How to Plan a Group Gift Exchange

It's difficult to buy gifts for everyone in a large extended family or group. Try planning a fun, stress-free gift exchange instead. This is a gift exchange that can be orchestrated like a lively game and it may leave everyone laughing.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Tell everyone coming to the party or gathering to bring one gift. Set a price range for the gifts and insist that everyone stay within its limits. Tell each guest to bring the gift wrapped with no name tag. Have everyone place their gifts together in a pile.

2. On small pieces of paper, write one number for each guest. For example, if there are 10 guests, have 10 papers, each with a number ranging from 1 to 10. Fold the papers and place them in a cup or can.

3. Let each guest draw a number from the cup. Let letting the person with the number 1 choose any gift from the collection. That person should then open the gift while everyone watches.

4. Number 2 takes a turn. This person, though, will have the option of either choosing a gift from the pile or "stealing" the gift from the first person who has already opened his.

5. Play continues in this manner, with each person having the option of either choosing an unopened gift, or taking an opened gift from someone else. If someone has a gift "stolen," she can then choose a new gift from the unopened gifts.

6. The lucky person with the highest number goes last and gets the option of getting any of the opened gifts, or taking the last unopened gift. If the last person steals a gift, the person the gift is stolen from gets the last unopened gift.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a group with a large number of males and females, try dividing the gifts by gender, with women bringing gifts for women and men bringing gifts for men.
• Another option for this gift exchange is to make it a gag gift exchange. Have everyone bring an inexpensive funny gift.
• Make sure everyone knows the rules and agrees to follow them before starting.

[wisheo]

on 3/31/2009 have you tried Wisheo?This is a new group gift application that allows you to setup group gifts for facebook and non-facebook friends. It is easy to use, saves money, and you can buy your friends nice gifts without any hassle. www.wisheo.com

[cattooz]

on 2/3/2009 You know I tried that site and they're out of biz. However, I found edivvy.com and used them to pool money together and my friends and I bought a close friend a washer/dryer for their housewarming. She is SOOO excited and keeps telling me every day how great the gift is and how she can't believe we got them such a cool gift. Yeah, it feels good if I do say so myself...

[barooka]

on 5/31/2008 Or you can just use websites like wujwuj.com.
they are very easy to use and do everything from collecting the money from everyone, buying the gifts and shipping them to the group leader.