It is time for another Friday Christmas fun post! Whether you spend Christmas Eve with family, friends, or co-workers, consider organizing a quick (since Christmas Eve is tomorrow) gift exchange with a random flare. Unlike a traditional gift exchange, this one will require everyone involved to follow a specific directive.
If you want to keep this idea in mind for next year, consider arranging a week-long gift exchange for your co-workers or family. Every day that week, challenge those involved to bring a wrapped gift from the designated category (e.g., Monday’s gifts can be no larger than 2 inches [height, width, or depth], Tuesday’s gifts have to be bright yellow, etc.). How much fun would that be?! If you want to organize an expedited gift exchange for tomorrow, consider these categories and create some of your own!
- Gifts beginning with the letter G – Once, Eric and I attended a potluck where each food had to begin with the letter K. It was a challenge! There was Kung Pao Chicken, (Rice) Krispies Treats, and kale; though, I cannot remember the other dishes! Consider doing the same with gifts. Pick a letter out of a hat, and everyone can buy a gift (spending limits are helpful) which starts with that letter. If you would rather not pick a letter, think of a category instead! The event should be good for a few laughs!
- $10 Gifts – Pick a spending limit (e.g., $10) and direct your players not to exceed it. You can even offer a prize to the person who comes closest to the limit without going over.
- Weird Food Gift – Plan a strange food secret Santa exchange. The food should be clean and edible, but weird. Weirdest food gift, as decided by a vote, wins!
- Best Deal – For all you bargain shoppers out there, you can do a best deal Keep your receipts. Whoever finds the best deal on a gift wins! If you cannot pick a winner based solely on numbers, participants can vote.
- Thrift Store Gift – If you are more patient than I am, you can find terrific treasures at second-hand stores. Give a spending limit and tell the players they must purchase all gifts at a thrift store. Most awesome find wins!
- Gifts Purchased at a Gas Station – Pick a random place (which actually does sell merchandise), and challenge the group to buy a gift from that establishment. Most creative wins!
- Retro Gifts – If you are sensitive about your age, this challenge might be rough. ~smile~ Each person puts their name and age in a hat. Whoever pulls your name is challenged to buy you a gift that was popular during your childhood or teen years. For me, glow worms, Cabbage Patch Kids, and scrunchies would all be good picks. (And, yes, I still wear scrunchies. Classics never die!)
Gift-giving is loads of fun and we can brighten it up even more by adding some laughs to the mix. One of my favorite Christmas activities is the popular White Elephant (also called Dirty Santa) gift exchange. You bring a fun gift to the party and hopefully go home with another one just as fun! In the meantime, you get to “fight it out” with others to win your desired prize – super fun whether you are watching or participating!
Think of a unique way to liven up one of your gift exchanges this year; and, if you cannot pull off a wild and wacky gift-giving party before Christmas, no one says you cannot have a New Year’s gift exchange. In fact, your category could be after-Christmas sale items only or Christmas re-gifts!
We hope all of your Christmas activities are a blast!
Merry Christmas, 2016 – from PreEngaged!
What fun gift category came to your mind?
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