Affordable Yankee Swap / White Elephant Gift Ideas

‘Tis the season of Yankee Swaps! (Being from New England, we call them Yankee Swaps but most parts of the USA call them White Elephant Gift Exchanges.) Yankee Swaps are always a fun time and joke gifts usually rein. That said, it can be hard to decide what to bring as your gift so here are a variety of affordable gift ideas, ranging from funny to nice to extra cheap/free, all broken down into categories for easy shopping (I will keep adding to this list as I think of more). | This post contains affiliate links |

The first thing to consider before you choose your gift is your audience… is this a professional work party? Then you might not want to bring the toilet coffee mug.. however if the party goers have a sense of humor then silly gifts may win the night! Also consider if there’s an inside joke you can play up - for example one year at our work party someone wrapped and gave the dead houseplant that had been sitting in the breakroom for months! Now that was a clever and funny gift idea.

Funny and Silly (Joke) Gift Ideas

• Framed photo of yourself - preferrably in the dramatic, cheesy department store photoshoot style
• Burrito Blanket - Not going to lie, I kind of want one of these! haha
• Toliet Mug (with an extra surprise)
• Bean Boozled Game - This is a funny game: spin the spinner, take a jelly bean... is that yellow speckled jelly bean buttered popcorn flavored or ear wax flavored? You won't know until you try it!
• Scratch Off Dad Jokes - everybody loves a corny Dad joke!
• A Rotisserie Chicken (and a side) - this one is so unexpected it's bound to get a laugh. Just make sure you buy it right before the party and maybe put it on ice packs so it doesn't go bad.

Practical and Nice Gift Ideas

• Lottery tickets/Scratch off tickets - everyone dreams of winning big!
• A Cozy Blanket
• Food basket - come up with a theme and include nice snacks or drinks
• Nice office supplies (a nice set of stationery, pens, etc)
• A board game or card game
• A Gift Card to a Local Shop or Restaurant

Cheap or Free Gift Ideas

• Something from around your house that you’re not using - coffee mug, knick knack, etc.
• Something half used from your house - like a candle.
• Split and repot one of your houseplants to share
• A Big Package of Toliet Paper or Tissues - People often get excited for these before opening because it looks like a big gift!

"Anything But a Backpack" Day Ideas

Having worked at a middle/high school for a few years now I’ve experienced a few “Anything But a Backpack” Days for Spirit Week and they can be pretty hilarious. …What does that mean? you might wonder - well, it pretty much means what it says - leave your backpack at home that day and come up with a creative way to carry your things around school for the day. I thought I’d share a list of some of the favorites I’ve seen or have heard about form others - some are quite creative and ridiculous. Disclaimer: always make sure you check with your school for any parameters or rules for this event as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not.

“Anything But a Backpack” Day Ideas

• laundry basket

• hamper

• stroller

• car seat

• remote control car

• PowerWheels

• wagon

• toy shopping cart

• real shopping cart

• Easter basket

• pizza box

• toolbox

• bucket

• a really ugly/tacky purse or bag (can be found cheap at a local thrift shop!)

• tool chest

• mini fridge

• microwave (that has to be heavy!)

• a car bumper (very tricky to put your stuff in - and yes, I have seen this one myself!)

• a kayak

• a canoe (very awkward to get up the stairs)

• golfbag

• milk crate

• horse saddle bag

• office chair

• cooking pot

• cat carrier

• birdcage

• wheelbarrow

• guitar case

• suitcase (the ones with the wheels are handy!)

• fishing net

• traffic cone

• stuffed animal that has a zippered pocket

• trick-or-treat bag or container

• trash bag or trash can (just make sure your stuff doesn’t get thrown out by accident!)

Check out our Spirit Week Theme Day Ideas blog post for other theme day ideas!

Disclaimer: Always make sure you check with your school for any parameters or rules for this event as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not. This list is for ideas/entertainment purposes only.

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