A few years ago, we hosted Christmas for our extended family and I decided to try something a little different for gifts. I created a ‘Lucky Dip’ which is a popular Australian carnival game (commonly used at school fairs) where kids pay for the chance to dip their hand into a large box and draw out a random wrapped gift containing a surprise toy or treat inside. There’s something thrilling about discovering what prize you chose for yourself!

I used a large glass punch bowl and filled it with tissue-wrapped novelty gifts – things like bottles of bubbles and candy, each gift about $10 in value. It was a cute idea that contributed to the festive vibe. Everyone got into the playful spirit, including the adults, many were enjoying the trinkets and toys throughout the day- blowing bubbles and firing party poppers etc.

It’s really simple. Choose a suitably sized vessel like a large basket, box or bowl and fill with individually wrapped/boxed novelty prizes. You then go around the room and ask guests to pick one gift. It’s a cost-efficient way to get around holiday gifting- rather than buying expensive, custom gifts you provide a cute and fun experience instead!

Happy Holidays!