One present for a whole household?!!!

[sunnysaturdaymorn]

A relative has decided that we should buy one present per household. This is stressing me out no end! They have children aged 3, 6 and 10 and the mum and dad. Does anyone have any idea of a family game or something else that would work please?

Lots of great ideas from PP but if you’re on a tight budget then an age appropriate family board game with a modestly priced bottle of wine for the parents and selection pack of sweets each for the nippers (often only about £1.50 in stores like Poundland) should do it.

Tub of celebrations

Hungry hippos game and a bucket of Maltesers done.

I already made suggestions up thread, but I'd ensure the entire, wider family are aware of the plan and budget. If you used to spent say £20 each, are you now supposed to spend £20 on the entire family, or £100 still but on 1 group gift?

One year after I'd finished all my Christmas shopping, MIL announced that we'd only be giving to the children that year. (We don't have kids but that is another story). Christmas day, we arrive at a large, family gathering with just the kids presents. Everyone still gave us gifts, but of course, all of theirs were hours away at our home. MIL claimed she'd forgotten all about just buying for the kids! 😡

You don't say your budget?

Movie night kit. Family sized blanket, popcorn, wine/hot choc ingredients.

A 3 year old should be able to help with bigger jigsaws so that's definitely an option.

Experience voucher.

Or something that will make certain they never suggest this again. How about ingredients and recipe for all cooking a cake together? Or enough plasticine to build a miniature theme park?

Thanks everyone, some really good ideas! To add to the requirements, (sorry for the drip feed!), they live abroad and are visiting for Christmas and have already made comments about getting everything in the car to get here! So vouchers won't work but I really like the popcorn or waffle maker idea but will need to work out if they have one.

It is entirely infuriating but I've learnt to go with the flow with this particular relative! It was sold as easier because it's one present but it really isn't easier for anyone buying for them. I have two teenagers so much less of a challenge for them to buy for us!

Its garbage but it is what it is...

Budget depending...

Consumables - like make your own gingerbread house?
Fun food gadget - soda stream / popcorn machine
Tickets to an event fornegeryone inc your family
Board game

@JDM625this is exactly the kind of ridiculousness I'm worried about. I have no idea re budget. I think I'll have to ask but don't know how to put it!

A really beautiful book for them to share, we have a stunning pop up “night before christmas” book that my kids (10 and 12) both are discussing who will be getting 😆😆 I’d pair it with cash in an envelope marked “dinner out” or something.

I think if they are abroad it makes it a bit easier as you can get them a selection of British treats, kids chocolates etc, doesn’t even have to be expensive as the novelty/familiarity factor (depending on if British or not themselves
) will make it fun if they don’t have all of them readily where they are, you can make your own hamper in a cute bag, and it wont take much space in the car.

A puzzle
Pictionary
A Lego set
A paint your own plate set
Mouse trap
Monopoly

I love the idea

How about Pantomime tickets for a family treat before they return home?

I would just go with simple and casual, something like sounds fun, are we setting a budget too - insert smiley emoji (or adapting that to wherever the conversation left off, like btw am deep in Christmas shopping - insert same question). Just leave the ball in their court basically, and use the novelty factor to insert what would otherwise be awkward questions.
You could add your own idea / request of a ‘budget challenge’ if you think it might help, have seen people do this, as in challenge to find/make the best gift for say £30 (the word challenge just takes the awkwardness off)

Don't do if you don't like it. I think it's brillant and reduces the never ending pile of gifts at Christmas.

We have had been gifted and loved it -

• box of craft
• trip to the zoo/museum/cinema/pools
• different games/jigsaw
• cooking book for families
• a book to read as a family at bedtime

Yes ago I bought friends with two children a lovely cheeseboard with a really nice cheese knife, which the adults appreciated, with loads of nice cheese and crackers etc, which everyone appreciated. They were a family that loved cheese though! 😬

I have made a hamper with snacks and popcorn and stuck a cinema voucher in there for a friend and her family.

I’d do a small hamper with some games (Uno works well for all ages), sweets, posh chocolates and wine for the adults, biscuits, some paper and pencils or a colouring book. Maybe some local
honey or jam?

Good games for wide age ranges:
Labyrinth (this is good for a really wide range of ages)
Carcassonne
Ticket to Ride - all of these have easy rules and appeal to wide ages- older ones can be more tactical while younger ones can just put things on the board and get points. The latter two are also fun to play as adults.
Klask is really fun as well- not quite a board game but it often comes out when friends are round. It is quite big though.

More childrens/silly games-
Exploding kittens
Go sushi
Junior cluedo also works quite well, that was enjoyed by a similar age range in our house before the youngest grew into the full version.

Board game

Swingball. Or a garden-sized Connect 4 or Jenga. Or a big box of really nice biscuits.

Also, message "Just wanted to check what the budget is for the family gift"

I don't understand how buying one present is harder work than buy four or five, OP? It sounds a lot easier to me.

For example, for my in-laws one year, when they were confined to quarters following a surgery, we got them the National Theatre TV subscription so they could "go to the theatre" as often as they liked to relieve the boredom of being stuck at home for a few months.

Two sets of walkie-talkies.

The 3 year old will probably get loads of other age appropriate stuff so won't be bothered or even aware of the family present if it's a bit old for him. He'll catch up in a few years. I think the family present is a great idea.

Your budget for the family gift is the same as what you'd spend on them individually.

Given that they obviously live on the continent, you can rule out wine. You could do a hamper of British goodies.

Are all the children fluent in English? If not, a board game may not work, unless something that is purely based on images. Someone mentioned Ticket to Ride (my favourite), but only works if someone is not inclined to cheating 🙄

British memorabilia, with sensitivity to current roundabout issues, might work well. We have several maple leaf blankets thanks to BIL, and absolutely love them.

You can still do vouchers for where they live. I have family all over the place and sometimes I will just research what they have fairly nearby whether it's a cinema/theatre or restaurant and get a gift card.