Whether it’s for a Yankee Swap or a white elephant gift exchange, or just because you feel like messing with someone, giving a novelty gift keeps the mood light, no matter the setting. For those that see gift-giving as an excuse for pranks and nonsense, here’s our list of the best fun novelty gift ideas.
Know someone having a rough time in the dating pool? Don’t let them be alone for Christmas this year. After 72 hours in water, their new partner will grow to six times their original size and be ready to sit by the fire with a glass of eggnog. It’s giving the gift of love, really.
Finally, to really commit to the white elephant gift gag, you could consider an actual elephant. The white elephant gift exchange concept is purportedly based on the legend of the King of Siam, who gave albino elephants to those in his court who irritated him, with the assumption that the care of the animals would be onerous. Thus, a white elephant gift is one whose upkeep outweighs its practical use. Since we can’t advocate buying an actual elephant (besides, where would we even suggest you buy one?), this life-size inflatable one will have to do. The mere act of inflating it will certainly be more trouble than it’s worth, and once that’s done, they’ll have to find somewhere to put it. When inflated, it will stand 120 inches long by 62 inches wide by 84 inches tall. You could explore this idea for a little less money with a five-foot tall teddy bear or for a lot more money with a life-size, rideable giraffe.
Is someone always borrowing (and losing) your writing implements? Put an end to that with this enormous pencil. It measures 14 inches long by 1.25 inches wide. The cartoonish proportions of this are probably enough for a novelty gift, but if you want to make it into a complete set, pick up the Big Mistakes eraser and some giant pens.
Spy gadgetry makes for great novelty and gag gifts. This spy paper is especially fun. Write any message you want on it, give it to someone, and have them expose it to water, whereupon it will instantly dissolve. You could also write up gag contracts or performance reviews and then destroy it completely right in front of their eyes. A simple gag, but a good one. Comes in a pack of 32 pages, either in 4.25 inch by 2.75 inch size or 8.5 inch by 5.5 inch size.
This fun lunchbox is pretty novel in an of itself, going so far as to include an ‘organ donor’ ID tag. Imagine, though, speeding up a beer run by using this to keep beer cool. If people don’t get out of your way this thing, they could be risking someone’s life. More beer is often a life or death struggle, isn’t it?
If someone you know loves tea, consider getting them this obnoxiously cute tea infuser set. The five infusers are both dishwasher and microwave safe, made from food-grade silicone that won’t leech any other flavors into your beverage.
Handing over money in a card at Christmas makes for a pretty boring gift. Sure, it might be the one they want the most, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, hide the cash you plan to give in this puzzle vault. You customize the five-letter word that must be decrypted to open it. You could drop hints, or just leave it up to them to figure out the answer. How long you torture them is entirely up to you.
This horse mask has been as ubiquitous lately as the t-rex costume. That doesn’t make either of them any less funny. This latex horse mask is always great for a gag and will make a pretty good Yankee Swap item, as well.
Novelty backpack clips make excellent stocking stuffers. The weirder, the better. This one, for example, is scented. This snowcone is made to smell like mixed fruit, for some reason. Weird enough for a novelty gift.
Who doesn’t want their waffles delivered in fun shapes? And what could be more fun than a planet-sized instrument of death? Good for Star Wars fans or for annoying people who hate Star Wars. Either way, this gift is a win. You can also opt for the BB8, Stormtrooper, or Dark Vader waffle makers, too. The obvious choice is to buy them all.
Fans of the long-running Cyanide & Happiness comic know that virtually all the content in those panels is NSFW/NSFL (not safe for life). So, they thought, why not make a game out of it? This card-based game follows in the footsteps of The Oatmeal’sExploding Kittens game, putting the hilarious and off-color humor of the creators into an experience for all. In this game, three or more players try to build the funniest or most horrifying comics possible. It’s Cards Against Humanity in comic format.
Excellent to pair with the crane game elsewhere on this list, just owning a gumball machine is an interesting novelty in and of itself. There’s no reason to own one, of course. We recommend upping the ante on this by filling it with emoji gumballs.
While the new NES Classic Edition features 30 preloaded games in a smaller format, it’ll also cost you over $200 and require a TV. On the other hand, this tiny handheld game cabinet features 200 games that can be played right on the device. The 2.5 inch LCD screen allows for full-color gaming, while the joystick and two-button layout recall the arcade games of old. This little guy will run for hours on three AA batteries.
Did you, like me, attach baseball cards to the frame of your bike so that they’d clack against the spokes and create a vaguely motorbike sound? The days of destroying possibly-valuable baseball cards are over with this deluxe kit. This kit includes three Motocards, each producing a different sound. That sound is amplified by the megaphone-style exhaust pipe. The kit includes all the parts and tools you need, as well as 24 stickers for added fun. Perfect for the child, fixie-riding hipster, or bike commuter in your life.
