Unusual Present Idea

[RayofSunshine18]

Bit of a tricky one!

My brother and his wife live abroad and are coming home for Christmas. They are staying for a few weeks but will be going back in the new year. I want to get them something for Christmas that we can all enjoy on the day, that is fun for all, but they won't mind if they need to bin it / leave it behind / never use it again afterwards. I have a budget of around £60, give or take.

I should note that my sister in law does not drink alcohol.

Any and all ideas would be hugely appreciated!

Articulate or Logo game, with a selection of UK snacks / sweets / biscuits / cakes etc they might not get at home and can enjoy during their visit.

Is it a present then? You say its for them but for everyone to enjoy and they can leave it here?

Wouldn't it be easier to not buy them a present and use the money towards their entertaining?

Invest in new games or nice food they can't get for them but it isn't really a gift for them if everyone will be using or eating it

Another that says board game and something they can eat/ drink there and then!

Could you organise an activity to all do together while they are over? When my sibling and partner were over for Christmas a couple of years ago I arranged for us to all go ice skating together and then get hot chocolates afterwards. We made silly vouchers for them! It was something fun and they had nothing to take home afterwards.

But if ice skating isn't their thing then maybe tickets to a show/something touristy/festive afternoon tea somewhere?

As they are staying for a few weeks, maybe an experience to enjoy whilst they are staying but not on Christmas day itself would be better?

For around £60 maybe nice cinema tickets eg Everyman, cheap seats in the theatre, afternoon tea, any national trust type places nearby doing Christmassy set ups? Train tickets to somewhere day trip worthy?

We're going to be 8 adults in a house for 4 post Christmas days. We're going to have a couple of jigsaws, and some drawing inks in different colours, lots of Chinese paint brushes and sheets of A2 paper. So far. I don't organise people to do things- I just set things out for them to try.

If its for everyone its not a present for them.

For £60 you could split it to £30 each and buy something small but nice for them like Jewellery or Aftershave etc...

The board game Dixit. It’s really beautiful, could double as art, and while it comes in a large box, they could break that down to get it in a suitcase - the actual game is just large playing cards.

Local panto tickets.

Where are you based? Tickets to sone Christmas lights? A stately home for some Christmas thing..?
a local show?
dinner somewhere? If she doesn’t drink and he not much then £60 should be ok

Id get them a bopit and also do a trip out to christmas light show or similar

I don’t really understand why their gift has to be something you can all enjoy. Wouldn’t you be a bit annoyed that you’d lugged a gift from one country to another, and in return, you’d received a gift that wasn’t actually for you and that you weren’t expected to take home with you?

I’d either reduce the budget and buy them tickets to a local event, like a light display, or a gift card for a local restaurant, or afternoon tea somewhere, and a second hand board game like Articulate (which is really fun when in a group) for Christmas Day, or buy them a gift which is just for them.

It seems odd to buy them a present they need to share with you and then can't actually take home with them!

Why not treat the two of them (on their own ) to a festive afternoon tea? You'd probably need to actually book it rather than just give them a voucher though.

Card game taco cat goat cheese pizza and I'd get a marshmallow burner with tasty brownie bits, fruit, biscuits etc to go with too.

For my daughter, who was visiting from Australia, I found a photograph that she had taken whilst travelling in Europe and got it printed as a jigsaw puzzle. She and her partner had great fun putting it together (it was a photo of a view, not with them in it, so it could go to the charity shop afterwards), and they loved it so much they took it home to Oz with them. Also did one for a friend from a holiday we went on together, and one for my brother and his wife of a great day out they went on for his birthday. People seem to like jigsaws with pictures of themselves in it - plus you can frame it afterwards as an enlargement of the photo! You need to choose wisely and make sure it's a really lovely photo though.

Depending on where they live, some sort of subscription in their home country with a taster to gift here eg chocolate subscription and some lovely chocolate to wrap?

I asked them what they wanted for Christmas and this was the 'brief' they gave me. Was happy to buy them something for themselves but this was the response from them.