Skip to product information
The Family Christmas Gift Exchange Gone Wrong

5 Minutes | 6 Actors

You receive a PDF with the script straight to your inbox upon payment

License of use: You may use it however you want provided you don't make money off of it. Please contact us for commercial use.

This skit follows a family’s Christmas gift exchange that goes completely off the rails when all the labels get mixed up. Mom, Dad, Grandma, and the adult kids gather for a cozy, picture-perfect evening—only to discover that the wrong people are opening the wrong presents. Someone unwraps a dog toy, someone else ends up with a devotional book instead of the kitchen gadget they begged for, and one very unfortunate relative opens a gift they themselves regifted last year.

The misunderstandings keep piling up: Grandma gets inflatable yard decorations instead of chocolates, sparking a dramatic, room-wide search for “the sacred chocolate box.” As they backtrack who wrapped what and who wrote which microscopic labels, tensions and laughter rise together. In the end, a tiny ornament shaped like Baby Jesus appears in the last misplaced box. The family realizes that even their clumsy, mixed-up gift exchange has brought them closer—and that the greatest gift has already been perfectly given in Christ.

Theme

Gratitude and Christ-centered joy over perfection and expectations.
The skit highlights that family Christmases rarely go as planned, but God’s gift in Jesus is secure, steady, and un-mix-up-able. When we refocus on Him, even a chaotic living room can become a place of worship and joy.

Characters

(4-6 adults)

  • Narrator – Friendly, observant voice that frames the chaos and helps land the spiritual message at the end.

  • Mom (Karen) – Organized, slightly controlling, wanted this gift exchange to be “just right”; secretly stressed about the labels.

  • Dad (Mike) – Easygoing, jokes through the stress; occasionally clueless but sincere.

  • Grandma (Ruth) – Sweet, dramatic, loves chocolate and sentimental gifts; unintentionally steals the show.

  • Alex – Adult child, practical, mildly sarcastic; expects a specific kitchen gadget and gets something very different.

  • Tia – Adult sibling/in-law, artistic and scattered; admits to writing tiny labels because she ran out of tape.

When

In modern-day, during a family Christmas Eve or Christmas Day gathering at home.

Props & Costumes

  • 6–8 wrapped boxes of various sizes (they don’t need real items inside, just labels and acting)

  • One small dog toy (or clearly silly toy)

  • A book that looks like a devotional

  • A visible inflatable yard decoration box (or large box with a label)

  • A very small box containing a Baby Jesus ornament (or small cross/nativity ornament)

  • Casual Christmas clothing (sweaters, scarves, etc.)

Why

Key verse:
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

This verse points to God’s ultimate gift—Jesus. The skit uses the mix-up of earthly gifts to contrast with the certainty and perfection of God’s gift in Christ, reminding the audience to be thankful for Him above all.

How

The stage is set like a living room:

  • A couch and a couple of chairs in a semi-circle.

  • A small coffee table with wrapped gifts piled on and around it.

  • Optional small Christmas tree or simple lights in the background.

  • Actors sit or stand casually and move naturally like a family at home. Reactions and facial expressions add most of the comedy.

Time

5–6 minutes

You Qualify for a Bonus Offer

You may also like