Form or questionnaire
The form asks people to name what they want. The questionnaire asks about them and lets the buyer decide. Forms are faster and give the buyer an easy job, which suits a large office or a group that does not know each other well. Questionnaires produce more thoughtful gifts and suit families and small teams.
If you cannot decide, use the form. A Secret Santa where everybody gets something off a short list they wrote is better than one where half the group guessed.
Three ideas, one veto
Three gift ideas is the right number. One is a shopping instruction, five is a wish list and nobody knows which to pick. Three gives the buyer a choice and keeps a surprise in it.
The one thing to avoid line is the most valuable field on the sheet. It catches food intolerances, scented products, alcohol, novelty clothing and the thing someone already owns three of.
Two per page and other practicalities
The compact layout puts two forms on an A4 sheet with a cut line between them. Print half as many sheets, cut once, hand them out. There is also a single per page version with more writing room, which is better if your group has handwriting like mine.
Put a deadline on the form before printing. Forms collected is the step that stalls every Secret Santa, and a printed date works better than a reminder nobody reads.
Questions
- What goes on a Secret Santa form?
- The person name, three gift ideas, one thing to avoid, clothing sizes if relevant, and the budget and exchange date printed at the top so nobody has to ask.
- Form or questionnaire, which is better?
- The form is faster and gives the buyer an easy job, which suits a large office. The questionnaire asks about the person instead and produces more thoughtful gifts, which suits families and small teams.
- How many forms fit on a page?
- Two in the compact layout, with a cut line between them, or one per page if you want more writing room.
- Why ask for one thing to avoid?
- Because it is the field that saves gifts. It catches food intolerances, scented products, alcohol, novelty clothing and the thing somebody already has three of, all without a conversation.