20 Gift Exchange Ideas That Everyone Will Love

Gift exchanges are part and parcel of the holiday season, but different groups of people may require different approaches to gifting. While your co-workers might love a White Elephant gift exchange, your book club friends might prefer a book swap. There are so many ways to make the holidays a little more magical, and these gift exchange games and ideas are the perfect place to start to bring more holiday fun to your gatherings this year.

Gift Exchange Ideas for Co-Workers

You may not know co-workers as well as friends and family, but that doesn't mean a gift exchange needs to be boring. These ideas are perfect for a group of colleagues—very fun, and you may even end up with something you love.

Secret Santa

Most people are familiar with Secret Santa, and it's a great gift exchange game to do with your colleagues. Set a spending limit, and have everyone choose a name (you can either go the old-fashioned way and have people choose out of a hat, or set yourself up with a digital matcher like Elfster). Don't let your giftee's name slip before the exchange happens!

White Elephant

The idea behind a White Elephant gift exchange is sort of similar to Secret Santa but with a twist. "White Elephant is a game where each participant brings a wrapped gift to the exchange and takes turns picking gifts from a designated area," says Billy Parker, director of GiftDelivery.co.uk. Here's what you do: Each participant brings a wrapped gift to the exchange festivities. You then choose the order in which guests choose gifts—and subsequent participants then have the option to choose a gift from the pool, or "steal" another person's gift. It's common for gag gifts to show up in White Elephant gift exchanges, or just silly, inane gifts that bring a smile to the recipient's face.

Grab Bag

Set a spending limit, and have participants each bring a small, wrapped gift. Toss each gift into a bag, and come exchange time, have each participant take a surprise gift from the bag.

Cookie Swap

Show off your baking skills and try a cookie swap. Each participant should bake enough cookies so that everyone leaves with at least one or two of everyone else's cookie creations (generally a dozen cookies per person attending, but you can scale up or down). Bring festive tins, sparkly gift bags, or pretty paper sleeves for everyone to pack up their cookies to bring home.

Regift Game

We all have gifts we've received that we're not enthusiastic about. Save those gifts and create an entire gift exchange around them. Everyone will be happy to pass along their unloved gift to someone who might enjoy it more, and you might receive something more suited to you. Just make sure you don't regift something that you received in the same social circle!

Giftcard Pileup

Have everyone bring a gift card in a nominal amount—coffee shops, restaurants, etc. Toss them into a basket, and then have each person pick a new gift card to enjoy as they please.

Buy One, Give One

During your gift exchange, have your group also bring an extra gift that can be donated. Ideas could include bringing unwrapped toys for a toy drive, or canned food for a food drive.

Recipe Exchange

Everyone always has one recipe where their cooking skills really shine. Ask everyone to bring a recipe card to share the recipe, plus a basket full of the ingredients needed to make it.

Gift Exchange Ideas for Friends and Family

When exchanging gifts with friends and family, there's room to be more intimate and intentional. These exchange ideas still pack in the fun, but are also thoughtful enough to become cherished traditions.

Ornament Exchange

Swap pretty, beautiful ornaments in an activity that can become an annual holiday tradition. Ornaments can range from sentimental and handmade to vintage baubles and personalized pieces. To expand on this, set up an ornament craft station at your party, and have each guest make a DIY ornament to give later on.

Book Swap

Perfect for your book club or a group of avid readers, hosting a book swap can be as simple as gifting your favorite read of the year. Package it with a beautiful book mark, and a gift card for coffee or tea at your favorite coffee house to give the recipient a cozy afternoon of reading.

Accessories Swap

"One of my favorite gift exchange ideas is an accessories swap," says Taryn Scarfone, founder of Joy Filled Eats. "Everyone brings a few new or like-new accessories like purses, scarves, necklaces, etc. and they are all put out on tables. You can choose as many items as the number you brought, one at a time. If there are things no one claims they are donated at the end of the evening."

Furniture Bingo

"Another great idea is 'Furniture Bingo,'" says Alexander Havkin, manager at Ecoline Windows. "Create bingo cards with different types of furniture or home decor items listed in the squares. As each item is called out, guests can mark their cards. Winners can choose from a selection of small, decorative pieces you've prepared, like decorative cushions, elegant table coasters, or plant pots."

Craft Exchange

Handmade gifts are sometimes the best and offer the most sentimental value. Set up a theme for your holiday craft exchange and have your crafty friends bring their projects to swap, Secret Santa-style.

Small Plant Exchange

"Instead of traditional gifts, each participant brings a unique plant they love," says Pranav Nair, operations manager for British D'sire, a luxury lifestyle shop. "Attach a note explaining the plant's usefulness, symbolism and care instructions and gift it to the recipient. It's an everlasting gift that keeps growing with time like the relationship between the participants."

Gift Basket Swap

A gift basket swap is great for friends and family who live far from each other, as the baskets (or boxes) can be sent. "Instead of exchanging individual gifts, participants can curate themed gift baskets," says Nair. "Each person in the exchange draws from a range of themes like 'cozy night in,' 'adventure time,' or 'gourmet delights' and curates a gift basket filled with items related to the selected theme for the recipient."

Gift Exchange Ideas for Children

WIth gift exchanges for children, the fun is more in the process than the gift itself. Turning it into an activity will keep the young ones busy and guarantee delight.

Trinket Treasure Hunt

Send the kids on a treasure hunt for holiday trinkets through the house. Like hunting for Easter eggs, give the kids a basket or Christmas stocking to collect their trinkets from room to room.

Spin a Bottle

Have the kids sit in a circle, and spin a bottle around. Whoever the bottle lands on gets to open a gift.

Handmade Gifts

Children can color, craft, and paint their gifts for one another and for family. Make an afternoon of it by crafting small handmade gifts for each important person in the child's life, or set up a craft station at your family gathering for the kids to craft their gifts.

Holiday Bingo

Play holiday bingo with the little ones. After each round, the winner gets to choose a small gift or trinket from a grab bag.

Plastic Wrap Ball

The plastic wrap game is simple—wrap small gifts, chocolates, ornaments, and more inside a ball of plastic wrap. Have each child take a turn unwrapping a layer to reveal a gift. The best gift should be reserved for the middle of the ball.