New Ways to Do a Family Gift Exchange

Last Updated on January 21, 2022

How tin can I make my gift substitution more than fun?

Are yous tired of just drawing names for the yearly holiday gift substitution? You want to breathe some new, creative life into the almanac souvenir bandy for your family gathering or office Christmas party.

How tin you do this, and perhaps make information technology more meaningful, memorable, and merely obviously fun in the process?

It doesn't matter if you're just starting out (your family unit is finally besides big to requite anybody individual presents) or have been doing Undercover Santa for, you know, forever. Whatever your need or situation, we have plenty of creative and classic gift substitution games and meaningful alternatives to spice up your gathering and gift-giving.

Let's dive in!

44 Best Gift Substitution Games & Ideas

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ane. Yankee Swap

This is the classic gift-substitution party game. It allows y'all to avoid having to get a lot of fiddling, inexpensive gifts for everyone and instead choose ane prissy quality souvenir. Better gifts are given, and usually at a lower toll.

Here'due south how it works. Everyone buys a gift for a set up dollar amount – $15 or $25 or $50. Whatever your group decides. Each participant brings it to your go-together wrapped.

Then everyone chooses a number from a lid. The first person (who gets #1) chooses a souvenir to open. The second person tin can "steal" the souvenir from the commencement, or open a new one. The third person can choose any of the open gifts, or open a new one.

Each gift can only exist stolen a set number of times; most often, each item is limited to 2 or 3 steals. If a person has a gift stolen from them, they go open up a new present.

Subsequently all the gifts are open, the first person (who didn't take the selection to steal at the beginning) can cullany gift to steal that isn't already at the maximum number of steals.

2. White Elephant Gift Substitution

Same as the Yankee Swap, simply with used items you find around the firm that you lot no longer want (or fun stuff from a thrift store). The key is to get everyone on the aforementioned folio.

In my experience it works best when everyone is articulate on the thought that "1 person's junk is another person's treasure."

Meaning, of course, that you should bring an detail that is unique or odd or interesting, perhaps usable, that someone else might conceivably want.

If information technology's total garbage, and then no i will care. And if some people bring prissy, new, store-bought gifts while others bring weird eclectic stuff, and then those who brought the garage-sale-worthy items volition inevitably feel bad that they didn't bring something nicer. So simply brand sure everyone understands the concept.

3. Secret Santa

Another archetype Christmas gift exchange method. Draw names from a lid at the first of December. (Or utilize an online tool like this one.) Employ the get-go few weeks of December to effigy out the perfect gift or a few small, creative gifts.

Then, one by one at your family unit gathering, reveal your secret Christmas buddy and give your gifts.

This is a fun idea because you accept to be creative in trying to figure out what "your" person wants, without giving away that yous are their Hush-hush Santa. Y'all can get in a little easier using one of these cute Surreptitious Santa questionnaires.

Related: 35 All-Time Best Secret Santa Gifts

4. Never Have I Always

Place all the gifts in a pile in the middle of the room. Everyone stands in a circle around the pile and grabs a random gift and places it on the ground at their feet.

The first person grabs a "Never Have I Ever" newspaper sideslip from the purse/bowl/lid and reads it out loud. For case, "Never have I ever… cheated in a lath game."

Then, anyone who has done what the carte du jour says so has to switch places with someone else who isn't the firsthand person to the left or right of them, while leaving the gift on the ground. If multiple people are moving, whoever gets to the empty spot behind the gift first gets it; if information technology's just 1 person moving they have to pick someone to switch spots with them.

The person who read the statement and then opens any gift is on the floor at their feet then places information technology back down on the footing. The person to the left so grabs a new newspaper slip, reads it out loud, and the whole matter starts again.

When all the gifts are opened, whatever is at your anxiety is your gift!

This one is especially fun because the slow reveal of all the gifts builds anticipation for the skillful ones (and disappointment for the ho-hum ones).

