Finding ways to connect as a family is an ongoing struggle. How do you find time and activities that engage the whole family? As Christmas nears, our family is planning to do things differently to achieve our end goal. We are looking at whole family gift ideas for Christmas. We’ve made lists and found the best family gifts.
What Is A Whole Family Gift?
A whole family gift is something the entire family will use together to connect. An all family gift requires quality time.
Quality time for me is all about being in the room – mentally present with the people face to face with us – when we are together. When that happens, quality time happens.
What are some good family gifts? A gift that leads to quality time then, will be in my list of the best family gifts!
Why Look For The Best Family Gifts?
As our family grows I find we each prefer different hobbies, but there are certain things we all enjoy together. It is critical that we still spend time together for our family to thrive!
Right now, the Montgomery Family loves spending time together. It doesn’t matter if we are watching TV or playing Uno, we laugh and talk and cuddle. That time – no matter what we are doing – becomes quality time because it is building our relationships.
But I know there is no guarantee that this will stay the same unless we foster it with more creative quality time!
That is why we love gifts for the whole family for Christmas!
What are some good family gifts? A gift that leads to quality time then, will be in my list of the best family gifts! Share on XBalancing Values, Love, and Fun
One thing our family values is love, fun, and acceptance.
Healthy family love accepts you as you are and loves you – warts and all (sometimes literally warts). Our end goal is to be together long after the kids leave the house – to still enjoy time together.
We are strict about rules and discipline, but we are also intentional about fun and relationship. It takes both to keep a family healthy and loving. That is one reason we now love finding whole family gift ideas for Christmas – especially while Christmas gifts for family on a budget!
I see that example in the way God loves us, disciplines us, yet gives us good things to enjoy in this life.
“It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” Hebrews 12:7 NASB
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” James 1:17 NASB
Gifts That Help End Goals
Christmas can be a time to foster the end goals.
Do you have dreams and plans for your life, your spouse, and your kids? I do. I dream about:
- Publishing my first book
- Celebrating 75 years of marriage
- Launching two kids with a rock-solid faith that changes the world
Do you ever feel like – gifts for family at Christmas – are more about what we each want than what we all need?
Let me clarify – there’s nothing wrong with getting some of the things on our list (if we can afford them and they actually fit in our world). What do you give a family member for Christmas? I have individual gift ideas for family members based on the things they love:
- My girls will have new dolls and craft books for Christmas – absolutely!
- I am dropping lots of hints to hubby that I need a new Kindle this year and would love that new Illustrating Bible!
- A Bible that has been specifically designed for Bible Journaling.
- Are you new to Bible Journaling? Or just interested in getting started cheap? Check out this post!
- A Bible that has been specifically designed for Bible Journaling.
- Hubby is drooling over a new 4 man tent and a renewed subscription to Audible.
I love getting good gifts for my family (and making homemade gifts as a family). The question I am struggling to answer this year is:
Can we find a way to match what we need with what we want in order to achieve our end goals?
The Best Family Gift Ideas
What kind of gifts could foster quality time as a family? These are our best family gifts for the whole family and I wonder if your family would love them too?
You may also enjoy my Family Gift Ideas Pinterest Board to find unique gifts for the family:
- There are gift ideas for families who have everything
- Gift ideas for active families
- Family game basket ideas
- Family movie basket ideas
- Christmas gifts for big families
- Christmas gifts for family on a budget
Box Sets of Old TV Series
Our family enjoys watching wholesome movies and TV shows together. The problem, of course, is that our idea of wholesome is not the culture’s ideas of wholesome.
We value families that are kind, respectful, and forgive each other. I need the show to have real-world situations but not reward kids who act like brats. A hard bill to fill, right? Not if you go back a few years.
We love these old TV Shows:
- Full House: The Complete Seasons 1-4 (4-Pack)
- Family Matters DVD 4-pack: Seasons 1-4 (Complete First Second Third and Fourth Season)
- The Cosby Show – The Complete Series
- I Love Lucy: The Complete Series
- The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series
- The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]
It’s hard to catch those on TV so we buy them in season sets off Amazon and enjoy them as a family whenever we want! Are you a Prime Member?
Is there an old TV show from your past that I missed? I’d love to add another to our wish list!
The next two family gift ideas really tie into the TV and Movie time theme:
A Snuggly Blanket
We just got a set of these throw blankets for the couch and it is so fun to cuddle under! When we sit to watch the old TV shows we cuddle and chat about our favorite parts. That is a great way to enjoy quality time as a family!
Cuddly throw blankets are a great addition to our whole family gift ideas list!
Family Gift Baskets
Okay, so it can be tough to get the kids excited about some of the gifts on our list. Our solution was to make them into family gift baskets! You could make gift baskets out of movie things, game things, adventure things. Anything can be put in a basket and filled with fun bits.
What Should I Put in a Family Gift Basket?
Our first family gift basket is for our TV episodes. To dress up the basket I add fancy popcorn flavoring & containers to make it a fun family occasion.
We have food allergies but many of these kernel season’s popcorn seasoning packs work for our family.
Another way we make it an all-out fun time is by using special popcorn containers. I think we found these at the Dollar Store and they are so cute and fun to use!
