Secret Santa Gifts And Ideas

So you are organizing a Secret Santa Gift Exchange, good for you! This type of Christmas game is fun for everyone, doesn't cost a lot of money and is a great way for large groups of people to participate in the seasonal tradition of giving small gifts to one another. It takes a bit of organizing to get started, as we mentioned in our previous article about Secret Santa Gift Exchange Rules, but once you've got your group organized, there's really nothing else to be done except to sit back and enjoy the event. Participants will be talking about this in the days leading up to your Secret Santa event as well as afterwards as they share information about who gave them presents and what it was.

In a work-place environment, not everyone will want to participate, and that's okay. If this is the case, it is best to organize it in such a way that gifts can arrive anonymously on a person's desk during a two or three day timeframe. This way, no one is embarrassed to not participate. If you have a December meeting of a team or community group that you are a member of, Secret Santa can work really well when everyone is together during your December meeting or game. If it is an extended family gathering, whether that's in November, December or January, doing a Secret Santa Gift Exchange while everyone is together makes for a really fun afternoon.

Don't forget that part of the fun is in the labeling of the gift. Encourage your participants to tag the gift with a poem or riddle about the person who it is intended for, or a poem or riddle about what is inside and have participants guess before opening the gift.

Here are some themes and gift ideas to help you decide how to organize your Secret Santa Gift Exchange. Keep in mind the dynamic of your group, where you are hosting it - at work, among family or friends, within a community group - as you choose a theme that will make it most fun and interesting for those who are participating.

The Cinema: Everyone loves a good movie, whether it's from your childhood, family tradition, or the most recent Oscar winners. Gifts you can buy in this category include movies, DVDs, movie soundtracks, movie posters, t-shirts, stickers, pillows, trinkets, gift certificates, popcorn, candy, Oscars gear, star photos. You could also transfer some old home movies to a DVD, or create your own video about that family member, colleague or teammate.

Comfort: While not everywhere is cold during December, everyone is always in needs of some comfort, something that they might not necessarily buy for themselves, something that lets them know someone is thinking of them. These gifts include socks, hot chocolate, bath gear, teas, lotions, candles, CDs, food, scarves, gloves, something for their desk or car.

Space: Outer Space has many enthusiasts around the world and many people are intrigued by what's out there. A space theme allows you to buys gifts like space-themed socks and t-shirts (with planets, space heroes, constellations printed on them), space-themed or space-shaped candy, dried food that astronauts might eat and are good for the campers amongst your group, planetary decals for their desktop, bag or car, pins and buttons that they can wear on their clothing, mugs, puzzles, books, trinkets, mini-figurines, movies, keychains, books.

Make-it-Yourself: There are usually a lot of crafters amongst any group, and if there are a few who don't craft they can still participate by making something, anything! This theme can include poems, stories, crafts, photo collages, decorated picture frames, knitting, playlists or photo slideshows on USB sticks. If you have someone who is not crafty, they can purchase something that is home made by someone else, some people can choose to bake, or buy home-made breads, desserts or muffins. Gift certificates to a home-made store would also work in this category.

Inspirations: We all see shops that sell gear with inspirational sayings on their inventory and sometimes this theme is particularly suited to an office group. This theme would also be a good one for spicing up everyone's work space or the office common areas. Gifts in this category can include any item that has positive messaging on it - posters, photos, mugs, t-shirts, books, blankets, pillows, socks, card sets.

Charity Donation: Some groups, particularly those who feel they don't want to waste money or those who feel they have everything they need, opt for the $20 to be donated to a charity on their behalf, and part of the questionnaire lists a variety of charities that the gift receiver is interested in. Of course in lieu of a gift exchange, your group can decide on one or two charities together and the Secret Santa collects and donates everyone's $20 to that charity.

Get Ready for Spring: Most people enjoy being outside or beautifying where they live whether that's in a tall apartment building or in your own personal yard. This theme opens the gift possibilities to a wide selection of gardening and nature items such as seeds, pots, plants, garden décor, gardening gloves or tools, memberships at nature attraction in your area, donations to nature charities, gift certificates, jewelry, mosquito and bug repellants, hand soaps, gardening and nature magazines.

We hope you find that there are a lot of ideas here to get you started with your very own Secret Santa Gift Exchange whether that's amongst family members, community groups, teammates or your office co-workers. Merry Christmas!