5. Pakkeleg

This is a family gift exchange game from Denmark, which apparently everyone there plays during the holiday season. Alarm: It can bring out the worst!

All the gifts are placed in a pile. Go around the room, with each person taking turns rolling dice. When someone rolls a vi, they pick a gift. Repeat until all gifts are taken. (And yes, some people might get more than one, leaving others out.)

Side by side, the process is repeated, but this time people who roll a 6 can steal a gift. Concur on a set amount of time beforehand (longer time for more than participants). Once the time is upwards, the game is over and everyone can open up their presents.

This works best with giddy and/or inexpensive gifts (call up, dollar store).

6. Julklapp

1 of our favorite new souvenir exchange games, this doorbell-ditching scavenger-hunt requires y'all to drive to the home of your friend or family member, then run abroad fast!

A popular holiday game in Sweden, the proper noun "Julklapp" means "Christmas knock" (Jul = recollect Yultide; Klapp = handclapping/knock).

Here's how information technology works. You package a fake "gift" (non the real one) in multiple layers of wrapping or several boxes, with a small-scale token or annotation inside that features a clue or riddle. While doing your best to hide your identity, gear up the packet* on the porch, knock on their door, so scramble away.

*Make certain everyone participating knows the rules of the game alee of fourth dimension, so that there are no worries of what is in the box!

The receiver and then has to figure out who left the souvenir by using the clues left in the packet. If they spot you, information technology volition be easy to figure out. Merely if they don't encounter you, then the clue tin can lead them on a scavenger hunt, or just be a riddle near you or your home.

Once they figure out who you are then they tin can come up and go their gift!

7. Left or Right

Everyone sits in a circle, belongings the souvenir that they brought to the commutation. (Specify beforehand a dollar amount and if at that place should be a item theme or type.)

The moderator will begin reading a story, and every time the word "left" occurs in the story, everyone passes their gift to the left. Every time the discussion "correct" comes up… yous get the picture show.

If you lot're looking for a story, we have Five costless ones, including personalized ones (where you put in your family's or coworker's names), vacation themed ones for family unit, friends, or office parties, and even a non-holiday one for birthday parties or whatever. Bank check them out hither.

Of course yous can besides come up with your own story, which is one-half the fun anyways. Just make sure to count the number of lefts and rights and then that people don't terminate upwardly with the same gift they brought!

This is one of the more entertaining family gift exchange ideas. You'll be glad y'all did it!

8. Riddle Me This

Elementary, but fun. (Or not-and so-simple, depending on the riddles you select!)

Come upward with a list of riddles, at least one for each person in the souvenir exchange. Read off a riddle, then whoever start guesses it right gets to catch a gift from the middle and open it. You tin always add together stealing rules, like in Yankee Swap.

9. Fun Facts Icebreaker Christmas Souvenir Substitution Game

How well practise you know everyone at the political party? Whether you've known anybody for, like, ever, or are meeting tons of new people, this will be a fun manner to discover out something new nearly your fellow political party-goers.

Assign each gift a number every bit information technology comes through the door and tag it before placing it into the pile. Requite the person who brought the souvenir a piece of paper to write down that number forth with a lilliputian-known fun fact about themselves.

Place all the papers into a hat and the host will read off the fact. Whoever can guess and friction match the fact to the person gets the souvenir associated with the number. If at that place is no host, everyone can simply take turns cartoon a slice of paper and reading off the fun fact.

x. Cobweb Party

This one is fun to ready and fun to play. Works well with name-cartoon. Have each giver tie their gift to a ball of colorful yarn (make sure each one is at least 100 yards), then hide the gift and trail the yarn throughout the business firm.

When anybody is done, the firm should look like a giant mess of cobwebs.

