Whether you’re organising Christmas for the office, the classroom, or are wanting a budget friendly option at home this year, Secret Santa is a fun way to bring Christmas cheer and laughter to your festive celebrations. While you can’t go wrong with the classic Secret Santa, you can add a fun twist to the festivities with these three new ways to play! So, get the gang together for these creative Secret Santa ideas and enjoy these seriously entertaining twists.
Pass the parcel (with a musical twist)
Taking all the elements of traditional musical chairs and pass the parcel, with an added twist, musical presents will have the whole room in stitches! Each player should bring a generic gift, something that all players (or the majority) would be able to enjoy. These gifts could be a keep-cup, local coffee beans, or a Bluetooth speaker, all of which you’ll be able to find at your local Stockland centre.
Next, get the players to sit in a circle, nominate a DJ to play some festive tunes from our Stockland Christmas playlist, and start passing the presents around in a clockwise direction. Once the music stops, the youngest player must open the gift they’ve got in their hands. If they don't like the gift they've got, the can opt to press play on the tunes and pass the presents around the circle one more time. This is important, as players can only choose to pass on a present once. The game will then continue until all presents have been opened, from youngest to oldest, and everyone has a gift!
Gift auction
If you’re a savvy bidder or if you just love a little competition, then a Secret Santa gift auction is for you! Holding a gift auction is not only a fun twist on the traditional Secret Santa game but, if you’re a clever bidder, you have a good chance of receiving a gift you'll really like!
To play, each person must bring a small gift, remember generic gifts are best, $50 in Monopoly money, and a bidding paddle. The auctioneer will then open each present, one by one, giving each player the chance to bid like a real auction. Once a gift is won, you then withdraw from the auction, and the game continues until everyone has a gift. To make sure everyone has a chance to play, the auctioneer can be swapped out with the first winning bidder.
If you’ve got a good charity you’d like to donate to, why not use real money, with the funds pooled and donated to charity. You don’t have to use all your cash, but the more you want the present, the higher you’ll bid. Plus, it goes to charity so you'll be winning regardless!
Magical mystery gift bags
Spread a little Christmas cheer with a thoughtful bag full of Christmas treats, that everyone will be able to enjoy!
To play, each person must bring a small gift bag filled with their favourite festive treats. These can be a few homemade gingerbread men, delicious chocolate truffles, or a selection of store-bought goodies, like white Christmas, candy canes, or even fun decorations. Next, each player will draw a number out of a hat to decide the order of play and then will choose the bag they most want, to discover what's inside their magical mystery gift bag!
This game is a great way to explore festive traditions from around the world by sharing traditional treats from your country or heritage. Whether it's shortbread, tablet, stollen, Allahabadi cake, or panettone, you can share your favourites, and sample some of the world’s best festive delicacies.
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