Christmas Gift Exchange

Try thememed gifts. For example - every adult gift has to be red or have something to do with food. We have done both and it's very interesting to see all the different gifts that come in the same colors. We have even done a gift card tree and everyone buys a gift card for $25 and put it on a small tree and we pick a card and then trade up to 3 times!

Our family always takes a gift for their own kids to open at a family christmas dinner.but the adults all buy a $20.00-$25.00 gift. And play what they call dirty santa.the girl buy a girl gift and guys buy a guy gift. If theirs 8 girls you put 8 numbers in a hat and each girl draws. Number 1 picks gift first and opens it.then number 2 can pick a gift or take the one number 1 has and number 1 opens a dfferent gift and go on like that and number 8 can take any gift.its fun. Then the guys do same thing.

Everyone should go get a gift card to a resturant and have a random grab, or everyone should draw numbers. You could also do the gift cards and a white elephant gift.

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Good luck!

T. B,

We found the same problem in our family. We started picking a family charity to give a gift to. We write a nice card to the person who's name we draw. then one person in the family draws out a chartiy name, each adult puts in a charity, and all money is sent to that charity.
This is not perfect. We like the idea of spreading our joy to the rest of the comminity.

you can do a dirty santa thing. everyone brings a gift and then you draw numbers. number 1 picks a gift and opens it. then the next person can either take the gift from anyone else or open a new one. this is a lot of fun.

I love that game. I thought it sounded dumb at first, but now I look forward to it. It's my in laws that play it. I have never ended up with the gift I really want, but it is fun anyway.

We have the same issue in my husband's family. So this year I suggested a gift card exchange. Every adult bring a gift card for $20 to a store or restaurant and you randomly pick one from a hat/box. That way, everyone gets a fair shot and not jipped, like I always do. (After almost 5 years of marriage, they still don't know me very well, but no I'm not bitter) Anyhoo, I've been earning point with my credit card and also thru my bank, so I can cash those in for gift cards. Makes it easy on me since I'm prego this year. Just a thought, most people think gift cards are not personal, but everyone loves to receive them, especially when in my case, I received CHIA Herb Gardens TWO years in a row now!

Yes, instead of buying for a specific person, just set a price limit, then draw numbers. We call it a White Elephant Christmas (don't ask why, I don't know, heh) and it's a lot of fun. The first person to draw also gets a chance at the end to steal a present from ANYONE else, so that is the best number. We also impose a 3-steal limit: no gift can be "stolen" more than three times. Things can get pretty energetic, and that's when it's the most fun. I highly recommend it! :P

Ditto on the white elephant game. Its alot of fun. We used to do it at our office party every year and everyone looked forward to it. It also inspires people to get really nice gifts (within the price limit) so that theirs is the most fought over every year. You have to set the rules up first though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant_gift_exchange

hi
we do secret santa where every woman brings a gift for a woman and every man brings a gift for a man. draw numbers, then each person (do men & women separatly) can choose the gift he/she wants. and everyone buys for the kids.

We also do the white elephant thing; but we do it with goofy gifts. I am seriously sitting here with a bulldog toilet paper holder in my basement right now! You can still do the personal stuff, but add the fun stuff in too--usually it is stuff you have laying around (childhood toy with missing parts, etc.) or just downright goofy stuff. It does add some fun!

A.

Well you could add in the kids if you wanted. I have a friend who does an exchage with her family and they add in some fun. After each person draws a name, then they draw a letter from the alphabet. Then the gift they buy has to begin with that letter. It actually makes you think a little and you have to put more thought into the gift. It's just an idea. Other thatn that, I'm not sure how you can spice up a gift exchange.