If you are looking for a new holiday tradition, or if you just need a new twist on the traditional gift exchange, read on for a variety of creative gift exchange ideas for your Christmas party.
Cobweb Gift Exchange
Borrow an idea from the Victorian age. Ask your guests to bring a wrapped gift that has one end of a spool of yarn tied to the gift (provide each guest with their color to avoid duplication). Once they have all arrived, place the gifts in a separate room and unwind each spool of yarn as you zig zag around the room, crisscrossing other trails of yarn – under furniture, behind curtains and around banisters. Assign each guest to a color different from the yarn color they tied to the gift they brought, and ask them to follow the yarn to find their exchange gift. Your guests will laugh out loud as they bump into each other (or the furniture) on their way to their present. This might work better for a smaller group.
Don’t Forget Our Furry Friends
Invite your friends to meet at the park with their dogs for a holiday pet gift exchange. Suggest everyone dress their dog up in holiday garb and bring a small bag of their favorite dog treats to gift to each of the expected attendees. Ask your guests if their dog has any allergies or anything else the others should avoid gifting.
Bring on the Holiday “Spirits”
Ask your guests to bring gift bags filled with items needed to make a favorite cocktail, a recipe card, and have a cocktail exchange party. Line the bags up, have each guest choose a number out of a hat (or bag), and let them choose a cocktail gift bag according to the number they drew (i.e., “1” will go first, “2” will go second, etc.)
Musical Chairs
Ask everyone who brought a purchased, wrapped gift for the game to gather chairs in a circle, grab their gift and choose a seat. Ask the participants to pass the gift to the person on their right (or left) until the song stops. When the song stops, the gift they end up with is theirs to keep. This is a good one for the kiddos! If you are organizing this for adults, consider a theme for this game such as gift cards or candy. Either way, placing a minimum and maximum dollar amount is recommended.
Toy Swap with Santa
Instill the spirit of giving and leave gently used toys for Santa and his reindeer to “take back to the North Pole” and give to a child in need with hopes that he will leave a shiny new gift under the tree in exchange. Don’t forget the milk and cookies though (and carrots for Rudolph!). This gift exchange idea is a great way to make room for new gifts and, most importantly, to teach your children the importance of helping others.
Gift Wrapping Supply Exchange (Party)
One of the most fun gift exchange ideas starts with wrapping paper. Ask everyone to load up plastic bins with holiday bags, bows, ribbon and other fun garnishes to share with others at a gift-wrapping party. Cue up the music, ice the prosecco or warm the cider and get those unwrapped gifts wrapped. A surprise twist: you may leave the party with a few new gift ideas!
Trivia Time
Ask everyone to bring a wrapped gift, and when it’s time for the gift exchange, gather everyone for holiday-themed trivia. Ask a small number (3-5) of trivia questions. The winner with the most correct answers gets the first pick of presents. That person is then out of the game to allow the others to play on and win a gift. Ask another round of the same number of questions and let the winner of that round choose next. Repeat until all but one gift remains. The moderator gets to choose from the last remaining gift or “steal” someone else’s gift. This gift exchange idea is probably best for a smaller party.
Left or Right?
Gather your guests in a circle with their wrapped gift and, before the game begins, ask one of your guests to ask a specified number of questions (in no particular order) that must be answered with either “Left” or “Right.” You can prepare these questions ahead of time, although improvisation will work too. Gifts are passed to the right or left depending upon the correct answer to the questions, and the game ends after the last question has been answered. The gift that you end up with is yours to keep! Consider a theme for this game; a stated minimum and maximum dollar amount is recommended.
Gift Exchange Ideas and Event Decor with Parties To Go
Whether you need accessories to complement your gift exchange ideas or a few finishing touches for your Christmas party, Parties To Go is here to help with our huge variety of decorations and supplies for all sorts of events.
