Family Christmas Gifts the Whole House Will Share
The best family Christmas gifts are things the whole house uses together: an annual pass to a museum or zoo, a video book of the family's year, a game everyone from age six to sixty can play, or a projector for movie nights. One shared gift often beats four separate ones.
A note before the list: we make Tribute, the group video maker. Tribute is a group video maker that turns messages from friends and family into one surprise video, and our Tribute Video Book is one of the eight picks. The other seven are gift types you can find anywhere, chosen because the whole family gets to use them.
| Gift | Best for | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Annual pass to a museum, zoo or park | Families with young kids | $100 to $300 |
| Tribute Video Book of the family's year | Families spread across states | $149 |
| A party game for all ages | Big families and holiday gatherings | $20 to $50 |
| Movie night projector kit | Families who watch together | $100 to $300 |
| Fire pit and s'mores kit | Families with a backyard | $60 to $250 |
| Matching pajamas | Families who love a holiday photo | $15 to $40 a person |
| Family cooking night kit | Families who gather in the kitchen | $40 to $120 |
| A planned family day trip | Families who never get out together | $80 to $400 |
What makes a good family Christmas gift?
The right family gift gets used by everyone, together, more than once. That rules out most gadgets and toys, which end up with one person in one room. It rules in experiences, games and things that pull people into the same space.
Shared experiences also do more for the relationship than objects. In a set of experiments in the Journal of Consumer Research, experiential gifts brought giver and receiver closer than material gifts did, because people feel the emotions of an experience with more intensity. Shoppers are catching on: in the National Retail Federation's December 2025 survey, 31% of holiday shoppers planned to give experience gifts, up from 22% in 2015.
Age range matters too. A gift that works for a toddler and a teenager at the same time is rare, so look for things with a role for every age: someone keeps score, someone picks the movie, someone reads the recipe out loud.
What are the best family Christmas gifts this year?
These family Christmas present ideas work for a household of any size, from a couple with a toddler to three generations under one roof. Each one includes what to look for and a typical price.
1. An annual pass to a museum, zoo or park
A family membership turns a one-time outing into a year of rainy Saturdays sorted. Pick the place the kids ask about most. Many memberships also include guest passes, so grandparents can tag along.
- Look for: a family or household tier that covers two adults and all kids, plus reciprocal entry to other museums or zoos.
- Price: about $100 to $300 a year.
- Wrap it: the membership card in a small box with a toy animal or a map of the place.
Best for: Families with young kids who need somewhere to go on weekends.
Why it works: It pays for itself in two or three visits and gives the family a standing plan.
2. A Tribute Video Book of the family's year (our pick, we make this)
Every family has a phone full of clips nobody watches: first steps, the beach trip, the school play, the dog stealing a sandwich. A video book gathers them into a hardcover that plays the moment someone opens it. It lives on the coffee table, and everyone who visits ends up watching.
The Tribute Video Book is a hardcover book with a 7-inch screen and built-in speakers that plays the moment the cover opens. You upload the videos and photos from your phone or computer, a Tribute editor picks the best moments, adds music and cleans up the sound, and you watch the finished video before it ships in a gold-foil gift slipcase.
- Look for: one clip from every month, and at least one of each family member talking.
- Price: $149, editing included. Check the Christmas order dates on the Video Book page.
- Time needed: an hour to gather and upload the clips. The editor does the rest.
Best for: Families spread across states, and grandparents who miss the day-to-day.
Why it works: Unlike a shared photo album online, it's an object the whole family picks up and watches together. There's no app or Wi-Fi to set up.
👉 Get the Video Book for your family
3. A party game for all ages
Pick a game simple enough for a seven-year-old and funny enough for grandpa: drawing games, word games, team trivia. Skip anything with a rulebook longer than a page. Open it on Christmas afternoon and it becomes the tradition.
- Look for: play for six or more, rounds under ten minutes and an age rating of 8 and up.
- Price: about $20 to $50.
Best for: Big families and holiday gatherings.
Why it works: Everyone plays at once, and the laughs become stories you retell next year.
4. A movie night projector kit
A small projector, a pull-down screen or a white sheet, a popcorn maker and a basket of blankets. Movie night moves from the couch to the backyard or the basement wall. Add a list of twelve movies, one for each month.
- Look for: at least 1080p, a built-in speaker or Bluetooth, and a brightness rating that works in a room with some light.
- Price: about $100 to $300 for the kit.
Best for: Families who already watch movies together.
Why it works: It turns a normal Friday into an event the kids look forward to.
5. A fire pit and s'mores kit
Start with a small steel fire pit, roasting sticks, a tin of marshmallows and a box of graham crackers. It works on cold nights and summer nights. Families end up talking more around a fire than anywhere else.
