Themed Christmas Presents for the Large Family

Last year, I was overwhelmed with the prospect of buying gifts for 11 people. I wanted to give meaningful gifts, and I needed an easy way to not only keep track of what I was buying for whom, but also keep the finances in line. So, I decided to do something revolutionary that ended up being a HUGE hit with my family!

I chose a theme for each child and bought corresponding presents!

What are Themed Christmas Presents?

Themed presents are exactly what they sound like – a theme for each child and presents that match that theme. So, for instance…

My 8 year old is enamored with cats. He talks about cats, dreams about cats, draws cats, and wants a million cats of his very own! So, his theme was “cats.” I bought him a cat blanket, cat silicone molds to make cat candies and hot glue cats (I’ll explain that some other time!), Name that Kitty – a game like Apples to Apples, and a cat pillow!

My 17 year old daughter’s theme was “crafting.” I ran across a set of plastic storage drawers FULL of crafting supplies at a garage sale. I threw in a few of her crafting wish list items, and her reaction on Christmas morning was priceless! She was over the moon!

Other themes in the family included things like “art,” “baking,” “architecture,” and “Paw Patrol!” And I enjoyed shopping for the gifts as much as they enjoyed opening the gifts!

How to Choose a Theme for the Children’s Christmas Gifts

For some kids, it is easy to figure out a theme, but some kids are an enigma. Here are a few tips for choosing a theme, particularly for those kids who are difficult to figure out.

1 – Consider each of your children’s likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, and favorite things. Is there a theme there you could run with?

2 – Does your child have a favorite color, cartoon character, book, food, etc. that could be turned into a theme? (Remember my 5 year old’s Paw Patrol theme?).

3 – Think outside the box. Last year, the theme for my 15 year old was “audio.” That meant a pair of bluetooth earbuds, a CD player, and a bunch of audio dramas from Focus on the Family.

Perhaps your child adores Beatrix Potter books. You could get a Beswick figurine from ebay, a Beatrix Potter coloring book, and a set of watercolors and an easel so your child could try his or her hand at creating paintings like Beatrix Potter! How fun is that?!

4 – Just ask them! While you may not want to divulge the theme for their gifts, sometimes it is better to just ask for ideas and not worry about keeping the theme a secret. So go ahead and give yourself permission to include your children in the theme brainstorming!

How to Cut Costs with Themed Christmas Gifts

I know families are trying to tighten up the purse-strings this Christmas, so let’s talk about that since it could appear that themed gifts might become outrageously expensive if not kept in check.

If you’ve not read my post on Large Family Group Gifts, I’d encourage you to start there and consider a family theme, rather than individual presents this year.

You should also start shopping early if you can. Starting early with an idea of your theme gives you time to keep an eye out for potential gifts and time to ask friends and family for help. Who knows? They might even have some of the things you need for your theme!

You can also check Facebook marketplace, garage sales, and thrift stores for major savings on gifts!

Starting with a theme for your gifts really helps to keep you focused. You are less likely to buy willy nilly or on a whim. You are going to spend less than if you just buy randomly every time something catches your eye and you “think” your child might like it.

I have to be honest – now that we have gone to a theme, I don’t want to go back! I LOVE having a theme for each of the kids! It is soooo much fun to shop their theme! Honestly, it has put the joy back in gift giving for this large family mama!