These home theater and popcorn items are great family gift basket ideas. Set the new DVD’s, blanket, and popcorn items in a cute basket and plan to enjoy the time that very night!
New Games
We love to laugh together and nothing does that like playing games together. Games are great Christmas gift ideas!!!!! Last year we got Pie Face and laughed so hard we cried. This year our game hasn’t been picked but I have my eye on are:
- Watch Ya Mouth Family Edition – The Authentic, Hilarious, Mouthguard Party Card Game
- Stare! Junior Board Game – 2nd Edition
- Classic Operation Skill Game (Amazon Exclusive)
- Mattel Games Uno Attack Game
What are your family’s favorite games? Comment below so we can add them to our whole family gift ideas list next year!
What are your family's favorite games? Comment below so we can add them to our whole family gift ideas list next year! Share on XFamily Game Basket Ideas
Another great idea we had was to take one of the games and make a basket out of it. Similarly to the movie basket, the family game basket ideas are lots of fun.
What goes inside a family game basket?
- The game goes in the center.
- Surround it with our favorite candies.
- Everyone enjoyed different candy so have fun with this.
- Add music that can play in the background; extra points if its music everyone likes.
- This year we bought some cute prizes for the winner to finish out the basket.
This is a great addition to the best family gifts we are getting this year!
Family Gift Set Ideas
Game night baskets. Family gift boxes.
Family Activity Gifts
I don’t know where you live in the world, but chances are there are attractions all around you that would be fun to visit. What stops you from going together as a family?
For us most of the time the reason we don’t get out and about is money. Why not buy the tickets at Christmas time, present it as the gift, mark it on the calendar, and have a token gift so the kids still enjoy it.
This year we plan on Visiting the Creation Museum from Answers in Genesis. We Visited the Ark Encounter and loved it – check out my review here to see why!
We’ll buy the tickets, and pick up something from the Fair Trade spot of their online store (that will support a family in a 3rd world country and bless my kids).
A Bible Journaling Starter Kit
Our family struggles to have family devotionals. Do you?
We enjoy having fun in and with God’s word, but actually sitting down together and digging in deeply is tough.
Bible Journaling is a way to study a verse together as a family and then illustrate and create memories with that verse that we have been doing well with.
Our family has been studying the word Joy and learning how to cling to the joy of the Lord every day!. There are many Bible Verses about Joy*. I’d love to give you a Free 30 day’s of Joy Reading Plan to help you focus on Him this month.
And if you are interested in Illustrated Faith or Bible Journaling, be sure to check out the 30 Days of Joy Bible Journaling Starter Kit as a great addition to your whole family gifts ideas for Christmas!
What Are Your Best Family Gift Ideas?
Creating quality time as a family is important for our end goal of staying connected even after the kids are grown. In our busy culture, we have to make it happen or it probably won’t happen. Which of these best family gifts could your family try?
- Old TV Series
- Ways to snuggle
- Home theater ideas
- Games for the whole family
- Experiences together
- Bible Journaling
These are just a few of our ideas to make the most of Christmas to grow in quality time as a family. I’d love to hear some of your whole family gift ideas in the comments below!
in HIM,
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
Related Posts:
- 10 Easy Homemade Gift Ideas Everyone Will Love
- The Best Bible Journaling Gifts for Jesus Girls
- How to Cling to the Joy of the Lord Everday
**** great family gift ideas, christmas gifts for teh whole family, good family gift ideas for christmas, quality time gifts, gifts for the whole family to enjoy, christmas presents for the whole family, gift basket ideas families, best family gift ideas, family gift set ideas, quality time gift ideas
These are some great ideas, Tiffany! We got rid of Netflix at the beginning of the school year, so I have been considering expanding our movie collection. I’ll definitely have to give old TV series a thought…
Love that. We have considered giving up Netflix and trying PureFlix… haven’t decided yet though.
These are great ideas! I believe family time is a blessing no matter how old the kids become. We also do Groupons for fun family adventures. I’m love Amazon Prime too much 🙂
I have never figured out Groupons. I’ll have to give them another try.
Great list, Tiffany! As part of our Christmas eve, it’s our tradition to open a family gift that is always a game or something to do together that night. I pinned this post so I can come back to these ideas!
Love that! Yes, we found a few years ago that the fun of opening presents is just so short lived… so we open things we can then play together the rest of the day!
these are great ideas. We too value quality time. I am really interested in Bible journaling too. Thanks for the heads up and freebies too.
Love that and so glad it blessed you Amy!
Wow! What a list, you have really done your homework, and others get to benefit from it! I love that you focus on things that are more “hands-on” and less electronic. One of the most favorite things my family did together, when the kids were growing up, was to play board games. And I truly believe that kids could love them today just as much, if the parents set the example to sit down with their kids and just “play”. Thanks again.
Exactly Janene! If we would set down our electronics and interact with them… I truly believe it could save this next generation. They don’t know how to make small talk or make eye contact. And it’s my fault. Too much time on my phone not enough board games!
I used to love the Cosby Show when I was younger. I also liked the game Operation.
We are hoping to get Family Matters or Dennis the Mennis this year!
We love to play Uno together. Great tips, Tiffany!
I love uno! IT is great even with littles – teaches them numbers without feeling like school!