Then the giver hands off the finish of the yarn to the recipient, and the race is on! Works best (i.eastward., craziest) when everyone is chasing their yarn trail at the same time.

xi. Día de Reyes, aka Iii King's Day

Hither is a more than relaxing, fun gift exchange tradition from Mexico. In this version, we nonetheless accept the traditional Rosca de Reyes (3 Kings Cake) with the figurine of a baby representing baby Jesus baked inside.

Everyone cuts their ain slice of cake and enjoys it with a cup of coffee and cocoa to end the night'due south festivities in a relaxing mode. Every bit a gift substitution, if you go the infant in your slice of cake then y'all get to become kickoff! And so go around the room clockwise, or take turns from oldest to youngest (or vice versa) to complete your gift exchange party.

12. Make a List

This souvenir substitution idea gets the prize for simplest, lowest-stress version. Accept each person make a list of ten things nether X corporeality of dollars that they actually would like to receive every bit a gift.

Making a list and setting a dollar amount takes away the stress of guessing whether or not they already have or would like a detail detail. Plus information technology keeps a flake of mystery since they volition merely receive one or perhaps two items off the list.

13. Holiday Trivia Gift Substitution

If your family is big on trivia, turn your souvenir exchange into a trivia competition. Gear up two or 3 teams, or compete individually. In that location are many ways to pass out the gifts:

• Equally each person gets a correct respond, they get to cull a wrapped present, and if they get more than one question right they tin pass off their gift pick to another person of their choice (or steal/swap a gift).
• Competing individually for points, the leading point-getter chooses the gift first, second place second, etc.
• Teams compete together and write down their answers. Questions can have the same or different point values based on how hard they are.
• The leading squad at the finish of the start quarter can choose their wrapped gifts, and the leading team at halftime can choose and/or steal from the first. Anybody opens at the finish of the third quarter, and the victorious team at the very end can steal opened gifts from other teams.
• Bonus: Accept a special, additional prize for the winner! (Like, perchance doing the dishes so Mom doesn't have to…)

14. Treasure Hunt

You can accept each person exercise this individually, or have all the gifts in i place for the whole family unit to find.

Create a series of instructions, clues, or riddles that lead to the adjacent place, ending with the ultimate treasure trove.

15. Saran Wrap Ball Christmas Gift Exchange Game

Cull a nice souvenir for the main prize. Wrap information technology tightly in cling film, along with several additional small token gifts (candy, cash, lottery tickets, chapstick, etc). Depending on how hard you want to make it, use more or less.

(Get an industrial coil if you lot're really serious.)

Everyone sits in a circle. Person A has the ball and Person B (to their right) has two dice. While Person A tries to unravel and get what they tin from the ball, Person B is trying to curl doubles. Every bit soon as they roll doubles everything gets passed to the correct.

Then now Person B has to endeavour and unroll the ball while Person C (who is right of person B) tries to roll doubles. Repeat until someone gets to the prize in the middle.

Next Level: Vesture baking mitts to make it even more than challenging and fun. Hilarious.

sixteen. Ugly Christmas Sweater Souvenir Exchange

The ugly Christmas sweater thing is getting a footling out of hand, IMHO. You can't find them for $5 at a thrift store anymore; instead, there are only new ones available at the shop for a premium. If a thrift shop gets an *actual* onetime, ugly Christmas sweater, it'south labeled "vintage" and gets put on display at the front of the shop… along with a high cost tag.

Oh well. But if you're into the ugly Christmas sweater thing, exercise information technology every bit an substitution. Since by at present everyone has one or two in their closets, you can simply swap and reuse them. Or go for the weirdest, funniest, craziest ones you can detect online.

Each year they always come up with new stuff to put on these ugly sweaters, so you might as well just lean into information technology!

17. Virtual Gift Exchange

Here's the online/virtual version of Secret Santa!

Using Elfster (or whatsoever other proper name-drawing generator website), set upward a Hole-and-corner Santa game. When you find who you're sending a gift to, choice information technology out and mail service it to them. Brand certain it arrives earlier your prepare date for the gift exchange, and instruct anybody to go out the souvenir wrapped until and so.

