Office holiday parties, family get-togethers, and special anniversaries are just a few of the occasions when a group of people may choose to exchange gifts. From personalized Toronto gift baskets to joint gifts, here are eight of the best tips for a successful gift exchange.
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1. Choose a Selection of Classic Canadian Gifts
While Canada has much more to offer than maple syrup, the sweet liquid is often the first thing that foreigners think of when it comes to the Great White North. If you want to give Canadian gifts, start with some of the most classic choices, including:
- Maple syrup
- Maple candies
- Wool blankets
- Toronto Blue Jays and Raptors gear
- Canadian flags
You can also find plenty of Canadian-themed souvenirs. Search for coffee mugs and t-shirts featuring maple leaves and other symbols that people associate with Canada.
2. Give a Personalized Gift Basket
A gift basket is a popular choice for all types of gift exchanges, as you have an endless variety of gift basket options to choose from.
For example, people who are new to the city may enjoy Toronto gift baskets stuffed with items that a new arrival may find helpful, such as a map of the city and gift cards to local establishments.
Along with Toronto-themed gift baskets, you can find premade baskets for different interests. Other popular options include meat and cheese baskets, movie baskets, and snack baskets.
3. Choose Joint Gifts Instead of Individual Gifts
Joint gifts can help limit the cost of gift-giving. Going in on a gift with one or more people may also allow you to purchase a higher-priced item.
A joint gift is a common choice for office gift exchanges or when siblings need to buy presents for their parents. Along with making sure that everyone pays their fair share, you need to ensure that everyone provides input when it comes to selecting the gift.
4. Arrange a Secret Santa Exchange
A Secret Santa exchange involves drawing names to determine who you need to buy a gift for. It is another common choice when exchanging gifts in an office. However, it is also great for large families with lots of children.
Using a Secret Santa exchange eliminates the need to buy a gift for everyone. You only buy a gift for the person whose name you drew instead of buying gifts for the entire group.
5. Set up a White Elephant Gift Exchange
The “White Elephant” exchange is another way to avoid buying presents for each person in a group, such as an office or a large family. This type of exchange requires each participant to purchase one gift.
On the day of the exchange, you draw names to determine the order. The first person picks a gift and unwraps it. The second person may steal the gift or unwrap a new one. If the second person steals a gift, the person unwraps a new one. This process continues until all the gifts are unwrapped and everyone has a gift.
The white elephant exchange works best if you set a monetary value for the gifts. The gifts are also often intended to be funny. Novelty items and gag gifts are common choices.
6. Start a Book Exchange
A book exchange is a unique way to share something that you love with others. Each person picks a book to contribute to the exchange.
Everyone draws names out of a hat to determine the book that they receive. After all the books have been passed out to the recipients, you may choose to swap books. It is a fun, affordable way to exchange gifts, especially if you allow people to bring used books.
7. Plan a Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt requires gift recipients to put in a little effort in order to receive a gift. If you are planning a gift exchange with co-workers, you can hide gifts around the workplace in safe areas. If you are exchanging gifts with your family, consider hiding the gifts outdoors.
No matter where you hide the gifts, you should provide a series of written clues to help people find the hiding locations. The clues can be short riddles or puzzles that the recipients need to solve to find the next clue. Each clue brings them one step closer to the gift.
8. Create a Gift Train
A gift train is another type of exchange where each participant only needs to purchase a single gift. With the gift train, each person buys and wraps a gift. The gifts are placed in a large box, which acts as the “gift train.” You can even decorate the box to resemble a train if you choose.
After filling the box, everyone draws names to determine who goes first. You could also have the youngest or eldest pick first. The first person chooses a present out of the box and passes the train to the next person. This process repeats until the box is empty and everyone has a gift.
