Favorite Things Christmas Gift Exchange

A Favorite Things Christmas Gift Exchange lets participants share something they love, making gifting fun and adaptable to any budget.

My sister asked what we should do this year for Christmas. In the past, we have purchased gifts for everyone, played Dirty Santa, the Elf Gift Exchange Game, or done a Costco Christmas Commotion. They have all been loads of fun but this year we are hoping for something new and different. Something that will allow everyone to participate no matter what financial circumstances are happening in their lives.

Often, we set a monetary limit on our gifts so things are fair but then it gets to be like trading dollars instead of the joy of giving. My mom, who lives in a warmer state during the winter months, said the last few times she participated in Dirty Santa parties, no one wanted the gifts she had purchased and she ended up taking them home herself. The thought of drawing names was brought up but I expressed how that put a lot of pressure on one person to buy a good gift because that would be the only gift that person would receive.

So, I suggested doing a Favorite Things Christmas Gift Exchange that removes the pressure of sticking to a spending limit and gives participants a chance to share one of their favorite things, big or small. From a college student’s favorite candy to an uncle’s go-to tech gadget, this exchange has a wide range of possibilities, making it adaptable for everyone regardless of budget. Even a grandma’s favorite restaurant gift card could become a meaningful and practical gift. The Favorite Things Christmas Party turns gifting into a sharing of personal favorites rather than a monetary competition. Just go into the exchange with the understanding that gifts won’t be equal, but focus on embracing the true joy of giving.

What Is A Favorite Things Christmas Gift Exchange?

A Favorite Things Christmas Gift Exchange is a fun and personalized way to share holiday gifts where each participant gives a small item that they love to everyone else at the party. Instead of traditional gift-giving or gift exchanges where you can steal gifts, participants bring enough of their favorite thing to share with all the guests. The gift can range from a favorite snack to a gadget or gift card and allows flexibility in both budget and creativity. The goal is to introduce others to things you enjoy while embracing the true joy of giving and discovering new favorites!

Tips For Hosting

1. Print the Favorite Things Gift Exchange Game Number Cards on card stock for durability.
2. Ask each guest to purchase enough of one of their favorite items to gift to all attendees. Be sure to inform them of the total number of guests and clarify that the budget is flexible, allowing them to choose an amount that suits their financial comfort.
3. Ask guests to wrap each of their gifts so guests can have fun opening them while they explain why it’s a favorite.
4. Provide gift bags for guests to store and carry their gifts.

Gift Exchange Rules

1. Each guest keeps their gifts next to them.
2. Have each participant draw a number card.
3. The person with card number one starts by passing out their gift and sharing a little about why it’s their favorite. Feel free to oooh and ah as the gifts are passed out.
4. The person with card number two follows, giving out their gift and explaining why it’s their favorite. 
5. Continue in numerical order until everyone has had a turn.
6. Once all the favorite things have been gifted, the gift exchange is over.
7. Have a sweet time learning about everyone’s favorite things!

How To Turn This Gift Exchange Into A Competition

While this gift exchange idea is sweet and adaptable, you may want to add a boisterous element to it. Something that will get people laughing and excited. To do this, I suggest providing voting forms so participants can vote on the funniest, most practical, or most over-the-top gift.

Be sure to have a few appropriate prizes on hand for the winners. Appropriate prizes might be a plunger night light for the winner of the funniest gift, a package of toilet paper for the most practical gift, and a tech gadget for the most over-the-top gift.

Gift Ideas

The whole point of this gift exchange is that each person can decide on a budget that works for them and purchase something they love enough to share that’s in their budget. If Great Aunt Sally wants to spend a lot but high schooler Penelope doesn’t, it doesn’t matter because everyone can find something that is in their budget and they are comfortable spending.

Are you stuck on figuring out what favorite thing to share? Take a moment to look around at the things you use every day and you’ll likely get a few aha moments. Below I’m sharing a few ideas to get your creativity flowing.

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• Lotion – When my hands or feet are dry and cracked, my go-to is Norwegian Hand Cream. Do you have a favorite lotion you’d like to share?
• Snack – Anything from your favorite chips to trail mix, share your favorite snack with everyone at the party.
• Candy
• Pen – Is there a special pen you like to use? Maybe everyone else would like it, too.
• Band T-Shirt – My son is in a band and they are my favorite band so band t-shirts would be an excellent favorite thing to gift.
• Book – Is there a book you love and think everyone could enjoy?
• Drink
• Coffee
• Restaurant Gift Card – You could even gift a $5 gift card to your favorite frozen yogurt place.
• Phone Stand – I finally bought one of these phone stands and everyone in the house uses it. It’s quite useful and would make a great gift.
• Craft Item – Do you love to craft? What if you crafted 4 x 4 Snowmen or a flax seed heating bag to gift to everyone?
• Tools – If you’ve found a utility knife that works well, maybe share it with others.

What Would Not Be A Good Idea To Give?

Anything can go at a favorite things party, after all, it is supposed to be one of your favorite things that you choose to gift. However, you do want to make sure you are keeping your audience in mind when you choose your favorite thing.

For example, if Uncle Sam is an alcoholic, you may not want to use alcohol as your favorite thing. Or if you love to smoke, please don’t encourage others to do the same by gifting cigarettes. If your teen is going to a favorite things party where everyone is into Pokemon, Pokemon cards could be a hit but you probably wouldn’t want to gift Pokemon cards at a party where most people would end up throwing them in the garbage.

The key is to gift a favorite thing that is somewhat universal and most people could get use out of it. I say most because anything you choose won’t be good for everyone, especially grumpy Gus who doesn’t like anything.

Get Your Printable Favorite Things Gift Exchange Numbers Here

By the end of your Favorite Things Gift Exchange, guests will leave with a collection of new items to try that might become their favorites, too!

Frequently Asked Questions