We did gift swap for years for husband’s group. Lots of fun at 25 bucks but then the price level kept going up.
Got to 75 bucks and instead of buying just fun stuff it turned into wanting to keep what you bought which defeated the purpose. We finally stopped. I miss it though–got some fun stuff!
For kids in the 3-6 year old range, mine always love anything that allowed for pretend play - dress up costumes for both genders including hemmed yardage of all kinds of sparkly and shiny fabrics that could be used for anything including create forts and such, capes, magic wands, toy cash register or other items for playing store/restaurant, tea sets, etc.
I miss buying for little ones.
We still have a bin of that stuff!
Finally finished. I ordered personalized Visa gift cards for the two oldest kids. It has their picture on it, their name and Happy Hanukkah under name. Makes it a bit more special than just regular Visa gift card.
^That is cool!
If anyone is interested here is the gift card site. https://www.giftcards.com
Besides the fee charge to initially purchase a Visa gift card, here’s another thing I don’t like and why I won’t give them my business:
“There are no fees associated with using our gift cards to make a purchase; however, cards that are inactive for more than 12 consecutive months will be charged a $4.95 per month Service Fee”
Yeah, but these are for kids. They will probably spend it all in the first week.
One of mine didn’t and got hit with the fees way back when (although I think it was 6 months back then). It was a gift from someone else but I said I’d never support it. It’s pretty ridiculous.
These kids are 11 and 13. They will spend the $25 before the year is up.
Congrats on being done, though! 
I think of what Emily bought as a gift, a card, and a gift card in one. Sure the company makes money on it… but so does Hallmark. Emily probably knows the girls’ shopping habits.
But yeah. In onter situations, those cards are a bad deal.
The 13 yr old is a boy. I bought the company’s special card. Was an extra $1.59.
In my experience, kids that age go to the malls and spend the money they get as presents pretty quickly. And it not like I put $1000 on each card - it’s $25! That can be gone in less than an hour at the mall.
@emilybee My 14 year old boy would have used it on Amazon before the night was over. $25 no problem.
We had our family party today. The gifts I picked for the kids were all a hit.
I was the first and last to pick in the swap. I ended up with an Amazon Echo after someone took my 1st pick (Go Sports Toppling Tower) and my second pick was pair ladies leather gloves and fur scarf and men’s leather gloves and a scarf - which neither of us need.
Two people brought instapots - those got swapped several times.
^^Wow those are some nice “white elephant” gifts!!! Fun!
@abasket Yeah we should have crashed it.