Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means it’s time to start thinking about your Christmas shopping! Here you’ll find Christmas gift ideas for everyone in the family.
Gift giving in 2020
The holidays look a little different this year, but people are excited to celebrate. Many put their trees up in early November so they could start feeling that Christmas spirit as soon as possible. Others are just ready for this year to be over and that’s part of what they’re celebrating.
According to the National Retail Federation, the top categories of gifts that people are both giving and want to receive this year are clothing and gift cards. Toys, books, and electronics are right behind.
Restaurant gift cards are the most popular choice in that category. Restaurants have suffered this year from shutdowns and this is one way we can support those businesses and also look forward to a meal out at our favorite place.
We’ve all become homebodies this year, so a lot of purchases reflect that desire to be happier and cozier at home: comfortable clothing, books, puzzles, self-care products, exercise equipment, home office supplies, etc. You’ll see some of these items in the list below, as well as a few things that should help us get excited and optimistic about the future!
Also good for being cozy at home: Hygge Christmas Advent Calendar (Free Printable)
Christmas Gift Guide for the Family 2020
Any gift guide I write will always be heavily influenced by my own family and our preferences, hobbies, current ages of our kids, etc. But hopefully you find this list useful, adaptable to your own unique family makeup, and maybe it will inspire even more ideas!
Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission. Some products were provided to me for the purpose of offering my honest opinion.
Christmas Gift Ideas for Mom / Wife
Most moms do the bulk of the Christmas shopping, but we love to get gifts too! As a full-time working mom of four, here are the things I’m loving lately…
For the mom who needs to relax
There are bath bombs…and then there are LUSH Butterballs! I recently discovered these when we were traveling in New Orleans and scored a hotel room with a jetted tub. My daughter and I went out shopping, came across a LUSH, and brought back bath bombs to use in the tub.
The LUSH Butterball has pockets of cocoa butter that melt and moisturize your skin. I’m usually too lazy to apply any kind of lotion, but this bath bomb made my skin feel amazing! I plan to stock up and always have one on hand. And this is not sponsored — I just really love them!
For the mom who loves to (or needs to) organize
I was visiting my parents and nearly squealed when I saw the tiny WD hard drive that my dad was using. I love an external hard drive, and WD has always been my drive of choice, but this little guy was about 1/8th the size of the one I’ve been using!
Back up your precious photos and videos, organize your entertainment, and always have your work documents at the ready. This little guy fits easily into a purse or a pocket and will keep your files safe while on the go.
For the mom who loves a game night
We recently visited some close friends (who are also relatives, but I think of them as friends first!), and they introduced us to Charty Party. It’s a fun, quick-to-learn game that will get you giggling. There’s some adult content, so keep that in mind!
For the mom who wants to be more active
I tried to think of what other moms might be into, since I’m aware this list is heavily influenced by my own tendencies. And that brought me to sports, which brought me right back to something I do love: pickleball!
Whether you’re athletically-inclined or not, pickleball is fun and a great way to get outside and get some exercise. Courts are usually pretty easy to find in most places, and all you need is this set and a buddy!
Here are a few other ideas for gifts for Mom:
MasterClass course
Notebooks & pens
Puzzle
Timer water bottle
Gift cards for Mom / Wife: Aerie & Panera, so she can buy some comfy clothes for working from home and work out of the house while enjoying a delicious meal when she needs a change of scenery!
Christmas Gift Ideas for Dad / Husband
For the home chef
My husband is the primary meal maker in our home now, and he does an incredible job — always having a healthy, affordable, delicious meal ready to go.
We love a slow cooker meal, and we usually cook up two nights’ worth of chicken. These shredder claws would make that shredding process so much faster and easier!
For the movie marathoner
We’ve been enjoying sharing favorite movies from our childhood with our older kids, and this mini projector would supersize them! It can connect to any device and be used for movies, tv, gaming, outdoor entertainment, and more.
For a fun-loving Dad
No ping pong table, no problem! Gift Dad an Anywhere Table Tennis set and play on any table. This is a great gift idea for a traveling family like ours. Lots of fun in a very small package!
For the mixologist
I recently discovered how much I enjoy a Moscow Mule, and we love experimenting with cocktails, so why not have the proper drinkware to go with them?
