Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas, Games, Rules, and Gift-Giving Traditions

1. The four gift rule gift-giving tradition–want, need, wear, read:

• The classic Christmas four-gift rule is: “Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.“
• This popular Christmas gift rule is common in families with young children because it simplifies holiday excess, ensures variety, and teaches thoughtful giving rather than the random accumulation of things.
• People who follow this Christmas gift tradition give each person in the home or family one gift representing the four rules.
• In other words, each person is given something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
• Please review the book suggestions HERE and our gift guide for Children for several great gift ideas.

2. Second-hand or handmade Christmas gift-giving rule:

• The rule for the second-hand or handmade Christmas gift tradition is just as it sounds: Gifts can be purchased at second-hand stores or handmade by the giver or an artisan. Or, you can do both if you’re feeling crafty!
• This Christmas gift rule encourages creativity and ingenuity while reducing costs.
• Check out our gift guide and this list of homemade gifts kids (and adults) can make for several excellent ideas to fulfill this Christmas gift-giving rule.
• You can find wonderful second-hand gifts at thrift stores, garage sales, Craigslist, or in your giveaway box.
• Purchase a second-hand item and upcycle it for a double-whammy of a second-hand, homemade gift!

3. Experiences instead of things Christmas gift-giving rule:

• The rule for this Christmas gift-giving tradition is to give family members things they’d like to do, such as classes or trips, instead of more stuff they don’t necessarily need.
• You can give experiences instead of things to each person, a couple, the kids, the parents, or the whole family. Make sure everyone has an enjoyable experience, and you are good to go!

Experiences instead of things gift ideas:

1. Tickets to an event, show, or amusement park.
2. Spa treatment or spa day.
3. The gift of a vacation or trip.
4. A class, classes, or lessons of some kind. (Examples include cooking, dancing, pottery, sewing, knitting, jewelry making, yoga, golf, swimming, gymnastics, music, art, etc.)
5. Dinner at a nice restaurant. (Hint: date night and weekend coupons are always a great idea for mom and dad from the kids!)
6. Membership for a month, a year, or a lifetime.

4. Secret Santa Christmas gift exchange tradition:

• The Secret Santa tradition is one of the most inclusive holiday gift exchanges. It emphasizes thoughtfulness over expense and helps large groups, such as offices or friend circles, avoid the stress of buying several gifts.
• This Christmas gift exchange idea is perfect for extended families, schoolmates, friends, large groups, teams, and co-workers.
• Each person draws a random name from a hat (or uses an app) to determine a “Secret Santa” for each participant. Each person will be another person’s Secret Santa and will not know who their Secret Santa is.
• Secret Santas buy a gift specifically for the person they drew, not for anyone else, and reveal their identity only at the exchange on Christmas or another specified gift-giving day. The “secret” aspect adds an element of surprise and fun to the reveal.
• Some groups agree to give or send secret gifts to this person throughout the year (birthday, Easter, Valentine’s Day, etc.), with a final gift and celebratory reveal on Christmas Day. Other groups choose to give only Christmas gifts. The best part is you get to decide which Secret Santa gift-exchange rule you’d like to use!
• Setting a gift spending limit, such as $25, is optional but recommended.
• Consider having participants share wish lists to make the process easier.
• The Secret Santa Christmas gift exchange is easy to combine with another Christmas gift tradition or rule, such as “second-hand or handmade” or “experiences instead of things.”

5. The white elephant Christmas gift exchange game:

• The White Elephant gift exchange is a popular Christmas tradition that works best in large, casual gatherings such as Christmas parties for extended family or co-workers.
• This gift exchange game encourages laughter and playful competition rather than sentimentality.
• Participants bring one wrapped, unmarked gift and take turns choosing or “stealing” gifts from others.
• The goal is to walk away with the best present, or the one you like the most.
• This gift exchange game is also known as Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa, and many other names.
• Gifts are often quirky, funny, or deliberately impractical. Or there can be a gift-giving theme or a gift-giving rule involved.
• When it’s their turn, each person picks a gift from the pile or steals one someone else already opened.
• Set an optional “Steal Limit Rule” that governs how many times it can be stolen (usually 2 or 3). Once a gift reaches the “steal limit,” the final owner keeps it. This rule prevents the game from dragging on and avoids frustration when a popular gift keeps circulating.
• Check out the official white elephant gift exchange rules HERE.

7. Jolabokaflod, the Icelandic Christmas Eve book gift tradition:

• In the mid-1900s, Iceland began a lovely gift tradition called Jolabokaflod, which many people participate in on Christmas Eve.
• Jolabokaflod, which translates as “Yule Book Flood” or “Christmas Book Flood,” is the Icelandic tradition of giving and receiving a new book on Christmas Eve.
• This new book-gift Christmas gift-exchange tradition began during World War II, after Iceland gained independence from Denmark in 1944. Because paper was one of the few commodities not rationed during the war, Icelanders shared their love of books as other types of gifts became scarce.
• Learn more about how the gift-giving tradition known as Jolabokaflod began HERE.
• You might also enjoy this list of Christmas Traditions and these book gift ideas for kids.

8. Stockings only Christmas gift rule:

• The rule for this Christmas gift-giving tradition is to give only small items that easily fit into a Christmas stocking. (Psst–experience gift certificates are great options for this rule ;))
• If you want to try this Christmas gift rule, invite each family member to find something for everyone’s stockings.
• Combine this Christmas gift tradition with the Secret Santa gift exchange idea for even more fun. (Draw names on Christmas day to learn whose stocking you need to fill next year!)

9. Santa sacks Christmas gift tradition:

• My family came up with this fun Christmas gift-exchange idea. We like to use this Christmas gift-giving tradition to teach our children that they must give to receive.
• First, gift each person in the house a Santa Sack sometime before Christmas. (I like to get ours out during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.)
• Next, encourage everyone to fill their Santa Sacks with items they’d like to give to those in need.
• Invite everyone to place their Santa sacks filled with donations under the tree on Christmas Eve.
• Switch the bags out and replace them with wrapped gifts under the tree. Or empty each Santa Sack into a donation bin to be donated later, fill the sacks with gifts for each person, and put them back under the tree to be opened on Christmas morning.
• Pro tip: If a gift is too big to fit into a Santa sack or under the tree, have the recipient open a box with the start of a scavenger hunt tucked inside, so they have to hunt for their gift! (Use the instructions in the next section.)
• Store your Santa sacks in the Christmas box for reuse next year.

10. Scavenger Hunt Gift Game:

• Here’s another fun gift-giving game my husband came up with and mentioned in the Santa sack gift tradition above. When a gift is too hard to wrap or too big to fit in a box, wrap up a note to send the giftee on a gift scavenger hunt instead!
• If you’d like to try this Christmas gift game, follow the step-by-step instructions below.
• This scavenger hunt gift game also works great for birthday gifts.

Related: Winter Scavenger Hunt

Christmas Gift Scavenger Hunt Game Instructions:

1. Write notes that lead the giftee from the wrapped gift to the hidden present or the final gift. (The hidden gift can be wrapped or unwrapped.)
2. Write one note that leads the giftee directly to the hidden gift, or several notes that lead them to several locations, each with a note directing them to the next hiding place.
3. Place the first note in a wrapped box to give to the giftee to start the gift scavenger hunt.
4. The gift scavenger hunt game ends when the gift is found, opened, and revealed.

11. Other Fun Christmas gift exchange games:

• If you are tired of the white elephant gift exchange game, give one of these 22 fun and creative Christmas gift exchange game ideas over on Play. Party. Plan to try this year.