Exchanging gifts is fun but it can also be costly and stressful. It’s tough to find the perfect gift, especially if you have a lot of people on your list. Today, I’ve got some fun gift exchange ideas for groups. Plus, there’s a free printable gift exchange game you can use to add a little fun to your gathering.

If you’re looking for ways to save money and cut down your gift-giving, check out 5 ways to be both festive and frugal.

This post was originally published in December 2020 and updated in October 2023.

Three approaches to gift exchanges

When it comes to exchanging gifts with family, friends or co-workers, there are really three options. Everyone buys a gift for everyone in the group. Everyone picks a name and buys one gift. Or every person buys one gift that would be suitable for anyone in the group.

We’ll look at the three approaches in more detail later on. First, let’s talk about themes.

Pick a theme

No matter which approach you choose, you may want to pick a theme for your gift exchange. A theme can make things more interesting, and it can make it easier to find gifts. Here are some themes to consider:

• Novelty or joke gifts
• Homemade items
• Dollar store gifts
• Practical everyday items like toiletries or socks
• Consumable gifts like, tea, chocolate, beer or wine
• Entertainment items like movie passes
• Sports-themed gifts
• Gift cards
• Recycled gifts. This one is my favourite. It’s so much fun, and it doesn’t cost a penny. Instead of spending money on a new gift, you regift something, new or used, that you have at home. It’s regifting at its finest.

Now that you’ve set your theme, figure out which of the three approaches makes sense for your group.

A closer look at the three approaches

Buy a gift for everyone

This is the traditional way most families and friend groups have exchanged gifts. It’s a good option for smaller groups. But as groups grow, it’s time consuming—and expensive—to find an appropriate gift for so many people.  

You can manage the expense by setting a limit on the spending. Even then, you might run into differing opinions on the right amount. What seems reasonable to one person could present a hardship to another.

An alternative is to do stockings instead of larger gifts. Everyone buys a small, inexpensive item that will fit in a stocking.

Pick names

Picking names lightens the burden by limiting the number of gifts each person has to buy. Each person buys one gift for the person whose name they pick. This can be done in a Secret Santa format, or you can reveal the name of the person you have.  

Most groups that do this also put a limit on the amount to spend.  

Everyone brings one random gift

The third option is one that you can really have a lot of fun with. The larger the group, the more fun it is. Each person brings one gift that would be suitable for any member of the group. Some groups split the group and have men bring a gift for a man, women bring a gift for a woman, and kids bring a gift for another child.

The best part about this option is you need some sort of method or game to distribute the gifts. I’ve seen groups do musical chairs, pass-the-parcel, trivia questions and dice games. You can decide if you want to allow “stealing” of presents or not. The more creative the better. It can be hilarious.

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Printable gift exchange game

If you’re looking for a gift-exchange game option, here’s one we’ve used in the past with my husband’s family.

Here’s how it works.

• Download and print the Gift Exchange Game Cards.
• Cut the game cards and put them in a basket or bowl.
• At the gathering, distribute the gifts randomly. Tell people not to unwrap their gift.
• Choose a person to start the game.
• The first person chooses a card and follows the instruction on the card.
• They then pass the cards to the person on their left. That person chooses a card and follows the instruction on the card.
• Play continues until all cards are gone.
• If anyone ends up with the gift they brought, they pick another card from the pile and exchange until everyone has a gift that they didn’t bring.
• Now, people open their gifts.
• Trading of opened gifts is allowed and encouraged.  

Every time I have played this game, there has been one gift that everyone has their eye on. It’s fun to see how many times some gifts get stolen. And it’s sometimes hilarious to find out what the coveted gift actually is.

Do you have other fun gift exchange ideas? Tell us below.