Before you race around town with an itemized list for each family member, consider giving a family gift. A thoughtful gift to the entire family can encourage family time and togetherness as well as make things simpler on you.
If 10 ideas aren’t enough, check out our 101 Homemade Gifts which is sure to inspire!
Family Gift Ideas
I have chosen these based on what my family adores. Many of the links below are affiliate {to help support Kids Activities Blog} and I have worked with several of the companies – Nintendo (I am an Ambassador) and Activision (with their Family Games Summit). All opinions are my own and I would love to hear yours in the comments!
Board Games – Board games are one of my family’s favorite things. A few of our favorites are:
Ticket To Ride
The Settlers of Catan is an ever-changing strategy game for 9+, but the younger kids can team up and play.
Clue The Classic Edition is a game we recently re-discovered only to find that my 12 y/o wins EVERY SINGLE TIME even if I am using a smart phone app for help!
Sequence Game is a great starter family game. It is lots of fun and easy for younger players to catch onto.
Board games can be wrapped in a big family game night basket with some popcorn and a gift certificate for some pizza!
Special Treat Maker – I have had a Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker for several years and my family LOVES it. We can make popsicles in 7 minutes. The Zoku Pop maker can then be reused immediately again for at least one more set of pops. Over the years, they have come out with some really fun accessories like the Zoku Storage Case and Zoku Quick Pop Tools. If you are looking for something a bit more economical, the Zoku Slow Pops: Mini Pop Molds is an easy way to freeze pops the old fashioned way {with a modern twist}.
Pizza Baker – We have had one of these for probably 8 years. It looks like something you would buy off of late night infomercials, but it is absolutely the best way to heat a frozen pizza or bake one from a prepared crust. It is the Presto 03430 Pizzazz Pizza Oven and although the pizza platform gets hot, it is something the kids can easily learn to do with parental guidance.
Fun Waffle Makers – I have two of these. One makes barnyard animals and the other makes circus shaped waffles. There is NO excuse for lame, boring waffles at your next family breakfast {or in our house it is often dinner} when you can get waffle makers like the Chef’s Choice M840 WafflePro Express Waffle Maker, Traditional Five of Hearts, Disney DCM-1 Classic Mickey Waffle Maker, Brushed Stainless Steel, or Bella Cucina 13467 Circus Waffle Maker. My kids “fight” over their favorite shapes as we giggle over one of our favorite meals.
Museum Membership – Consider a local membership gift. Our family was given a museum membership last year to a popular local science and history museum. It was such a treat to go whenever we were close – even if it was for an hour. Other places to consider are local zoos, a park membership or amusement park season passes.
Video Games the Whole Family Can Play – One thing that has always amazed me is how our Wii is something the whole family plays. Even when the boys were really little, we could find little games to play that they were competitive at {usually at the expense of ME losing}. While video games might not come to mind when family time is mentioned, it really is a big part of the modern family game night. We now have a Nintendo Wii U Console 8GB Basic Set – White with favorite games being Nintendo Wii U Console 8GB Basic Set – White, Lego City: Undercover – Nintendo Wii U, Wii U Fit Meter (my favorite because you can take the fit meter with you everywhere), and Wipeout: Create & Crash.
Backyard Games – We are a little old school when it comes to backyard entertainment. We adore things like the Franklin Sports Classic Croquet Set, Triumph Sports Ladder Toss and Trademark Games Full Size Premium Bocce Set with Easy Carry. We are lucky to live in a mild climate so many of these are played year round.
If the family you are shopping for is most likely in snow at this time of year, check out the fun Complete Snowman Decorating Kit Lots Of Winter Snow Fun For Kids Or Kids At Heart and Flexible Flyer Snowball Maker, colors may vary – in the case of the snowball maker, you might want to pick up one for each member of the family!
Gift of Conversation – Table chatter has never been so interesting! I love the Melissa & Doug Family Dinner Box Of Questions which can be a really fun activity for everyone.
Movie/Show Tickets - Most movie theaters have gift certificates or gift packs to give the gift of movies to a family. You might also look into the local opera, orchestra or live theater where multi-show packages {especially for matinees} are extremely reasonable. If you don’t want them to have to leave the house, give the gift of one of my family’s favorite holiday movies, Elf.
Cuddly Family Blanket – You can put a family photo on a super snuggly blanket at Snapfish. I was able to see one of these in person recently and was amazed at how lovely they looked and felt. It would be great for movie night snuggles or as an accessory on the couch.
What family gift is your favorite?
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