Here are my favourite family gift ideas – things that you can buy for a whole family that everyone will love. They are all items that are available at time of writing – please note that these items will be updated regularly as well.
Sometimes there are events where you want to buy a whole family a gift, whether it be Christmas, or as a thank you for having you to stay.
The trick is to get something that each member of the family will enjoy or use – kids and adults alike – and that can be hard to say the least!
This article is in two main sections – firstly for those who just want quick ideas and inspiration – a shopping section. Just click on the item you want to know more about and that’s it!
Secondly – if you want to do a little of the thinking around the gift – then take a look at the themes I tend to stick to when thinking about what to get them.
I hope that both help you to find the perfect present for that special family in your life…
Family gift ideas you can grab right now
Let’s get started straight away with a selection of brilliant items to buy straight away (perfect if you don’t want to have to scour things yourself – I’ve done the hard work for you! – just call me your personal gift fairy!).
You can find out more about any of the items below by simply clicking the picture – where you’ll be taken to the shop it’s sold in. All links are affiliate links – which means that I get a commission if you make a purchase, at no cost to you of course.
Themes to try when buying a gift for a family unit
So – we’ve looked at some brilliant ideas of what to get, but let’s look now at why these make great gifts.
Because – what makes a good family gift?
It can be really hard to buy for more than one person, never mind all at the same time with people of different ages AND interests.
The best ideas for family presents are always things that help them all come together and spend quality time with each other.
That’s what families do best, right!
So – let’s take a look at the main ‘themes’ I always consider to be good ones for families – because these will give you loads of inspiration too…
#1 – A new activity to try
Buying a family ticket for an activity of some sort can be the perfect experience gift idea.
Things like a concert, a theme park, the cinema etc… all work well – but my personal favourite at the moment is an Escape Room!
My family have all done these before and it’s a fantastic way to spend some family time together.
The basic idea is that you all get locked in a room that has lots of clues and puzzles to solve – and you have a time limit to find the key and get yourselves out.
There are all sorts of different rooms to explore – some are more adult (i.e. harder, and themes like horror) and others are more than suitable for kids (detectives office is one that we did).
Definitely worth buying for a family that loves games – something different!
TIP – A lot of places also do virtual games – which has also been a great idea when family are in different locations, or in crazy times like the recent lockdowns. It’s a way of socialising and doing something different without leaving the house.
#2 – Personalised family gifts
Last year I bought a gorgeous item for my best friend and her family – with wellies as each person – all different colours and ‘personalities’. Their family love being outdoors – so the wellies were perfect!
You can take a look around and find lots of different themes and styles for this – but the general thought of having a personalised gift in the form of a picture is a lovely idea that will last for ever.
Some other options for this would be: –
- Words to a song that means something to the family
- Something related to their home (a picture of it, word art about their location, etc…)
- Their names in some sort of artwork
- A depiction of their family unit – you can get pebble art, cartoons, animals etc…
- A word that means something – or artwork specifically about family
- A family photo from a time you were with them
TOP TIP – If you’re on a budget then this can actually be a very meaningful but inexpensive present. Simply buy the picture and frame it yourself. I love the Ribba frames from IKEA and as long as you ensure you get the right sized picture, it will work perfectly!.
#3 – A board game / game night
What better way to get the family all involved in a present than buying a board game for a family game night!
There are so many available, but we were given one a couple of years ago and love it because it was easy to get to grips with the rules (important for little ones) and hard enough to keep us all interested!
The lesson here was that you need to pick something that works for the family you are buying for – so that everyone can play and have fun.
TIP – You could also add some things to eat while they play the game – some nice chocolates, sweets for the kids, etc…. would work perfectly!
TIP – I LOVE the idea of this decision coin – because you could give it to a family with note saying that the kids or parents get to choose a game each week, for example…
#4 – Food hamper / Gift basket
I love creating a little personalisation by myself for presents, and making a hamper or basket with their favourites in would fit the bill perfectly.
It’s not too hard, but is a really thoughtful gift as it shows you’ve really taken time to think about what they like…
Find out what their favourite foods are (something for everyone), and also avoid any allergies etc… so that everyone can have everything if they want.
Looking for hamper baskets a while ago, I came across hamper making packs – everything you need in one go – just add the contents!. I haven’t tried them as yet, but they look great…
TIP – I LOVE LOVE LOVE creating these in specific themes. Some ideas include – ‘Treats’ (chocolates, wine, etc…), ‘pizza making night’ (the ingredients and maybe a pizza stone), ‘film night‘ (popcorn, popcorn machine and maybe a voucher / gift card to buy a film etc….) – and this type of present could work year after year with a different theme each time. You can REALLY get creative!
#5 – Go with a family hobby
I saw a scratch map at a friends house recently, and thought it was a great gift idea. Such a fun gift!
The family would scratch off the places they visited – and it looked great on their kitchen wall.
So – if you know a family that travel a lot, to different parts of the world, then this would be ideal. They can hang it on a wall and scratch off the places they’ve been.
What a talking point!
Other things that are similar would be a map of a place they love walking (the Lake District, the Peaks etc…), a book of places to visit or a travel journal, films to watch, a recipe book if they love cooking together etc….
#6 – Something useful for the whole family
An ideal gift idea would be something that they can actually use a lot.
I always like to get things that will be used as well – because practical can sometimes be made fun as well!
Some ideas for these types of presents would be: –
- Weekly planner chart for the wall
- Personalised meal planner
- Something to use at home – such as coasters with their initials on, personalised mugs/glasses etc…
I hope you love these family gift ideas, and they’ve given you a little food for thought on what you might buy the loved ones in your life…
I know that my family would (and have) like(d) them all !
Ready for some more ideas? – Why not head over to the gift giving section of the site – lots more gifts for everyone in your life. Enjoy!
