How Students Can Exchange Gifts Without Breaking the Bank
Explore the 10 unique and budget-friendly ways for gift exchanges in dorms, during seminar classes, and meetups with classmates, plus gift ideas for students.
Researchers at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, have shown that gift-giving to friends and loved ones generates more oxytocin and has a positive impact on physical and mental health.
Exchanging gift is a great way to keep spirits up and maintain friendly connections with classmates, friends, and dorm neighbors. Approaching each exchange with a new twist can ensure that your college years are filled with joyful memories.
Occasions to Exchange Gifts
Christmas, Student's Day, Mother's Day, Spring Equinox, or Labor Day – any widely recognized occasion is perfect for a gift exchange. But why limit yourself to official dates? Create your own reasons to surprise each other more often.
Hobby Day — Each student prepares a gift related to their passion, such as a craft kit, cookbook, gadgets, or sports gear. Together, participants share their hobbies and give the prepared gifts to someone drawn randomly.
Superpower Day — Each participant selects a unique ability they'd like to have and crafts a gift associated with it. Students stand in a circle, discuss their chosen superpower, and pass the gift to the person next to them.
International Day — Students exchange exotic or unusual items from different countries. You might give a classmate a small souvenir connected to another culture. Create a thoughtful present for close university friends or segment into mini-teams for an exchange.
Mood Day — Students come up with gifts that reflect specific emotions like joy, surprise, fear, or sadness. All gifts are gathered in one place, and everyone chooses one that resonates with their current mood.
Childhood Nostalgia Day — Students exchange gifts tied to childhood memories: toys, candy, plushies, transformers, or fairy tales.
Creative Gift Exchange Ideas
Instead of saying "It's the thought that counts", think "It's the experience that counts". The process of choosing surprises and exchanging them greatly influences the mood of both givers and receivers. Here are creative gift exchange ideas to maximize your gift-giving fun.
Secret Santa
Whether it's Christmas, the end of a semester, or any other reason, playing Secret Santa is a fun idea. Draw names to decide who will give a gift to whom. To make it easier, each participant writes down their gift preferences. The challenge is keeping your identity a secret, adding an exciting twist in close student circles.
Make the game even more thrilling with MySanta app. Here's what it offers students:
Draw names in a click. Traditional Santa assignments involve gathering everyone in one place, writing names on paper slips, drawing slips, and finding out who you'll surprise. If someone draws their own name, you'll be re-drawing, and if a note goes missing, it might end sadly. With the MySanta app, you can assign Santas instantly – the system does everything from matching players to notifying each participant to whom they'll buy a gift.
Remote play. Students don't have to be in one place. The entire game takes place online, and gifts can be mailed or couriered. This option suits online students or those who can't attend in person.
Awesome gifts. With wishlists, every student can get what they truly want. You can pick desired gifts from those suggested by the system or add links from online stores.
Chat with your Santa. Anonymous chats let you exchange messages, find out wishes, joke, and ask questions with your gift giver and receiver.
Manage the game. Extra features let students set restrictions to prevent matching certain players, remove participants, track who hasn't purchased a gift, share wishlists, and more.
Gift Auction
Each student brings a budget-friendly yet practical gift. The game organizer also downloads and prints out fake money. Students bring their gifts and trade them for festive currency. Everyone receives an equal amount, making bids on their desired gifts.
Gift Scavenger Hunt
Students pair up and design scavenger hunts for each other, choosing locations around campus or dorms and creating tasks for each point. Completing all tasks earns a symbolic gift, with the real reward being unique tasks and the thrill of the adventure.
Sample Scavenger Hunt Scenario
The participant enters the main hall of the university, meets the scavenger hunt organizer, and learns the legend: “Many years ago, a mysterious Key of Knowledge was lost within the university. Whoever finds this key will gain access to magical abilities and hidden knowledge.” The organizer gives the participant a map with locations and a note with the first assignment.
Location 1: Library
Task: Say the password "Cipher" to the librarian to receive a puzzle and solve it quickly. Correct answers earn hints and new tasks.
Location 2: Philosophy Classroom
Task: Someone in the classroom will meet you, name 10 famous philosophers, and provide five proofs that science is stronger than magic. If correct, you receive another hint and task.
Location 3: Gym
Task: Complete the obstacle course to see the hint.
Location 4: Cafeteria
Task:Combine all the hints and find the Key of Knowledge.
