Secret Santa with Experience Gifts: A Simple Guide
An experience Secret Santa works like the usual draw: everyone picks a name and a shared budget. The difference is the gift. Instead of an object, each person gives a class, a tasting or a handmade piece from a local maker, redeemed in person. It avoids duplicate and unwanted gifts, and certificates can be swapped if the first choice doesn't suit.
Why should you run a Secret Santa with experiences instead of objects?
Secret Santa is common and divisive. In the UK, 29% of adults give as part of one (YouGov, 2023), yet only 24% of adults like or love it, while 33% dislike or hate it (YouGov, 2025). In Spain, a social-media survey by Ayuda en Acción found more than 70% of amigo invisible gifts went unused, and 72.8% of respondents would prefer an experience (Ayuda en Acción, 2020). It is not a representative sample, but the direction is clear.
Research also finds that experiential gifts strengthen the relationship between giver and recipient more than material ones, even when the two people do not use the gift together (Chan & Mogilner, Journal of Consumer Research, 2017). The boost comes from the emotions felt while using the experience, not from the moment of unwrapping.
What budget works best for an experience Secret Santa?
Pick one clear amount and keep it the same for everyone. Around €30 covers a tasting or a small handmade piece; around €40 covers most classes and workshops; around €60 opens longer sessions. On Glad You Liked, company Secret Santa uses exactly these three levels, and Glad Pick for Me is €30 or €50 per person. These group features are in preview.
How do you prepare the group before the draw?
Decide four things in advance: the exact budget, the cities where people live, the date the gifts will be revealed, and what each person would like. Ask everyone to write two or three lines about what they enjoy, what they would never do, and any allergies or access needs. This short wish list is the single biggest change that prevents disappointment.
How do you run a Secret Santa with family?
Family groups usually have mixed ages and tastes, so wishes become even more important. Let children draw names and help them choose. Mix experiences with handmade pieces to keep. Shared experiences tend to create the most happiness (Caprariello & Reis, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2013), so a class for two is often a good pick. Open the gifts together at a meal, then book the experiences in the new year when life is calmer.
How do you run a Secret Santa with friends?
Friends already know each other's tastes and are usually open to trying something new. If two people draw each other, they can do their experiences together. Plan a later meet-up to share photos and stories. It turns one exchange into several shared moments. Glad Swap makes this easy: one invitation link handles the draw, shows each person's wishes, and sends all the gifts together on the chosen day by WhatsApp, Telegram or email. Group features are in preview.
How do you run a Secret Santa at work?
Office versions often feel compulsory and awkward. Make joining optional so nobody is pressured. Let the company pay one fixed amount per person, which removes money worries. And give flexibility: in a survey of 1,045 US employees, 47.9% chose a gift card as their preferred work gift, well ahead of a team meal or experience at 14.4% (GroupTogether, 2025). An experience certificate that can be swapped for another maker offers both a story and real choice. The organiser should see progress without seeing who drew whom. Glad You Liked for companies uses €30, €40 or €60 budgets, one company invoice, and an HR view that never shows the pairs, across offices in Barcelona, Madrid and Tbilisi. It is in preview.
What problems usually happen and how do you avoid them?
The most common issue is that someone never books their experience. Choose gifts valid for 12 months and send a gentle reminder after a month. Another risk is that the gift does not suit the person, so make sure every certificate can be swapped for another maker at any time without involving the giver. If a maker closes, there should be a refund or a swap. Glad You Liked certificates follow these rules.
Questions
How does a Secret Santa with experiences work?
Everyone draws one name as usual. Instead of buying an object, each person chooses a class, tasting or handmade piece from a local maker for their recipient, within the same agreed budget. The certificate is redeemed in person, valid for 12 months and can be swapped for another maker.
What budget works for an experience Secret Santa?
Around €30 covers tastings and small handmade pieces, around €40 most classes and workshops, and around €60 longer sessions. Glad You Liked's company Secret Santa uses these three levels; Glad Pick for Me is €30 or €50 per person.
Is an experience Secret Santa good for work?
It works well when joining is optional, the company pays a fixed amount per person, and every gift can be swapped. Employees tend to prefer flexibility; a swappable experience certificate gives both choice and a personal story.
What if someone doesn't like their experience?
The certificate can be swapped for another maker at any time within its 12-month validity. The recipient does not need to contact the giver. If a maker closes, there is a refund or a swap.