Are you planning your next holiday luncheon or party? If you plan to have a gift exchange there are several ways you can spice it up and make it fun. The traditional Secret Santa gift exchange is a common method for every participant to give and receive a gift. Add a twist to your holiday gift exchange with these 5 nontraditional unique gift exchange ideas.
1. Musical Gifts
Do you remember playing musical chairs? This gift exchange idea has the same concept. Participants will sit in chairs in a circle and then pass gifts around while holiday music plays. Someone who is not looking at the group will stop the music. When the music pauses the gift each person is holding they get to keep. Consider having the gifts unwrapped so people see what others get. Also, if you have a large number of participants you can split people into groups to avoid a really large circle.
2. Draw a Number Gift Grab
If you’re good with guessing or picking lucky numbers you may luck out in this exchange. Have everyone bring in a small wrapped gift within the price limit. Then use post-it notes to clearly label the gifts with numbers. Have a large bowl of numbers everyone can draw from that will correspond with a gift. Then have participants draw a number and the gift that matches the number is their gift. Or consider not labeling the gifts and have participants select gifts in the order of the numbers they drew.
3. Hot Potato Hot Gift
You’ll need a conference room table or a breakroom table and timer to play this game. Have everyone sit around a table and hold a gift. Start a timer and have everyone toss a gift across or around the table to the beep of the timer. As the time winds down anxiety will increase and you’ll either hear laughs or groans if someone is near a particular desired or undesired gift.
4. Guess the Secret Santa
An enthusiastic team mate should host this gift exchange idea. This may have people scratching their heads in order to guess the Santa. Have everyone bring in a gift and use post-its to mark it with a number. Then everyone needs to write down a fun fact about themselves on a numbered post-it. Then the host reads the facts and everyone will try to guess who the fact is about. Whoever guesses it right first will get the gift that corresponds with the number.
5. Gift Hunt
This will get you and your team up on your feet. Have everyone hide their gift somewhere their recipient will not easily guess. Then have everyone write down at least three clues to lead the recipient closer to the prize. Play music while everyone searches to keep it cheery. Then when everyone has found their gift come back together and go around the room opening the gifts so everyone can see each other’s.
Your next holiday gift exchange at the office can be fun and jolly. These unique nontraditional ideas may help bring a twist to your holiday party or potluck.
Your next office gift exchange will be a hit with these ideas. Share with your friends or coworkers on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Do you have any unique ideas for holiday gift exchanges? Please share in the comments below.
