Every Christmas, someone in the family gets a gift that gets used once and then stored. You know the ones — the thing that seemed like a great idea and turned out to collect dust.

The gifts that don't do that are the ones built around shared experience rather than individual consumption. Something the whole family plays together, not something one person uses alone.

These are the ones worth giving this Christmas.

For the family that gathers outside: Cornhole

"The gift that actually gets used" — it's our tagline because it's true. A Cornhole set is the outdoor gift that comes out every time people are together. Christmas Day, New Year's, every summer gathering through to autumn.

Cornhole is the right Christmas gift because it changes how a backyard gets used. The family that gets a Cornhole set in December is still playing it in March. Options range from the Natural Wood and Deluxe sets to the Signature board made locally with NZ marine-grade ply. Custom sets with the family name or a design are available for something more personal.

Two boards for tournament-style play, or one board for casual summer afternoons — both work.

For the family that loves a crowd moment: Giant Tumbling Tower

There is a specific sound a Giant Tumbling Tower makes when it falls, a cascade of solid pine blocks hitting the grass, and it produces a specific reaction in everyone nearby: a collective noise of equal parts delight and complaint.

That moment is the gift. The Giant Tumbling Tower delivers it reliably, every game, for years. It works for every age — a five-year-old or a seventy-year-old can play it competitively.

For the family that loves a yarn: Backyard Chats Tumbling Tower

Same tower mechanic, different layer. Each block in the Backyard Chat set has a conversation prompt — questions, scenarios, would-you-rather choices — that gets read out when the block is pulled.

What this does is turn a game into a genuine conversation. Christmas and New Year gatherings are exactly the moments when families want that — time with people they love, talking about things that matter. For an extended family gathering where not everyone sees each other often, Backyard Chat is the gift that makes the afternoon feel different.

For the family that likes something low-key: Yardzee and Farkle

The Backyard Dice set — oversized versions of the classic dice games Yardzee and Farkle — is the gift for families who want something that runs alongside the day rather than taking it over.

Both games are quick to learn, work with any number of players taking turns, and create enough friendly competition to keep people engaged without requiring the energy of a more active game. Perfect as a standalone gift or an add-on.

A note on gifting for the person who has everything

The common thread: these aren't gifts that go in a drawer. They're gifts that change how time gets spent. For the person who doesn't need more stuff, a game that brings people together is the most considered thing you can give.

Browse the full games range for the perfect Christmas gift →