Returning to the retro gaming theme, here’s a gift for every 80s kid. Designed to look just like an old NES cartridge, these are instead flasks, perfect for hiding your favorite libation. It might seem a little conspicuous to be carrying around an NES cartridge, but nevermind that. Other options include Kega Man and The Legend of Drink.
The old surprise shock buzzer gag is a classic. You can’t beat the trick of shocking someone when they don’t expect it. But, let’s face it, it’s a little dated. Reinvent the fun of shocking your friends as a game where they at least have the advantage of knowing it’s coming. Gameplay is simple: listen to the music and watch the lights. When the light turns red, press the button. Last person to press gets a shock. You can adjust the shock level by three settings, so you can dial in how much pain you want your friends to endure.
There’s something rewarding about being able to lob an insult over the head of the intended audience. How better to do that than with Shakespearean insults? And what better way to reference them than on the average adhesive bandage? You’ll get 15 bandages and thus 15 insults in each tin. Handy if you’re the one usually in charge of providing the band-aids. There are also Edgar Allan Poe bandages, if you want to mix and match. Alternatively, you could hand out the insults as chewing gum, if you prefer.
Know someone who puts in 110% everyday — or at least talks like they do? Get them this nameplate that declares their love for work and/or Rick Ross. Choose between brass and brown, silver and brown, brass and white, and silver and white.
Did you enjoy binge watching the Netflix Gilmore Girls reunion mini-series? Even if you didn’t, someone in your life must have. Give them this mug straight out of Luke’s so they can revel in their favorite show every morning. There’s also one inspired by the Dragonfly Inn.
Hanging a map of the world on your wall is a classic touch for any room. Especially the antique-looking, sepia-toned maps, which lend an air of sophistication. Why not add in the extra touch of being a map inspired by fandom? This is a LOTR map of Middle Earth, perfect for anyone who loves the books or movies. This map measures 36 inches by 24 inches. If you prefer, you can also get a Game of Thrones map, too.
Candy canes are an essential part of Christmas. While almost every one you come across is peppermint flavored, that won’t cut it for some people. You need to get really weird with it to grab their attention. This sampler pack of savory candy canes features 24 canes flavored like things that have no business being candy. You get six bacon candy canes, six pickle candy canes, six gravy candy canes, and six wasabi candy canes. Inevitably, someone will admit to loving each of these and they’ll get eaten quickly.
Another retro gift option is this high-quality, vintage-style jacks game. You get ten metal jacks in silver and gold and two red bouncy balls. Games like this are super fun to play on Christmas morning, even if they can’t compete with the new PS4 game. It’s a novelty to play a classic game for a little while, especially when it’s presented this nicely.
For those who love vintage games, this desk lamp is a fun way to celebrate their long-standing high score on the Pac-Man cabinet. In standard mode, this USB-powered light will cycle through 16 different colors on repeat. It also features a party mode, which causes the light to react to the music in a room. There’s a dial to adjust the sensitivity to the volume of the music.
The beauty of this gift is that not only is the crane game fun as it is, but you could stock with something the day of Christmas to make it even more interesting. Candy, money, whatever you want. I owned one of these for a few years and would fill it with themed items at other holidays for parties, especially Halloween. A very versatile and ultimately useable gift for anyone. If you have the money and want to go all out on the gag, you could always get a full-size claw machine, too.
Another game as good for the office as it is for the kids’ room, this giant bowling set offers cartoonish proportions for silly fun. The ball measures 25 inches in diameter, while the pins stand 28 inches tall. This set comes with six pins and one ball, and can be played either in the classic rolling style or as kick ball.
You remember the original View-Master, don’t you? Using photographic discs, it was like binoculars into another world. Mattel has since updated the View-Master for modern life. By downloading apps to your smartphone and placing the phone into the headset, you can enter an immersive, 360-degree world. It’s the same general premise of whisking you off to exotic locations or displaying rarely-seen imagery adapted for our experience-rich entertainment demands of today.
Having just moved to an area of the country where snow on Christmas would be profoundly unlikely, I’m already lamenting the lack of a white Christmas. Not to worry, though, since a snowball fight is possible at any time with this 40-pack kit. Perfect for offices, too.
Does someone you know need a desktop wacky waving inflatable tube guy? Trick question; yes, of course they do. This one can be battery powered and measures 18 inches tall. Don’t worry, you can get full sized versions, too.
When I wrote previously about electronic drum kits, this isn’t quite what I had in mind. That said, this is the perfect novelty gift to give a child asking for a drumset for Christmas. It’s right up there with the Toyota/Toy Yoda joke.