On the date of your virtual party, host an online video conversation and everyone tin take turns opening up their gift from their Surreptitious Santa! Set up budgets, souvenir themes, and of grade brand certain your gift is wrapped inside the aircraft box and then they have something to unwrap.

Y'all'll probably see the sender'south aircraft label, so if you Actually want to keep it "secret," mail the gift to someone else with instructions on who the final recipient is.

eighteen. Give to Others, Together

Instead of giving gifts to each other, invest in a kid or family in demand by giving through a charitable organization such as Pity International.

We recommend this organization considering they are highly rated by independent charity evaluators, which provides conviction knowing that the majority of what you give is actually going to the kid or family in need.

Also, they have an excellent online gift catalog where you lot can brand one-time donations towards specific needs such every bit a infant's medical care, dental kits for kids, chickens to assist feed a family, emergency food and h2o, HIV/AIDS care, and more than.

Y'all probably accept charities and causes that yous and your family are passionate about. Ring together to make a donation to something important, then enjoy a bountiful repast and holiday commemoration together.

Related: fifteen Family unit Volunteer Opportunities for All Ages

19. Musical Gifts

In this version, the gifts become passed around while everyone remains in their seats.

Packages are passed effectually in a circumvolve, from person to person, while a vacation song or Christmas carol is played. When the music stops, whatever gift each person is holding is the souvenir they become!

You can do it all in one become, with all the gifts moving around. If you prefer to make it last longer, practice 1, three, or any other number of gifts at a time, then those who got a gift sit out the adjacent round.

20. Depict a Menu

Print out the cards, which have instructions similar "bandy your souvenir with someone who owns a iPhone" or "switch your gift with someone wearing glasses." Pass them out to each participant, and and so the game begins.

There are two ways to play the Draw a Carte du jour Gift Commutation Game.

1. The Orderly Manner. Have each person pick up the souvenir they brought. Go around the room and have each player, ane at a fourth dimension, follow the instructions on the menu. Gifts can, of course, be swapped multiple times. In one case all the instructions have been carried out, everyone gets to open up their souvenir!
2. The Crazy Way. Have everyone choose a gift – non the one they brought. Set a timer for 3 minutes, and allow everybody shout over each other trying to fulfill their carte'due south instructions. Anyone who has not swapped their souvenir in accord with their card is eligible to have their souvenir stolen past those who had their gift swapped the most.

21. Musical Chairs Gift Exchange Game

This idea works equally well for kids and adults. We'd advise doing a divide one for each. Unless your family unit loves stories like, Remember that time Timmy went to the ER on Christmas for a broken rib cage?

With the kids, you can give them their gift as soon as someone gets "out," which should eliminate any ruffled feathers or injure feelings. After all, what child was ever disappointed at getting a gift before someone else? Whoever is the last one in wins the game and maybe a bonus prize.

For the adults, you can do the same thing. They'll but enjoy the competition of jousting for a chair. Or you could let the musical chairs decide the order of picking a gift. Y'all'll come up up with tons of creative ideas for gift exchanging with this 1.

22. Heads or Tails

This is like the traditional Yankee Swap, but with an element of run a risk thrown in.

Anybody chooses a number from a hat. The person with #1 has to grab a gift from the pile to unwrap (as with Yankee Swap, they will get a bonus take a chance at the end).

The 2d person flips a coin. If it's heads, they choice a gift from the table to unwrap. If information technology's tails, they have to steal a gift. Go on going until information technology goes around back to the showtime person, who ends the game with their chance to flip a coin.

23. DIY Gift Exchange

In this variation on any one of these gift exchange games, everyone brings DIY gifts that they fabricated instead of buying one. It'south a chance to exist artistic!

The gifts can exist homemade ornaments, baked goods, crafted items like suncatchers or painted items like mugs, homemade t-shirts or artwork, garden starters, pottery, or anything else y'all can think of. Choose a specific theme or let it be a artistic free-for-all.

