is fun for kids.

Also, it can be really hard to shop for other people’s kids at this age, because they are sort of all over the map developmentally. Some of them will have interests more in line with a teenager, and others will still (secretly, perhaps) love things that some kids deem “babyish.” A gift card guarantees that the kid can find something they love!

If you’re going to choose a gift card, make sure to buy a denomination that will allow the kiddo to fully purchase their item without help from Mom and Dad.

Target

Target gift cards are great because almost anyone can find a Target, they tend to be pretty good at appealing to preteens, and it’s easy to find something fun at any dollar amount.

Amazon

Many families have Amazon Prime, so this can be a great gift for a busy family that doesn’t have much time to shop. One click and their new gadget can be on the front porch two days later!

GameStop

GameStop is a fabulous gift card for 5th graders who love gaming. Be sure to ask Mom and Dad if it’s okay, since some parents are trying to limit screen time instead of feeding the flame.

Spotify or iTunes

Summertime means more opportunities to listen to music while doing chores, dancing, or working on a hobby. Many kids this age will have access to at least one device that can stream music. These can be easily purchased at most grocery stores or big box stores.

Ice Cream Shop

Summer also means more ice cream opportunities! Is there a favorite ice cream shop in your town? Support local business and make a kid’s day all at once.

Sporting Goods Store or Clothing Store

Buying a gift card to a sporting goods store is a no brainer for athletic kids. If you want to buy a gift card for a clothing store, which is a really popular gift for some kids this age, be sure to check with parents about favorite places to shop!

5th Grade Graduation Gifts from Teachers

It can be really hard to buy cool gifts for your 5th graders at the end of the school year. After all, anything you have to purchase in bulk gets pricey. Here are some ideas (several of them VERY budget-friendly) that are still meaningful. Here are my favorite 5th grade graduation gifts for students.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go

If you can raise the money for each 5th grader in your class to have one of these books, you can write a personalized note of encouragement inside each one. It’s a beautiful, thoughtful gift.

Heartfelt, Personalized Note

If you’re on a tight budget, rest assured you can still make the last day of fifth grade extra special. Just give yourself PLENTY of time to get it done, and crank out a few heartfelt notes a day. Kids or all ages feel so special when they get a personalized letter from their teacher.

Silly Class Photo

My kids adore the plastic glasses from the party aisle at Target. You can get a six pack for $3! Buy a pair for every kid in your class about a month before the school year ends. Wait for a day when you have perfect attendance (if possible). Take a fabulous group picture, and make it extra silly! Then, purchase a mega pack or two of acrylic picture frames for $1 each. These make a wonderful last day of school gift!

Bookmark Poem

Check out these sweet poetry bookmarks from Mrs. Wheeler’s First Grade blog! The printable bookmarks are available in her TPT store.

Signed Beach Balls

I love this idea from Your Teacher’s Aide! Check out these beach balls signed by classmates. This teacher provides a budget-friendly beachball to each member of her class. On the last day of school, they all sign each other’s beachballs.

Still need more ideas? Go check out this list from the Spruce.

Interested in more teacher content? Check out my post about how I made my classroom management work BETTER THAN EVER with flexible seating!