Free Secret Santa Questionnaire and Rules (UK, Printable)

Running a Secret Santa at work, with family or with friends? This page has a free questionnaire you can hand out, simple rules to share, a step-by-step guide for the organiser and gift ideas for every budget. Print the page and you get just the questionnaire, one clean A4 sheet with space to write. Make as many copies as you need.

Secret Santa rules

Copy these into your email or message, and fill in the budget and the date first.

1. Spend no more than £____.
2. Bring your wrapped gift by ____________.
3. Keep it secret. Don't tell anyone who you drew.
4. Read their questionnaire and choose something they'll really like.
5. Check their allergies and the "Please, no..." answer.
6. Keep it kind: no gifts that could embarrass or upset anyone.
7. Label the gift with their name, not yours.
8. Have fun, and try to guess who your Santa was.

How to run a Secret Santa in 7 steps

1. Set the rules. Choose a budget, a swap date and a deadline for questionnaires. A limit of £5 to £15 keeps it fair for everyone.
2. Sign people up. Pin a sheet up in the kitchen or staff room, or ask people to reply to an email.
3. Send out the questionnaire. Hand out printed copies, or paste the questions into an email, and collect the answers back.
4. Draw the names. Write each name on a slip, fold it and draw from a hat. If anyone pulls their own name, everyone puts theirs back and you draw again.
5. Match up the questionnaires. Give each Santa the answers from the person they drew. Only check that everyone has picked a name, and don't write down who drew whom unless the group asks you to.
6. Shop and wrap. Point anyone who's stuck to the gift ideas below. Keep tags anonymous.
7. Swap and guess. Hand out the gifts on the day. Let everyone guess who their Santa was, then reveal.

Secret Santa gift ideas by budget

Prices vary by shop and season, so treat these as a starting point.

Under £5

• Luxury hot chocolate or tea selection
• Fun patterned socks
• Bag of their favourite sweets

Under £10

• A mug filled with their favourite snacks
• A jigsaw or puzzle book
• Reusable coffee cup

Under £15

• Small scented candle
• Card game for two
• Plant-growing kit

Under £20

• Spa or pamper set
• Desk organiser
• Cinema or coffee shop voucher

Stuck? Try the 4-gift formula

Put four small things in one box: something to eat (their favourite snack), something cosy (socks or hand warmers), something useful (a nice pen or a mug) and something fun (a mini puzzle or a joke). It works for almost anyone.

How to use this page

• In an office or staff room: print one questionnaire per person and leave a labelled box or envelope for the answers.
• By email or group chat: copy the questions and the rules into your message, then ask people to reply only to you so the answers stay private.
• With family: simplify the questions for younger children, and help them fill in the "I'd really love..." line.
• Timing: leave at least two weeks between the draw and the swap, so people can order online if they want to.