Distribute the gifts using 1 of the other ideas on this list, from classic Yankee Swap to something fresh and unique, like Pakkeleg or a Cobweb Party.

24. Rock Paper Scissors Gift Exchange

Everyone grabs a number from a bowl and a random gift from the pile. Become in order; when it'southward your plow you tin choose to unwrap your souvenir or challenge someone for their souvenir – opened or unopened, with the standard rule that a gift can be stolen/challenged no more than than three times.

If you choose to challenge someone, play rock paper pair of scissors confronting them. If you, as the challenger, win, you get to steal the gift and open it; however, if you (the challenger) lose then you keep your original souvenir and the other person can starting time a claiming to steal someone else's gift.

In one case the challenger wins, they open the gift so the group moves on to number two, then iii, and so on. Good luck remembering who's plow it is!

26. Sock Exchange

Use any gift exchange method or game y'all desire from this list, so long as it involves stealing. Instruct party attendees to buy a new pair of socks, and fill up them with small treats, gifts, or souvenir cards.

Here's the rule that makes this one extra fun: the socks stay with the original person, and simply the inside contents can be stolen.

This ways that when someone who has socks needs to supplant their stolen gift, the new socks they choose go to the thief. The possibilities for fun are endless here, because it shouldn't be too hard to "punish" the thief with some terrible socks.

Then accept everyone wearable their socks for the balance of the political party!

27. Christmas Carnival

You know those Halloween carnivals, the ones often put on by churches for kids and chosen a "Harvest Festival" to avoid the stigma of Halloween?

They're actually pretty fun, total of little county-fair-type games like ring toss, ball toss, shooting hoops, "fishing" with a clothespin fishing pole, and more.

Try setting upwardly your holiday gift exchange with a agglomeration of booths where the kids (and adults!) can win prizes past winning a agglomeration of carnival games.

Mayhap give out candy or small-scale token prizes for each game, then equally each person completes all games (use a punch card, or but accept them become effectually the room) they get to choose a gift. Utilize your imagination for tons of kid-centered Yuletide fun!

Hither are some easy and portable ideas:

• Ball toss game
• Skee ball
• Plinko
• Cornhole bean bag toss
• Line-fishing-for-prizes carnival game
• Dartboard and darts, and/or balloons
• Reindeer ring toss
• DIY puddle noodle toss (cheap!)

28. Spin the Canteen Gift Substitution

A family-friendly accept on the classic game. Anybody sits effectually in a circle and takes turns spinning the canteen.

When it lands on y'all, you lot get to get pick out your gift – or steal it!

29. Gift Sale

There are many means to contain an auction into a gift exchange. For adults, y'all can accept a Vegas-way game nighttime and and then individuals can employ their "winnings" to bid on gifts – opened or unopened. Or do a cash sale and have the proceeds go to a clemency or to pay for a souvenir for the whole family.

Set up a basic guideline beforehand – are we bidding loose change for footling $v-15 gifts, or is it going to exist large money for premium gifts? Do you earn and use fake coin from carnival/party/card games, or is everyone supposed to buy in with $5 or whatever?

For an all-ages version, have some carnival games or competitions where 1st through 5th place gets tickets, poker chips, or change to use in the auction. Trivia and simple party games also work well for this: hot potato, musical chairs, a dance-off, talent show, ring toss, etc.

31. Santa's Grab Bag

This ane is super unproblematic. Get a nice large handbag – this archetype Santa's bag is perfect, or just utilize a big black plastic bag – put all the gifts inside, and have people draw them out, 1 by one.

32. Gift Guessing Game

Make sure all the presents become wrapped. One at a fourth dimension, each person holds their gift for everyone to see and people guess what it is. Slowly give out clues, starting with obscure riddle-type clues and getting easier, until someone wins the gift and gets to open up information technology.

