Secret Santa gift ideas for the family
Christmas is going to be a little different this year. No doubt you’ve heard the latest UK government decision that up to three households can mix this holiday season for five days. I won’t get into the political and medical implications of this decision – just make sure whatever you decide to do you keep safe while doing it!
If you have a larger than average family or a group of close friends and family who are in your inner circle, then a Secret Santa gift exchange might be a great way to go this year.
Secret Santa? What’s that?
Secret Santa gift ideas are generally reserved for colleagues at work during the holiday season. Your name gets put into a hat, along with your colleagues’ names and you’re randomly drawn a coworker to buy a secret gift within the budget set. You sign it from Secret Santa so the recipient has no idea the present was from you.
The idea is to save money on presents because it takes away the responsibility of overbuying on gifts and then during the gift exchange everyone gets a similar priced present. And the great thing is, no one knows who bought what. So if they don’t like the present, you can just walk on by and shrug your shoulders. “Sorry, don’t know who got you that!”
Job done!
So a great way to take the stress out of sending gifts to different households you might not see this year is to try doing a Secret Santa for the family. My sister in Amsterdam has been in charge of organising the Secret Santa for the last few years and this year we have involved my kids (eight and nine) for the first time, which is great! We have ten people in our Secret Santa list this year – last year it was eight, so our inner circle is ever-growing!
It was also the first time my September babies Facebook group did a Secret Santa for everyone because we all live in different corners of the UK. All the babies get a lovely present and the beauty is in the surprise element of it all.
So what are some great Secret Santa present ideas for the family? Prepare your inner circle because below are the best secret Santa gifts you can buy which will ensure Christmas can still be great, wherever family and friends will be this year.
How do I organise a Secret Santa for the friends and family?
If you have a family and friends WhatsApp group or you have an inner circle of members with whom you always share Christmas, then send a round message to everyone to ask if they want to get involved in Secret Santa first before you continue. And if you’re worried about your personal information being shared, you can just submit your name and leave all the other information out.
Ok, people have agreed. Now what?
Set the ground rules. What’s the budget? Who’s involved? Give the members the full Secret Santa list too, so they can see whom they will potentially need to send a Secret Santa gift.
Automate the process by using online platforms
Drawing names out of a hat is so c. 2,000! The easiest way to set up Secret Santa is to use a random name drawing platform like Elfster or Draw Names. You just create a group, punch in who’s doing the Secret Santa, make exclusions, i.e. who should not draw whom, get everyone to confirm and then the fun part – draw the names! Now you have your Secret Santa recipient ready to receive their perfect gift!
But, what gift should I get for Secret Santa?
So what are great Secret Santa present ideas which pass the family and friend test? The world is your oyster here. Think about who you’ve drawn and do some detective work on what they like. Also, the online websites I’ve talked about allow recipients to create a wish list so you can just pick out any gift they’ve chosen that’s within budget.
Where can I get Secret Santa presents?
The Wish List you create comes from Amazon’s search engine, so it makes the whole process easier to find a gift for your recipient. Plus, you can ask secret questions to the recipient and they won’t know who’s asking. Ask direct questions like, “What do you want for Christmas?” Or “Is there anything you don’t want?” That will make your life a lot easier when it comes to figuring out what to get.
Are you still stuck for ideas? Not to worry, here are some perfect Secret Santa gifts for the whole family!
Looking for presents for 9-year-old boys and girls? I have the article just for you here –> TOP CHRISTMAS TOYS FOR 9-YEAR-OLD BOYS AND GIRLS
Creative secret santa ideas
You don’t have to just pick a gift from Amazon. Get creative! Buy the tools to make a gift or find cute little unique handmade shops from Etsy. Your chosen recipient will be able to get something no one else will have, so it makes that gift extra special.
Funny Secret Santa gifts
Looking for Secret Santa gift ideas which can cause a little bit of a chuckle? Then look no further, I have some great ideas for Secret Santa gifts below:
Funny coffee gifts
There are some seriously funny coffee gifts online that play on parents being sleep deprived so it works really well as a gift for Chirstmas.
