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?

Beat the Parents is a good family board game to include smaller children as well.

I would suggest they weren’t really friends if you can fall out over gift giving.

Presence over presents. They may not have shared their personal finances with you and were trying to restrict their budget without making things awkward. Or they may have realised that a lot of gift giving is commercialised crap.

Personally I hate gift giving for the sake of giving. I would rather do without a gift and arrange to go for a cuppa somewhere than get random gifts that I have to then find a place for!

Totally agree. I think whole family presents are a brilliant idea. We've fallen into the pattern or exchanging family gifts with a few friends/relatives. It's really joyful to open something together.

Depends on budget. If it is around £100/family and space in the car is at a premium I think vouchers for a fun outing they can do back home are the best way to go. Or maybe to a light trail they can do near you while over for Christmas.

If it is more like £20 then maybe a hamper of snacks for the car journey

You could ask them for a few suggestions.

I agree with this. Depending on budget id buy small gifts for each person..bath stuff or chocolate mum and dad etc andwrap them individually and make a cardboard or fabric stocking.

Voucher for s family day out or a board game like pie face so the little one can play also. Or make a hamper up with little bits for each of them.

The outlaws have this kind of rule… kids aged from 5-10 through the families. We’re capped for amount to spend too and there’s a list of items not wanted from my sister in law.

Everyone gets together to exchange gifts the weekend before Christmas, buffet lunch etc etc… also a SIL’s house with 400,000 rules.

This year, we’re buying 5 nerf guns and a bucket of bullets.

They'll not see this chaos coming… yes I’m an asshole.

Upwords. It is brilliant as the little children often do as well as or beat the big ones.

Ooh yes! My boss gave my youngest son a popcorn maker 25 years ago. He used it every day after school and visiting childrrn still use it now! So do I When I have the munchies😂

https://www.biscuiteers.com/en-gb/products/nutcracker-biscuit-christmas-tin?variant=53072481157451&country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=UK_PMAX_Brand_B2C&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23077212464&gbraid=0AAAAAD8gSMEmGD3qsG7PEtf0jmndZ2XAT&gclid=CjwKCAiAlMHIBhAcEiwAZhZBUsaW2SXUXB1Bx9E1hoSuZDWgy8Nk4nR51OWPbHG9vKPvzsRiS4LkmxoCOGYQAvD_BwE These lovely biscuits

A Hamper
restaurant voucher
board game
cinema vouchers
day out voucher ie national trust

Drum kit- the answer is always a drum kit

Puzzles (maybe a couple for different ages)
Family games like Twister - all the family can play this
Tickets to an aquarium etc - family day out

Popcorn maker

I love both giving and receiving presents like this, it's a welcome break from the mountain of stuff that can feel overwhelming.

Membership to a zoo/soft play / pool
Restaurant voucher
Cinema voucher
Gingerbread house kit
Hamper with favourite foods in

You’re overthinking this. A box of nice kid friendly chocolates (like not with alcohol in them) or nice biscuits or some fancy hot chocolate and marshmallows.

I think the biggest issue is budget not somethng that covers all ages.

£10-30
Board game, monopoly/scrabble due junior options that would cover the kids

£30-50
Cinema voucher
Restaurant voucher...the dine out ones are good
bowling voucher
Maybe check out planetoffers.com as they often do vouchers for days out, bowling etx

Ocean bingo. My 3 year old grandson loves it and I played it with a bunch of adults last Xmas. Granted alcohol had been taken at the latter event.

Rummikub is a fab all age numbers based game that is a firm favourite in our house and even young children can pick up quickly and enjoy.

I’d take that as a hint they dint really want to do gifts, or just minimal lip service. Maybe because they end up with too much to bring back (or feel it’s a lot of crap tgey dint want to carry etc…).

Which means I’d be quite laid back about it all.
A hamper with things everyone will like (chocs, biscuits, sweets, maybe british stuff the dcs enjoy but you can’t find where they live? Blackcurrant juice?) thatvwill get eaten before they go back home.

A hot chocolate machine? The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser is supposed to be good. £100 ish though.

a waffle maker?

2 things I wanted as a kid from the age of about 4 and still would love them now: Buckaroo and Operation

I probs wouldn’t say no to a Mr Frosty

As a giver, depending on the budget set, either a voucher nice day out to a theme park/ family activity or a membership for something like the national trust/ English heritage etc

I bought an IKEA wooden crate and had a wooden plaque engraved with kids names. Filled the box with drawing and writing equipment (chalks, felt pens chubby & thin, coloured pencils, wax crayons) loads of stickers, including plain dots and paper (IKEA roll and other pads).

All kids have used this again and again.