Free Printable Secret Santa Questionnaire

It doesn’t matter how old I get, I still love a surprise! Secret Santa is a fun way to add a little extra surprise to your holiday season and this free printable Secret Santa questionnaire will help make your annual gift exchange even easier. Best of all, it also comes with a Secret Santa sign-up sheet and draw cards.

Secret Santa is one of the most popular Christmas party activities, especially for work and school groups. But when you’re buying for someone you don’t know very well, having a little extra guidance goes a long way to getting them something they will love!

That’s exactly why I created this Secret Santa survey. Take some of the guesswork out of gift buying!

Why Use a Questionnaire?

The questionnaire is a game-changer for Secret Santa exchanges. It takes the guesswork out of gift-giving by giving you a better idea of the recipient’s preferences, making it much easier to choose a thoughtful gift.

That is unless you’re going for a novelty gift exchange… then it doesn’t matter quite so much!

Let’s be honest though… a lot of people aren’t going to be too keen to fill in a survey and there might be sections they don’t feel comfortable filling in when they do. This is fine.

A few answers or preference ticks is still going to make gift buying a heck of a lot easier than if you’re going in totally blind. So don’t be too fussed if they’ve only partially completed the Secret Santa form.

The Secret Santa Questionnaire included the following:

• Favourites with space to write theirs
• A list of preferences
• Allergies
• Wants, don’t needs and dislikes
• Clothing sizes
• Wishlist

How To Plan A Secret Santa Gift Exchange

We have been doing an annual Secret Santa exchange with both sides of our family for many years now. All the adults join in and it means buying one (well, 2) gifts each for the extended family, rather than trying to stretch the budget to cover every single family member. When you’ve got a big family like I do, this is a total game changer.

The thing is though, it’s usually fairly easy to get a surprise gift for someone you know well such as an immediate family member. It’s when you’re buying for someone you don’t hardly know, like a co-worker or a child’s classmate, that the gift buying can get a tad stressful.

Here’s your no-stress guide to planning a Secret Santa Gift Exchange:

1. Set Date & Budget

Choose a date for the gift exchange and set a budget that everyone is comfortable with. This helps manage expectations and ensures that all participants are on the same page financially. A typical budget might range from $10 to $25, depending on the group.

If you are doing a family Secret Santa, your budget might be much higher. We typically do between $50-$100, depending on the year and everyone’s financial situation at the time.

2. Sign Up & Secret Santa Survey

Not everyone will want to join a gift exchange, depending on what group you’re planning your Secret Santa with. If it is an optional thing, use the included sign-up sheet to track who is participating.

Have each person who signs up also grab a questionnaire to fill out then drop back into a box before a set date. This way you’ve got everything you need before you do the draw. Distribute the forms well in advance to give everyone time to fill them out.

3. Do The Name Draw

Once everyone has signed up, it’s time to draw names. Put each complete survey into an envelope and add these to a large bowl to have each participant draw one out. If they draw themselves, they can throw the envelope back in and pick another.

This way they get the completed Secret Santa form straight away when they draw.

Another option is having a draw organiser who allocates who gets who and hands out the completed questionnaires so there aren’t any double-ups, but random is more fun!

4. Plan Your Gift Giving Event

Decide on the format of the gift-giving event. Will it be a casual get-together, a festive party, or a quick lunch break gift exchange on the last workday before Christmas? Plan your event and make sure everyone knows the details with plenty of lead time.

5. Send Reminders

As the event approaches, send reminders to participants about the date, time, and location of the exchange, as well as any specific instructions regarding the gifts. Remind everyone to keep the recipient’s identity a secret until the big reveal!

Life is busy so reminders are important… just in case! It doesn’t hurt to have a back up gift or two for on the day in case someone forgets or can’t make it. That way no one is left empty-handed.