33. 21 Questions

Exactly like the Gift Guessing Game, but using Yes and No questions. Whoever guesses the gift correctly gets it; if no i guesses information technology, the gift giver gets a prize.

With both of these, you lot'll obviously want to come up up with a a way to brand sure anybody gets a gift. Plus you want people to stay interested and involved, so don't do information technology where anyone who has a gift sits out. Rather, anyone who correctly guesses a 2d gift can cull to give away their gift in favor of the second one, or perhaps steal some other souvenir.

34. Christmas Carol Singalong

This i is like a mashup of Christmas caroling and trivia.

Every bit with musical chairs, adapt everyone in a circumvolve, play a Christmas vocal, then take the gift passed effectually.

Whoever is holding the gift when you stop the vocal has to finish the lyric. If they tin, they get to open the souvenir. If not, the souvenir is passed clockwise until someone can correctly recite the song'southward lyrics.

35. Gyre the Dice

Everyone sits in a circumvolve property a randomly selected gift from the pile. Moving around the circle in society, each person takes turns rolling a pair of dice. Depending on the result, follow the instructions for each number.

These rules might include:

• Simply people wearing ruby get to exchange gifts
• Unwrap your gift
• Unwrap someone else's gift
• Make two people swap gifts
• Laissez passer gifts to the left

Go along going until all the gifts are unwrapped!

36. Gift Exchange Chaos

Have everyone take hold of a random gift from the gift pile, and then sit downwards. Equally they hold the gift, if the following statements utilize to them they have to stand up and exchange their gift with someone else standing.

These statements might include things like, "Stand up if you…

• bought your gift on Black Friday
• listened to Christmas music earlier Thanksgiving
• own an ugly Christmas sweater
• take an inflatable Christmas ornament in your one thousand
• mailed Christmas gifts via snail mail
• have an angel/star on top of your tree
• have always re-gifted something

We have a festive, vacation-themed listing available here, or you can come upwards with your own variations. Once all statements are read, make sure no ane ended upward with the item they brought, then have everyone open their souvenir.

35. Cull a Gift Category

Putting a limit on gifts actually forces y'all to be more thoughtful and creative, and leads to interesting results.

Imagine: Food gifts only. Craft mash, whiskey, and/or wine gifts only (uh, for adults, obviously). Last yr y'all were only allowed to give experiences, like gift certificate to a golf game grade or tickets to the theater; this year, you can just give a subscription box.

Anybody gives three used books, each from a different genre. Gifts that make people laugh; and the gift-giver that gets the biggest laugh gets a prize. You become the thought.

My family did "used" aka thrift store gifts just one year, and it was one of the near unique and memorable Christmases we ever had together. It was exhausting, with lots of yard sale, thrift store, and antique mall visits, but we all had a blast.

You lot could have everyone write downwardly their favorite movies, and all the gifts have to relate to that person's favorite films. For case, a Han Shot Beginning t-shirt for a Star Wars buff, a Sharknado triple characteristic for someone who loves Jaws, a sled for the Orson Welles/Citizen Kane fan, something that says "You Get Glen Coco" for the person who constantly quotes Mean Girls.

Or do the same idea merely with music – band merch, song quotes engraved onto a plaque or pilsner glass, vinyl copies of favorite albums, etc.

Hither is a non-exhaustive listing of category ideas to get you started:

• Antiques
• Board games
• Books
• Colour – gifts must be red, or blue, etc.
• Craft beer (and related accessories)
• DIY gifts – handmade by Y'all
• Effect tickets
• Souvenir cards/certificates
• Handmade items – bought locally or online
• Local products only
• Movies and/or film-themed gifts
• Personalized items
• Puzzles
• Specialty nutrient
• T-Shirts
• Ugly Christmas sweaters
• Vino and wine-themed gifts

36. Hot Irish potato

But similar the popular party game, but use a gift instead. Everyone sits in a circle, and passes around a souvenir. Whenever the music stops, the person belongings the gift gets information technology.