Find some seriously funny coffee gifts on Amazon here
Here are some other funny coffee ideas:
Safe Secret Santa gifts
Face Coverings
Even though the inclusion of face coverings in our wardrobe wasn’t what we had on our 2020 bingo card, this is now part of the world’s reality and they are slowly becoming the family’s most used accessory. They come in all colours, sizes, and designs, and they are even personalised now! Face coverings from Daily Disco incorporate all of those factors in one. They can be customised, or kept plain if you want, and come in a variety of different designs. You can put the kids’ names on them, or a fun phrase they like to say, it’s up to you. These are the perfect example of function and fashion, and they are ready to take the family’s mask game to the next level.
Cool Secret Santa gifts
Trying to find a gift which passes the cool factor? Maybe you’re shopping for a teen or dad going through a mid-life crisis, here are some cool gifts for Secret Santa:
Find some cool Secret Santa gifts on Amazon here
Picnic Supplies
With the current state of the world, people haven’t been able to travel as much, and they have been cooped up inside. So, a great option could be offer day gifts like a picnic basket full of snacks and a Kanga cooler full of drinks! They can take it to their local park, or just use it in their backyard, which will take most of the work out for them. Picnic baskets require minimal effort, but still allows the recipient to have an experience together with the family.
Here are some other great picnic ideas from Amazon:
Yummy treats
If you have a family that is big on sweets, but may not have the time to get into the kitchen this year, some Christmas cookie gifts from Mrs Fields is a great go-to. They have tons of cookie tins, baskets, boxes, and bags to choose from and they are extremely affordable. Plus, it will knock out gifts for the whole family, as everyone will enjoy them! If you want to go for a couple of items from Mrs Fields, they also have chocolate-covered strawberries, crispy rice treats, brownies, and yoghurt covered pretzels to choose from – there’s something for everyone!
Secret Santa gift ideas for her
If you have a sister, a daughter, a grandma, an auntie or a best gal friend, here are some great Secret Santa gifts for her:
Find some great female gift ideas for Secret Santa on Amazon here
Secret Santa gift ideas for friends
If you’re adding friends to your Secret Santa list then you could get them something that makes their lives easier – or if they live alone, provide them with some entertainment during the Christmas holidays. Here are some great Secret Santa ideas for friends:
Find some Secret Santa gifts ideas for friends on Amazon here
Holiday Decorations
Nothing says Merry Christmas quite like adorable Holiday gnomes courtesy of Vine and Nest. These will be a crowd-pleaser for friends who love to decorate and the kids are sure to love the ability to bend their hats into whatever shapes they want. Maybe they can even help the family Elf report back to Santa. If those you are shopping for already have too many gnomes in their holiday décor collection, Vine and Nest have so many options to deck their halls for this jolly season.
You can also send personalised photo gifts in a picture frame so your friends can put up treasured memories on their wall. Or perhaps send them some essential oils for a relaxing ritual or bathtime fun.
Here are some other fun gift ideas for friends:
Secret Santa gifts for men
We are boy heavy in our family and three of them have birthdays in December too, so Christmas can get quite expensive! So buying practical gifts like a stainless steel water bottle or a barbecue set might be the right way to go. Here are some other ideas you can buy for the men in your life.
A Weekend Getaway
Renting out a place from Getaway is a holiday gift sure to please Dad if he has been working extra hard because the family get out of the house and spend some uninterrupted time together.
Getting an experience as a gift is perfect for outdoor families who are trying to take a step back from material items, and would like to live a more minimalistic lifestyle. A Getaway weekend also works for families who enjoy the wilderness but don’t want to go full-on camping. The Getaway pods have full bathrooms and kitchens, which are two of the amenities that keep most people from camping. There will be no comfort sacrifices here! Plus, you’re spending time with just the family so you keep your distance from others – in turn saving the world!
Find the best Secret Santa gift ideas for men on Amazon here
Here are some other great ideas:
Do you write your name on a Secret Santa gift?
You can if you want to, but it defeats the object of Secret Santa. If you’re super close to your friends and family they may end up guessing who got what anyway (our family always do) but try to make the fun all about the Secret aspect of gift giving.
My sister introduced the concept of Secret Santa to us almost four years ago now and we haven’t gone back to regular gift-giving since. Give it a shot and extend the Secret Santa list to those you haven’t seen since March due to the pandemic. It’s such a great way to get close family and friends involved and when you have your round Zoom Christmas get-together, get everyone to open their Secret Santa Christmas gifts together. It’ll be a great way to make magical memories that will last for years to come.
*Collaborative feature post*
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