Christmas gifts the whole family will enjoy

Are you looking for some Christmas gifts that the whole family can enjoy?

We’ve put together a few suggestions that everyone will love - young or old. Share these gifts with your family and grandparents, or your surrogate GrandFriend!

Gifts to buy

Indoor games and jigsaw puzzles
Games are a great way to get the whole family together in an activity, whether you love a card game, a board game, or a round of charades. Look for games that everyone in your family can understand and enjoy or ones where you can adapt the rules to accommodate younger players if needs be.

Games that challenge the generations such as Beat the Parents or Trivial Pursuit Family Edition can bring a bit of extra competition.

If you want to tackle something that takes more time, think about a quality jigsaw puzzle. Set it up on a side table and you can do a little bit each day over the festive period.

Outdoor games

Make the most of the Kiwi summer and get an outdoor game for the family to play. Backyard cricket, frisbee, or water balloons can be good for energetic youngsters, but if you are taking your older members along too, you might want to consider something more gentle like bowls or croquet. Although, of course, they might fancy giving the youngsters a run for their money with the frisbee!

Books

Books are a delight for all ages. Buy a favourite for each family member and then enjoy some reading time together. This can be a great idea for Christmas Day evening or Boxing Day when people are often tired after all the Christmas excitement.

Not sure what to buy? Get vouchers for each family member and then take a trip to the bookstore after Christmas to choose your own.

Lego

Lego has been a first-choice gift in millions of households over the years. Buy a set for children and let the grandparents give them a hand making it.

Foodie treats

The festive period is normally full of food, whether it’s a backyard barbie or a full roast dinner, not to mention the chocolates for dessert (or possibly for breakfast). Indulge the family with some foodie treats like extra decadent chocolate or a hamper with breakfast items.

Homemade gifts

Sometimes homemade gifts are the most special that you can receive, especially when you are a parent or grandparent. Here are some ideas for homemade gifts.

Baking

Bake some Christmas cookies or cupcakes and package them up as gifts for the family. Remember that it is about the love they are made with not the presentation so don’t worry if the kids’ decorating skills aren’t quite professional level!

Drawings

Get the kids to create a drawing of something they love or a special family memory and have it framed as a gift.

Family photos

These days we are used to having photos on our phones and looking at them on a screen, but there’s still something lovely about having an actual photograph to put on show in your home. Take a family photo - it can be a studio portrait or something natural as you take part in an activity and have it printed and framed.

Something crafty

Are you a great knitter or a dab hand at crochet? Perhaps you can sew stylish clothes? Something handmade is a fabulous gift and can be personalised for the recipient.

Gifts that keep on giving

If your family already has everything it needs, why not give a gift to someone else? Here are some options.

Buy a KidsCan Christmas Cracker - When you buy a cracker from KidsCan not only are you helping KidsCan to deliver programmes in schools and early childhood centres, but you also stand the chance of winning a prize.

The Good Registry - The Good Registry supports a range of charities through donation registries and gift cards. Buy a gift card for each family member and let them choose which charity to donate it to.

Trees That Count - Donate a tree and Trees That Count will plant a native tree as part of a restoration project.

Happy gifting! 🎄🎁🎅