Or, to encourage passing it speedily, the person whofinal held the gift gets information technology. For more fun with larger groups, exercise two or three gifts at a time.

You can add together more rules, besides. For example, if you lot drop information technology, you take to sit down out that round. Or those who already have a gift can throw balls of wrapping paper at the participants to distract them.

37. Exchange the Commutation for a Gift for Everyone

Instead of the usual gift exchange, pitch in together on an feel: a special event or getaway y'all all tin enjoy as a family.

Go big and rent a beach house or ski cabin for a weekend, or continue it budget-friendly by going to a picture show at the theaters, water ice skating, or to a local holiday event.

Other ideas include concerts, theme parks, light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation tag, a sports event, a fun form like ballroom dancing, or rent out a family fun center for an afternoon.

More: fifty+ Experience Gifts That Create Memories

38. Ornamentation Exchange

This could fall under the afterwards section of "gift category" ideas #22-38, but we thought the idea merited its own heading.

Christmas ornaments are fun. They aid create a big part of that warm fuzzy feeling we all love about the holidays.

An decoration gift substitution is a wonderful fashion to add to everyone's collection, information technology'southward easy to do, and it doesn't break the banking concern.

All you practise is say, "Hey everyone, let's do an decoration souvenir exchange this year!" And so you buy each other fun, interesting, beautiful, personalized, and/or quirky ornaments to decorate your Christmas trees.

Bank check out these cute and popular Christmas ornaments.

39. Christmas Cookie Bandy

Take everyone bake upwards their specialty, and bring a tray to the party plus a couple dozen actress to exchange.

Kids beloved this. You just take to bake one large double batch in order to get a wide diversity of holiday treats to have home. Plus it only costs a few dollars to make a couple batches of delicious Christmas cookies. So this is a very affordable pick when budgets are tight.

Here's how you lot do it:

• Find a great Christmas cookie recipe
• Bake enough for each family unit unit to have a plate of vi or 12
• Put them on a paper holiday plate with plastic wrap
• If, say, 5 groups bring cookies, bring five plates of your cookies, then exit with five dissimilar plates
• Enjoy at your leisure

If you want to share your recipe, endeavor these holiday themed recipe cards so others can try to make your delicious treat!

40. Transport a Rotating Gift Box

This is an ingenious Christmas gift commutation idea for family members that live in different parts of the country. Make up a special box – mayhap a wooden crate, a cute holiday gift box, or something y'all decorate yourself – and send it to a family member or friend in a unlike state. They then put a souvenir in and send it back.

For multiple people, hither's how it would piece of work. Say you take 3 friends or family members in unlike parts of the land. You would put 3 gifts inside (one for each person), and send information technology to the get-go recipient. They would have out the souvenir addressed to them, put one of their 3 gifts inside, and transport information technology to the next person. Effectually and around information technology goes!

41. Gift Train

This is a peachy mode to do a long-distance gift exchange with a group of friends or family members. Like to #40, simply instead of rotating gifts in and out of the package, everyone involved sends a packet with the same number of gifts as there are people in the exchange.

When the bundle arrives, simply pull out a souvenir, then send the packet on to the next address.

42. Regift the Good Stuff

Take everyone go in on a collection of bully, top-notch gifts that are durable or reusable. (If y'all can't afford it all at once, slowly build upward to it.) This allows each recipient or family unit to use the particular for a full year.

Adjacent Christmas, swap it up! You won't have to purchase new gifts every year, and anybody gets something really overnice each and every holiday.