Nobody knows the man better than you, so what else do you think he’d like? Here’s a few thought starters:
New clothes
Home exercise equipment
LEGO sets
Gift cards for Dad / Husband: Five Guys & Peacock subscription, so he can enjoy a night of delicious burgers and his favorite NBC shows!
Christmas Gift Ideas for Teens & Tweens
Our oldest kiddos are 12 (boy) and 9 (girl) this year, falling firmly in the tween category! They can be tricky to shop for because they are too old for most toys but spend too much time on their screens.
I think a great combination of gifts for older kids is: book, outfit, and a favorite edible treat, along with whatever big ticket item they’ve been longing for — probably an electronic device, but maybe also a game, art supplies, or room decor.
Your teen or tween might be harder or easier to shop for, based on their interests, so I’ve included some extra ideas in this category to hopefully suggest something for everyone!
Gift cards for teens & tweens: If you have gamers like I do, you can’t go wrong with a Steam or Nintendo Store gift card. Other great options, if they are old enough to go places on their own with friends, are movie theatre and restaurant gift cards.
Christmas Gift Ideas for Little Kids
We have two little ones — a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl. Here’s what I think they’d most like to receive this year.
The DUPLO Town Bakery set was featured in Amazon’s Holiday Toy List and, as such, looks like it’s gone out of stock in most places. It’s still available at LEGO.com, so snatch it up while you can!
This looks like such an adorable set. I love DUPLOs because they allow for so much imaginative play — building the structure and then play-acting with it.
Here are some other great gift ideas for the little ones that will keep them entertained all day long!
Gift cards for little kids: $5 to McDonalds or Dairy Queen (or better, a locally-owned equivalent), combined with a few dollars in their stocking to be taken to a true dollar store — the kind where any kid feels like royalty because their dollar will buy anything in the whole store! This combo will have them looking forward to a fun afternoon spent with Mom or Dad.
Christmas Gift Ideas for Baby
Babies are so easy to buy for — they never judge, or at least you wouldn’t know! For baby, I love the Panda Crate subscription box from KiwiCo.
Every other month, they send a box of goodies for your little one, customized for their age and development level. It’s a great way to always have toys and activities that are perfect for baby without having to wander the aisles of a store or sift through the thousands of options online.
Don’t want to purchase a subscription box? Here are a few more choices:
That sloth is pretty hard to resist, but I also love the rattle/teether set because babies love to have something to grab and chew on, and there’s enough in that set to put one everywhere — diaper bag, car, stroller, Gramma’s house, etc!
Gift cards for baby: Eh, don’t send a gift card for a baby, unless you’re intending to gift baby gear to the parents. In that case, consider Amazon, Target, or Buy Buy Baby, along with a pack of diapers!
Christmas Gift Ideas for Grandparents
Our top Christmas gift recommendation for the grandparents is the board game, Mind The Gap. This is an especially good choice if you live nearby and can join them on game night!
Mind The Gap is a trivia game with questions from four different generations: Boomer, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. And it’s a ton of fun!
My oldest son, Carter, is 12 and a young Gen-Zer. My parents are Boomers, and I’m technically a Millennial but feel a kinship with Gen-X too. You might say I identify as an Xennial.
The game is a ton of fun and it was so interesting to find out what my parents knew about Gen-Z and what my son knew about the Boomer generation. At one point, my mom had to hum the theme song to The Andy Griffith Show — AND MY SON GOT IT, because we lived with my mother-in-law for a few months who watched it a lot.
As another example, my mom knew one of the answers to be Phineas and Ferb, because that was one of Carter’s favorite shows when he was in Kindergarten.
My husband and I have also been having fun with the game. Full disclosure: we usually just pull the cards out and ask the questions.
So that’s our choice if you live near the grandparents!
If you don’t live close, you can go the popular route and send a gift card! If they are technologically-inclined, send gift cards for Disney+ and DoorDash. If they’re still buying DVDs and like to go out, send Best Buy and Cracker Barrel (or their favorite locally-owned restaurant)!
Gift cards for Grandparents: Disney+ & Door Dash or Best Buy & Cracker Barrel or locally-owned restaurant
What’s on your list this year? I’d love to know!
Love it? Pin it!
