not another gift exchange?

Question

The folks in my office are trying to plan our christmas party.. they want to do a gift exchange... a random type, but every year they do the same thing... that game where everyone gets a number and then you pick a gift or take someone elses... we want to do something different this year... looking for any other ideas that would be fun.

Answer 1

Try a secret santa. Every one picks a name and for the week leading up to Christmas leaves small, inexpensive, anonymous gifts once a day for the person they drew. At the Christmas party you bring a real gift for your person and the givers are revealed.

Answer 2

Instead of that, maybe have everyone put their name in a hat, and let someone be their secret santa. Now allow everyone to draw a name - keeping secret the name they drew.

Along with their name, have them list a couple of items that they would like to recieve within the specified price range. That will help out their secret santa. The secret santa is then revealed at the Christmas party.

Another option is to have everyone donate a small amount of money and gift it to an organization to help the needy, fore going the traditional gift exchange. It feels good to give to those less fortunate - and will make someone else's holiday special.

Answer 3

I hate the random type, because you always end up with something you don't want/need. I like it when you play secret santa. Each day for a week we all had to answer a question about ourselves that gave hints about what me may like. Favorite hobby, Favorite song, Favorite drink, etc. Then they were put onto a bulletin board where you could anonymously find out info on your person. Then come exchange day, everyone was delighted with a much more personal gift.

Answer 4

Have you tried the gift exchange where everyone brings something they DON'T want? It's a great opportunity to get rid of something just too horrible to regift. It does have to be something unused, and relatively usable. One year I got a neat tea kettle. I was able to get rid of some irredesent ornements that were just too cheesy for words. It's really funny to see what everyone thinks is their absolutely worst gift they've ever been given, then see who gets it. I've played this a couple of times at work, and there's always a "worst of the worst" gift. It's always fun to see what that is, and try to remember who had it last year, so you won't get stuck with it. :)

Answer 5

i dont know how big your company is but maybe this would be a little different.

Christmas Gift Exchange Story
Jenn sent in this story that is used for a Christmas Gift Exchange. She says, "Have each guest bring a wrapped gift for the gift exchange. Everyone sits in a circle while a narrator reads the following story. Each time the words LEFT, RIGHT, or WRIGHT are mentioned, the gifts are passed in that direction. Each person will keep the gift they are holding at the end of the story."
It's a lot of fun and you can print our the story to use at your party.
Christmas Eve to Remember

It was a beautiful Christmas Eve. The snow was falling. Everything seemed perfectly RIGHT for the evening. There was enough hot chocolate LEFT to share with Santa, RIGHT along with the plate of cookies LEFT for him by the fireplace.

Ed and Myrna WRIGHT thought it would be a great time to drive across town and deliver Grandmother WRIGHT'S Christmas gift. Grandmother WRIGHT had not LEFT her home for a week. She was RIGHT down in bed, as the flu had LEFT her feeling weak.

Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT LEFT in their bright red car. They had just turned LEFT out of the driveway when Mrs. WRIGHT said to Mr. WRIGHT, "I LEFT Grandmother's present RIGHT there on the kitchen counter." Mr. WRIGHT quickly turned RIGHT back into the driveway and Mrs. WRIGHT leaned LEFT as he did so. She hopped RIGHT out of the car and LEFT her door open. Mrs. WRIGHT said, "I will be RIGHT back." Snowball, their dog, saw the door open and jumped RIGHT into the car, RIGHT over the front seat and RIGHT into the back seat. About this time, Mrs. WRIGHT showed up with Grandmother's present and said to Mr. WRIGHT, "It was RIGHT where I LEFT it, in the kitchen."

Mrs. WRIGHT was surprised to see Snowball in the car. Mrs. WRIGHT thought they had LEFT him in the back yard. However, Mr. WRIGHT had forgotten and LEFT the gate unlocked. Mr. and Mrs. WRIGHT LEFT Snowball in the back seat of the car as they once again LEFT their driveway for Grandmother WRIGHT'S home. As Mr. and Mrs. WRIGHT drove along enjoying the beautiful scenery they felt as if they had LEFT all their worries somewhere else. It was Christmas Eve and they were surrounded, both on the RIGHT and on the LEFT with new falling snow. They were getting that wonderful feeling that often comes at Christmas time.

Mr. WRIGHT'S car turned RIGHT onto Holly Street where Grandmother WRIGHT lived. As they approached Grandmother WRIGHT'S they could see she had LEFT her porch light on. It felt RIGHT chilly when they stepped out of the car. However, they LEFT their jackets in the car. Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs.WRIGHT were glad they had not LEFT Grandmother WRIGHT'S gift home.

They could see Grandmother WRIGHT peeking through the curtains as they walked up her steps. Snowball began to bark as he did not want to be LEFT out. What a nice surprise for Grandmother WRIGHT, she had not been LEFT alone on Christmas Eve. Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT walked RIGHT up to the door and knocked. Grandmother WRIGHT, stood RIGHT by the door and opened it RIGHT as soon as they knocked. It almost LEFT them speechless to see Grandmother WRIGHT up and about. Grandmother WRIGHT said, "What a wonderful surprise." Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT were also surprised to see that Grandmother WRIGHT had LEFT her bed. She was RIGHT spry and it was easy to see that her illness had not LEFT her weak.

Grandmother WRIGHT wanted to celebrate what was LEFT of Christmas Eve. So Grandmother WRIGHT LEFT Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT and went RIGHT into the kitchen to stir up a pot of hot wassail. She said, "I need my glasses to see this festive recipe, and they are not RIGHT here where I LEFT them." The three of them LEFT the kitchen and looked in other rooms to see where she had LEFT them. Grandmother WRIGHT yelled out, "Well here they are, RIGHT here where I LEFT them." Sure enough they were RIGHT there on her night stand where she had LEFT them.

Grandmother WRIGHT made sure she had all the RIGHT ingredients in the hot wassail. Mr. WRIGHT built a fire in the fireplace and it LEFT a warm festive feeling as they sat on the cozy stuffed sofa, listening to soft Christmas music and sipping their wassail, which was just the RIGHT temperature. Mr. WRIGHT opened the door to check on Snowball and he was fast asleep, RIGHT there on the doorstep where they had LEFT him. Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT will never forget this special evening as they were LEFT with the true spirit of Christmas in their hearts, and they knew they had done the RIGHT thing by sharing their Christmas Eve with Grandmother WRIGHT