Here are a few options that will work for this sort of upscale or extra-meaningful regifting (the list goes big/pricey down to smaller/affordable):

Vacation!	Timeshare	Condo	Lakehouse
Big Toys	Boat	Jet Skis	Snowmobile
On the River	Kayak	Tahiti	Inflatable Raft
Fun at Home	Inflatable Hot Tub	Trampoline	Smoker/BBQ
On the Road	Camper Trailer	RV	Glamping Tent
Off the Road	Dirt Bikes	Dune Buggy	3 Wheeler
More Fun	Golf Cart	Whiskey Aging Barrel	Giant Pool Floats
Smaller Toys	Heirloom Prc Prepare	Favorite Board Game	Lawn Games
Quirky Stuff	The Lamp from A Christmas Story	Extra Bill of fare from Costco Membership	Whatever You Fought Over When You lot Were Kids

43. Regift the Worst Stuff

Accept everyone bring the very worst gift they ever received, and pass information technology on to a new possessor. Then do it every twelvemonth! Introduce new items equally the old ones go lost or broken.

Have a vote on the "best" worst souvenir each year, and the "winner" gets to vesture a terrible Christmas hat.

No dubiety yous volition start all sorts of fun traditions. There volition be that one excruciating gift that that everyone loves to hate; there will be stories of quondam gifts from days of yore that accept long since disappeared; and no i will be disappointed because nobody will expect anything even remotely decent. A real winner!

Related: Nostalgic 90s Toys That Make Perfect Gifts

44. Rotate Souvenir Substitution Ideas

Lastly, consider rotating through several of these Christmas gift exchange ideas each twelvemonth.

Your whole family unit volition beloved having something different to expect forrad to each year, and if y'all limit it to 2-four dissimilar substitution types then you will nevertheless maintain something of a "tradition."

Gift Exchange Party Invitations

1. Gold Glitter Holiday Gift Exchange Invitation

two. Holiday Gift Exchange Santa Party Invitation

3. White Elephant Gift Exchange Candy Pikestaff Invite

4. Merry & Bright Argent Christmas Party Invite

5. You're Invited – Undercover Santa Gift Exchange Invitation

The Anti-Souvenir Exchange: Let Everyone Off the Claw

Wrapping upward,* one last thing to consider is this: Skip the souvenir substitution this year.

*Encounter what we did there

Sometimes, all the materialistic gift insanity might get to be a fleck much. Yep. We get it. (Your family unit will too.) Call back that you're free to bow out and do something a little more personal instead.

Here are some ideas to help you get out of the annual gift exchange rut. We've already hit on several along these lines above (doing a family event, cookie bandy, volunteering, etc) but we'll put them all together here, plus a few more.

For the Family unit Gathering

Exist sure to ship everyone an email or chat bulletin to explicate your thoughts. Then you lot can advise in place of the gift bandy:

• Have a family gathering with a potluck
• Practice a cookie bandy (#four, above)
• Get sledding; bring hot chocolate
• Volunteer as a family (#11, higher up, and here)
• Picket a Christmas movie together
• Read a classic Christmas story together
• Practise the Christmas carnival (#xiv), simply with all-DIY games
• Have everyone pitch in a few bucks to go a prissy souvenir for each child in the family, or to get a petty grab-purse of goodies. Allow's confront it, the kids should become presents!
• Get one gift for the whole family – like a board game or a silly Christmas game – rather than gifts for each person

For Individuals

Contact your loved ones individually and let them know that you lot're stepping away from the materialistic holiday insanity this year. Let them know that, instead, you want to accept them out to luncheon, java, or water ice foam and spend some quality fourth dimension together. Or cook a nice dinner for them. Something simple, withal personal.

The aforementioned thing goes for the kids. You can accept them out one at a time, or take a group of siblings (their parents volition probably appreciate the free babysitting!). If you're on a budget, take them to the park or another fun, free activeness. Peradventure get an ice cream cone or hot cocoa. You can also do bigger, splashier activities with the kids, like taking them to a bounce business firm, laser tag, fun center, or arcade. Information technology's up to you!

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More Bang-up Gifts & Other Ideas!

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Source: https://allgiftsconsidered.com/family-gift-exchange-ideas/