Secret Santa for Kids: How to Organize & Make It Fun

What is Secret Santa?

The Secret Santa game is loved worldwide. It allows for anonymous gift exchanges and is enjoyed by both adults and kids. We’ll guide you on how to organize this popular game at home, in preschools, youth clubs, sports teams, and so many more.

Secret Santa for kids is easy to set up. Here’s how it works: all participants gather and write their names on pieces of paper. Names go into a box or hat, and each child picks one at random. Then, they prepare a gift to the person whose name they selected.

Explaining the Game to Kids

Playing Secret Santa is both fun and engaging. Here’s how to explain it to kids: each one of you will become a little magician for a friend or family member. You'll draw the name of the player for whom you'll need to give a gift. It’s important to keep things secret and never reveal the name of your giftee. Everyone will receive not just the joy of preparing a surprise but also a cool gift!

Benefits of Playing Secret Santa

Here are four reasons why organizing this holiday game for your kids is a great idea:

Teaches kids the joy of giving and receiving gifts. Learning how to choose and give presents is a valuable skill. It’s an opportunity to think about others' needs and dreams, not just your own.

Brings families or groups closer. Playing together unites people. Players will chat more, and the mystery of not knowing who gives a gift to whom can spark conversations even among those who rarely interact.

Helps kids understand their own desires. Secret Santa can help children reflect on their wishes and approach their desires and dreams more consciously. The anticipation of a gift often makes one think: What do I really want? What would make me happy?

Teaches acceptance when expectations and reality differ. While parents always try to anticipate their child’s deepest wishes during celebrations, the experience of not getting something they want is also important for children. Playing Secret Santa sometimes provides this experience, since Secret Santas don’t always know what their recipient wants. But by preparing a gift for another, kids realize that choosing the right gift isn’t always easy. Thus, they begin to appreciate gifts even if they aren’t exactly what they wished for.

Where and With Whom Can Kids Play Secret Santa?

Here’s where your child can enjoy Secret Santa:

• At home — the simplest way to play is with your family. The classic mom, dad, and child setup is perfect for the game. Invite siblings, grandparents, godparents, or family friends for more fun. For large families, Secret Santa can become a wonderful holiday tradition and a great way to save on gifts.
• In clubs and sports teams — if your child attends any activities or classes and is part of a group, Secret Santa can strengthen friendships even further.
• In the neighborhood — if you’re friends with neighbors and your kids play together, suggest that they join a Secret Santa. You can hold it just for the kids, or arrange a double Secret Santa where kids gift kids, and adults gift adults.
• In school — a great way to bring classmates together is with a Secret Santa game. Parents can assist with arrangements in the younger grades, while older students can organize the game themselves.

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Complete Guide to Organizing Secret Santa in the Classroom

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How to Play Secret Santa with Kids

The holiday game consists of several stages: inviting participants, drawing names, choosing a surprise for your recipient, and exchanging gifts. Let’s explain each step a bit further.

Inviting Players to the Game

Start by explaining the rules and conditions to the kids and their parents. Determine how many agree to join Secret Santa. For school-age kids organizing their own Secret Santa, you can send the game details in the class group chat and even conduct a poll to see who will take part.

Conducting the Draw

Gather all the players in one place, have them write their names on slips, drop them into a box or hat, and take turns picking one. The name chosen is the person you’ll give a gift to. Older kids can draw names using the MySanta generator that has wishlists, anonymous chats, and other great features.

Choosing a Gift

When choosing what to give, consider your recipient's interests and hobbies. If organizing for younger children, involve your child as much as possible in choosing and buying the gift. Don’t forget to wrap and tag the gift; while the wrapping might not be perfect, it shows the kid's effort to make the gift special.

Organizing the Gift Exchange

The easiest way to exchange gifts is to gather everyone in one place and pile the gifts on a table or under the Christmas tree. Then, an adult can hand them out one by one. Gifts can be opened publicly, and everyone can share their excitement. For school kids, consider adding a twist to the gift-giving process.

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Special Features of Kids' Secret Santa

When organizing Secret Santa for kids, note that in adult groups, participants often make it easier by writing not only their name but also gift preferences during the draw. They may create digital wishlists with links to desired gifts. This helps Secret Santas decide what to gift their recipient. However, for kids, wish lists and preference lists aren’t ideal as not every child will be able to fulfill their friend's desire.

What Budget to Set for Kids' Secret Santa

Typically, the game’s budget is agreed upon by all participants. When organizing a kid’s gift exchange, discuss a reasonable budget with parents and decide on any "banned" gifts: many parents don’t want their kids receiving sweets or cosmetics. Often, for Secret Santa with kids, parents opt for a zero-budget game, where kids make gifts themselves, perfect for preschool and early elementary students.

What Gifts to Give in Secret Santa

If you decide against handmade gifts, choose surprises based on the budget and recipient’s interests. In children’s groups, popular Secret Santa gifts include coloring books, art sets, stuffed animals, puzzles, board games, and books.

In Conclusion

The Secret Santa game for children is suitable even for younger ages. At 3-4 years, children can make simple handmade gifts for others. As kids grow up, they'll approach the game with more awareness and find playing Secret Santa in a larger group even more exciting. For older kids, diversify the game by introducing new rules and gift exchange methods. 

It’s never too early or too late to participate in this game. Take the opportunity to bring more magic and joy to your loved ones as the holiday season approaches. 

Try our MySanta app

You can create wishlists, add exclusions, and communicate with your gifree secretly. Moreover, there is an option to track gifts and ensure that everyone buys a present on time.

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