You’re heard of the 4 Gift Rule for buying Christmas presents for kids, but what about the 5 Gift Rule?
The 5 Gift Rule for Christmas is simple – you get your kids something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read and something to do.
It adds an extra dimension of fun to the gift-buying rule, plus that something to do could be something the whole family can enjoy – like a day trip or weekend away.
Using the rule system makes choosing gifts simple, helps keep you on budget and means your kids receive a diverse range of gifts.
We’re going to discuss how to make this idea work for you, some present ideas for each of the rules and there’s a free printable list template for you so your child can have some input.
The 5 Gift Rule explained
The idea behind the 5 gift rule is that you purchase your child five gifts with each one based on the key categories:
- Want
- Need
- Read
- Wear
- Something to do
As you can see it builds on the basics of the 4 Gift Rule – adding an extra category to want, need, read, wear.
The idea is that you strike a balance between practical items and things that are fun, plus something that involves an activity or day out.
That’s not to say that the need, read and wear rules mean you get something boring!
The “wear” gift could be a fun poncho to snuggle up in during winter, or a cool hat featuring their favourite TV character.
The “need” gift could be a vital item of sporting gear they need for their fave sport – such as a new skateboard or riding helmet.
To help you with your shopping here are some gift ideas that work with each rule.
5 Gift Rule ideas
Need inspiration for how these gift rules work in practice? Here are some 5 Gift Rule ideas to get you started.
Want gift Ideas
- Games console
- Video games
- LEGO kit
- Video game
- Dolls and action figures
- Cuddly toys
- Character toy
- Role play sets
- Dressing up sets
- Board game
Need gift ideas
- Art supplies
- New school bag
- New lunchbox and water bottle
- Sports kit – a new bike helmet, uniform, equipment etc
- Musical instrument kit – music books, instrument cases and stands
- Bedding
- Travel essentials – a new suitcase or bag like a Trunki
- Hobby essentials – new camera for kids who love photography, new Yoga mat etc
- Cutlery set
Read gift ideas
- A new book from their favourite series
- Magazine subscription
- Non-fiction fact book
- How-to book – such as how to draw or craft ideas
- Cookbook
Wear gift ideas
- Socks
- Onesie
- Poncho blanket
- Hat
- Dress
- Smart outfit
- New trainers
- Pyjamas
- Dressing gown
- Coat
Something to do gift ideas
- Cinema tickets
- Zoo tickets
- Zookeeper for a day experience
- Museum trip
- Theatre tickets
- Day trip to a city
- Weekend away
- Trampolining
- Disney trip
- Theme park day trip
- Kid-friendly experience – such as a horse riding lesson, junior driving day, zip-lining
Do stocking fillers count towards the 5 Gift Rule?
In our house stocking fillers do not count towards the 5 Gift Rule.
Stocking fillers tend to be a maximum of £10 each and are usually quite small things in our house – such as chocolate coins, some socks and a fidget toy.
What if you want to buy your child more than five gifts?
If you’re not sure whether the five Gift Rule is for you then it could be that you typically buy more than five gifts each for your children at Christmas.
As with any other parenting rules – from the exact right bedtimes parenting experts claim you must follow to discipline techniques – you take the ideas and make them work for you.
So you could use the 5 Gift Rule to give you categories to work with, but you can purchase more than just five gifts.
For example you could buy two or more books, and if the want new LEGO then get them a couple of new sets instead of just one.
Another alternative is to check out the expanded Gift Rule list ideas – full details below!
What is the 6 Gift Rule?
The 6 Gift Rule – you guessed it – adds a sixth category.
- Want
- Need
- Read
- Wear
- Something to do
- Something to make
The “something to make” gift could be a craft kit, puzzle or anything else creative!
It may overlap with the other categories, such as the something they want category. But it gives them an extra gift!
What is the 7 gift rule?
- Want
- Need
- Read
- Wear
- Something to do
- Something to make
- Something for the family
Now we add a seventh gift category to the list! This one is about all of the family, so something that everyone could use together.
An example of this might be a game for the back garden that everyone may enjoy, such as tether ball, or a games console with games that can be played in twos or threes.
Free 5 Gift Rule Christmas printable gift list
You can use my free printable “what I want for Christmas” list for kids to guide them with their choices based on the 5 Gift Rule.
Simply download the PDF Christmas wishlist and print it off as many times as you like!
Final thoughts on the 5 Gift Rule
I hope this has given you some ideas for how the 5 Gift Rule for Christmas presents for kids works.
Remember that you don’t have to follow this strictly to the letter if you do want to get a few more gifts for your child. But you can use the categories to guide you so they get a good variety of items.
If you are on a budget then having this rule can really help you stick to your spending limit as it encourages you to focus on gifts that really matter.
While I love getting my kids gifts, I do find at Christmas that we receive so many gifts for them that they are totally overwhelmed.
Now I’m not complaining. I know my kids are very lucky to have so many relatives who love buying them gifts.
But I also think it’s important kids aren’t bombarded with too many new things, as that way they don’t ever really appreciate the individual items.
So give the 5 Gift Rule a try – and use my handy free printable to get your kids to give you ideas for what they really want, really need, will read, love to wear and want to do!
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