Location 5: Students’ Favorite Spot
There, the participant meets the scavenger hunt organizer again and receives a small keychain or pendant shaped like a key.
Secret Friend
Students draw names, and for a month, each participant leaves notes or small gifts for the person whose name they drew. In the end of the months, everyone receives a gift and learns their secret friend's identity.
Grab a Gift
Everyone brings a present, placing it in a communal basket. Participants take turns pulling out random gifts from the basket.
Handmade
Students draw names, and each creates something by hand for another participant, such as a card, decoration, painting, or dish. Gifts are signed and placed on a large table. The most enthusiastic student distributes the gifts, and participants try to guess who their gift is from.
Treasure Map
Each student prepares five or six symbolic gifts, hides them around the campus, marks the locations on a map, and gives the map to their recipient.
Budget-Friendly Surprise Ideas for a Treasure Map
Pack of colorful markers — one marker for each location.
Inexpensive jewelry set — a ring, earrings, bracelet, and necklace, one piece at each map point.
Set of affirmation cards — a few cards at each location.
Set of spices — one jar at each map point.
Screwdriver set — one per location.
Around the Circle
Each student brings a universally appealing gift. Participants gather in a circle and pass the gifts around. When the whistle blows or the music stops, each person opens the bag they’re holding to reveal their gift.
Wish Letters
Each student writes a letter with three wishes and signs the envelope with their name. The letters are then shuffled and distributed among players, who strive to fulfill their recipient's wishes by the agreed-upon deadline.
Riddles About the Recipient
Students draw names, and each giver writes a riddle about themselves to include in the gift bag. After gifts are distributed, each recipient solves the riddle before opening their gift.
Simplify Any Gift Exchange
Almost every exchange type involves drawing names. Using stickers and boxes can be cumbersome and prone to mix-ups. We recommend drawing names in the MySanta app.
Quick Draw
One player visits the platform, clicks Create Game – Quick Game, and enters participants' names. Each player takes turns approaching the gadget to learn who they’ll give a gift to. Results can be saved and emailed to everyone, so no one forgets. For remote groups or larger teams, conduct a drawing in two clicks for teams of up to nine people.
One challenge in any gift exchange is guessing the recipient's wishes. Wish lists can help with that task.
Wish List
To create a wish list for any exchange, register on mysanta.co, go to the "Wish List" tab, and list desired gifts. You can add products from the built-in online market or attach links to favorite items elsewhere.
The platform also features a “Gift Ideas” section, offering inspiration and a filter system to find great gifts based on age, gender, budget, and category. Send your wish list link to your gift giver via email or message. Creating a wish list is free for everyone.
Gift Exchange Ideas for Teachers
Teachers can aid students in organizing a gift exchange. Here are three ideas to enrich both the educational process and student life.
Seminar Exchange
A teacher can organize a gift exchanges during a lecture or seminar. It's a fun way to blend educational activities with entertainment where students exchange surprises and share knowledge and ideas on a given theme.
The teacher pairs up students and assigns each pair a topic for a report and presentation. Together, students prepare responses and secretly select gifts associated with the assigned theme. Exchanges occur after every presentation.
Cultural Celebration
A teacher chooses a national holiday: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Diwali, or Japanese Coming of Age Day. Students create gifts related to the holiday and gather interesting facts about it.
Gifts for Classmates
We've gathered ten versatile and budget-friendly gifts suitable for any exchange.
Favorite Book with a Personal Note
Choose a book you loved and write a short annotation or personal message for the recipient on the first page. This not only shares a favorite work but also creates a special connection.
Mini Plant in a Pot
A small potted plant is affordable, yet it carries many symbols and associations. Such gifts are especially cherished during cold seasons.
Scented Candle
This gift can create a cozy atmosphere even in the tiniest dorm room, offering a relaxing escape after a long day of studying.
Morse Code Bracelet
A thin string with an encoded message known only to the giver and receiver is an excellent gift for close friends and beloved classmates.
Motivational Poster
Choose a phrase that truly resonates and confidently give it to your recipient.
Hand Warmer
A reusable device with a cute design, easily tucked into a pocket or bag, ready to warm hands when needed. It heats up in just 5 minutes and retains warmth for up to 30 minutes.
Shopper Bag with a Positive Caption
A universal and useful gift, perfect for shopping, workouts, and school.
To delight your beloved classmates and close friends, lavish gifts aren't necessary. What's more important is the time spent together. The more unique the surprise exchange, the longer it will be cherished.
