Fun Office Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas

Christmas gift giving at the office can be fun or frustrating depending on the way the exchange is run. Most office gift exchanges involve a dollar limit on the gift. The typical way to determine the giver and the recipient is via drawing their name out of a hat. That is how the typical office Christmas gift exchanges are run. Here is how to add a bit of fun to it:

Have a "white elephant" gift exchange. This is all about picking out a useless but new gift. The gift is given out to the recipient and the receiver has a choice of either keeping it or exchanging it with any of the other gifts already given out and opened up. Since the first person to receive a gift is at a disadvantage in this type of exchange, the first person can be determined by drawing a number. That same person usually also has the final pick after all the gifts have been given out and opened.

If everyone agrees to it, have an edible gift exchange. The gift exchange is typically done by drawing names but on the back side of each name is a list of foods the person cannot or will not eat along with 3 preferred foods. All the foods should not have to be refrigerated or frozen. Cookies, candy and nuts are the normal gifts. The rarer ones are dried fruit, jerky, cheeses, smoked meats or canned fish like oysters. Add crackers and wine and you have a nice gift basket.

With the emphasis on green technology try having a "green" gift exchange. The company management can even get involved with this one by giving out a "prize" to the best thought out "green" gift.

A tight economy may even resurrect the famous "cheapskate" gift exchange. The price of the gift can be no more than $5.00 and I have personally seen some great gifts at those types of exchanges. If you are handy in any way you can handcraft a special gift for under $5.00 or load up on a few items at the Dollar store.

Those are just a few ideas to add some spice to an otherwise drab office Christmas gift exchange.