- Look for: a spark screen, a stable base, and telescoping sticks long enough for small arms.
- Price: about $60 to $250.
Best for: Families with a backyard or patio.
Why it works: Phones go away when there's a fire to watch.
6. Matching pajamas
Matching pajamas are a gift and a photo in one. Get a set for everyone, the dog included, and hand them out on Christmas Eve. Pick a pattern that isn't too loud if you want them worn after December.
- Look for: soft cotton or flannel, and sizes ordered early so nobody gets left out.
- Price: about $15 to $40 a person.
Best for: Families who love a holiday card photo.
Why it works: It's silly, it's cozy, and the photo shows up on the fridge for a year.
7. A family cooking night kit
A pizza stone and peel with dough recipes, a taco night kit, or a dumpling folding set. Put the kit together with a recipe card for each family member to lead one night.
- Look for: tools that are safe for small hands and recipes with jobs for every age.
- Price: about $40 to $120.
Best for: Families who gather in the kitchen.
Why it works: Cooking together turns dinner into a project, and everyone eats what they made.
8. A planned family day trip
Book a day at a ski hill, a trip to the aquarium in the next city or a train ride to see the lights. Plan the route and hand it over in an envelope. The gift is the day and not having to organize it.
- Look for: something within a two-hour drive and tickets you can move if someone gets sick.
- Price: about $80 to $400 for a family of four.
Best for: Families who never seem to get out of the house together.
Why it works: Compared to more stuff, a day out becomes the story the kids tell at school on Monday.
What are good family Christmas gifts under $50?
Family gifts don't need a big budget. These cost under $50 and still get the whole house together:
- A party game: about $20 to $50.
- A s'mores kit with roasting sticks: about $25.
- A puzzle and a tin of cocoa: about $30.
- A coupon book of family nights: nothing but your time.
What are good family Xmas gift exchange ideas?
For a big family, a gift exchange keeps costs down and makes shopping easier. A few family Xmas gift exchange ideas that keep it fun:
- Secret Santa with a theme: "something to read," "something cozy" or "something from your hometown."
- White elephant with a $25 limit: funny gifts and steals keep the room laughing.
- One gift per household: each family gives one shared gift to another family, like a game or an annual pass.
- The memory swap: every household sends a few clips from the year, and they all go into one video the family watches together.
Picture this. The cousins agree to the memory swap in November. Everyone texts their best clips of the year to one person, who uploads them for a Tribute editor to turn into one video. On Christmas Day, grandma opens the book on the coffee table, and the room fills with the sound of each other's year.
Want more formats? Our guide to Christmas present exchange ideas for families has a dozen.
What are unique Christmas gifts for family members who have everything?
When everyone already owns what they need, give the family something only they could have. That means their own memories or their own time together. Christmas gifts for the whole family that fit: a video book of the year, a planned day trip, or a family portrait session.
With 91% of U.S. adults owning a smartphone, the raw material for that kind of gift is already in everyone's pocket. For gifts aimed at one person, see our guides to Christmas gifts for mom, Christmas gifts for dad and Christmas gifts for parents.
Frequently Asked Questions About Family Christmas Gifts
What is a good Christmas gift for a whole family?
A good gift for a whole family is something everyone uses together, like an annual pass, a party game or a video book of the family's year. Shared gifts get more use than separate ones.
What do you get a family of four for Christmas?
Any of these fit a family of four: a planned day trip, a movie night projector kit or a museum membership. Pick something that works for both the youngest and the oldest.
What are fun family Christmas presents?
Party games, matching pajamas, a fire pit with a s'mores kit and a cooking night kit are all fun and shared. They also tend to turn into family traditions.
How do you do a family gift exchange?
Set a budget, draw names or pick a format like Secret Santa or white elephant, and agree on a theme if you want. One shared gift per household also works for big families.
What is a video book?
A video book is a hardcover book with a screen inside that plays videos when you open it. It plays your own clips and photos, so it holds the family's year in a book anyone can pick up.
Can the whole family add clips to one video book?
Yes. Everyone sends their clips to one person, who uploads them all, up to 4 hours of videos and photos. A Tribute editor picks the best moments from every household and you approve the video before it ships.
Which family Christmas gift will bring everyone together?
The gift that brings everyone together is the one they use as a group: a pass for weekend outings, a game for Christmas afternoon, a video of the year they watch side by side. Unlike a pile of separate presents, one shared gift gives the family a reason to sit in the same room. Choose the one that fits how your family spends its time.
For everything else on the December calendar, see our guide to Christmas ideas.
