Secret Santa Gifts for Kids: Ideas Under $10, $20 and $40

Gift Guides · By the Flipsy team, Hunter Valley NSW · Updated 2 November 2026 · 6 min read

The best secret santa gifts for kids are small, cheap and still loved in January, which is harder than it sounds when the budget is $10 and you’ve never met the child. Here are ideas under $10, $20 and $40 that work for school, kinder, cousins and the work Christmas party where everyone brings the kids.

Some are things we make in our Hunter Valley workshop. Plenty aren’t, because a good Kris Kringle pile is a mix.

How to choose secret santa gifts for kids: three rules

Kids’ Secret Santa is a different game from the office version. Nobody wants a novelty mug, and the gift gets opened in front of an audience of very honest critics. Three rules keep it simple:

• Stick to the budget. The child who gets the $8 present while their friend gets the $30 one will notice. Kids are excellent auditors.
• Go wide on age and interests. If you don’t know the child, pick something that suits a range: stickers, a torch, a card game, a funny tee.
• Skip food and tiny parts for little ones. Allergies make food risky at school and kinder, and anything smaller than a 50-cent piece is a choking risk for babies and toddlers, according to the Royal Children’s Hospital’s toy safety advice. Follow the age label on the pack.

Secret santa gifts for kids under $10

Ten dollars is a common limit for school and family swaps. It’s tight, but it buys more than a chocolate bar.

A Christmas sticker pack $6

Stickers are the quiet achievers among secret santa gifts for kids on a small budget: light, flat, easy to wrap and used for months on drink bottles and school books. Each Flipsy sticker pack has six die-cut stickers of about 7.5 cm, all starring one character from the gang. The Christmas packs have Swoop the magpie on a sled in his cable-tie helmet and Santa hat, Spike the echidna ice skating in a Christmas jumper and Chuckles the kookaburra laughing at something (he’s not sure what).

An everyday sticker pack $6

If the swap happens in early December, an everyday pack lasts past Christmas. Match the character to the kid: Snug for the child who likes the hall light on, Gulpy for the one who prefers the shallow end, Binny for the treasure hunter with lovely manners.

Other good picks under $10

• Swimming goggles: every Aussie kid loses a pair a summer.
• A small torch: for camping, cubbies and reading under the covers.
• A deck of cards: Snap and Go Fish get played all holidays.
• Footpath chalk or a bubble wand: brilliant for littlies, no batteries.

Our list of stocking fillers for kids under $10 has more ideas in this range.

Secret santa gifts for kids under $20

With a $20 limit, secret santa gifts for kids can be one thing that feels special rather than three small things.

A Mystery Mini blind box $12

The Flipsy Mystery Mini is a tiny 3D-printed member of the gang, about 5.5 cm tall, sealed in a blind box so nobody knows who’s inside until it’s opened. That makes it one of the easiest secret santa gifts for kids: the surprise is built in. There are seven to collect, and some boxes hide a rare glow-in-the-dark mini (about 1 in 10) or a super-rare golden one (about 1 in 20).

They’re great for pockets, desks and swapping in the playground. See the whole Flipsy collectibles range. Minis have small parts, so they’re not suitable for children under 3.

Personalised name stickers $15

If you know the child’s name, a sheet of personalised name stickers is useful and still feels like a present. Each sheet has 23 stickers with their name and their favourite character, ready for lunchboxes, pencil cases and books before school goes back. Check the spelling before you order, as every sheet is printed just for them.

A three-pack of stickers $18

Three different sticker packs come to $18 with free postage. Wrap them as a set, or mix one Christmas pack with two everyday ones so the fun keeps going into the new year.

Secret santa gifts for kids under $40

A bigger budget is common for cousins and family Kris Kringle. This is where secret santa gifts for kids can last the whole summer.

A Christmas tee $35

A funny tee gets worn to Christmas lunch, the beach and the next three family barbecues. Our Christmas tees come in sizes 2 to 14 in soft garment-dyed cotton. Swooping Season’s Greetings has Swoop in a Santa hat over his cable-tie helmet, Binny: Christmas Lunch has her red bow tie, napkin and knife and fork ready, and Chuckles: Cracker Joke is reading a bon bon joke with a very puzzled face. He’ll laugh anyway.

A UPF 50+ bucket hat $35

A sun hat is one of the most useful secret santa gifts for kids in an Australian December. Cancer Council recommends bucket hats with a deep crown and a brim of at least 5 cm for children. Our kids’ bucket hats are cotton twill, rated UPF 50+, with a 6.5 cm brim and a toggle chin cord so they stay on at the beach. They fit heads of 51 to 54 cm, which is about ages 4 to 10.

An everyday character tee $35

For a gift that isn’t Christmas-only, pick a tee from the gang to suit the child: Spike: Cuddle Expert for the big hugger, Snug: Nightlight, Please for the kid who likes a bit of light at bedtime, or Chuckles: Ha Ha Ha! for the giggler. Every tee comes in sizes 5 to 14, with little sizes on selected designs, and Flipsy the upside-down quokka is hiding somewhere on each one. Spotting her is part of the fun.

Free extras that make secret santa gifts for kids feel bigger

Add one of these to any present and it looks like you planned it for weeks:

• A story to read together. Our free read-along stories include Snug and the Dark, Swoop and the Bike Bell and Gulpy and the Deep End. Write the title on the gift tag.
• A colouring page roll. Print a few free colouring pages, roll them with a ribbon and add two pencils.
• A note about the character. Each member of the gang has a page of real animal facts, like Swoop the magpie or Binny the ibis, so a tee or sticker pack can come with a fun fact.

Every first Flipsy order also comes with a free starter pack of collectible stickers, a collector sheet and a mystery mini. Orders are posted in 1 to 2 business days, and shipping is free over $80, so it’s worth grouping the Secret Santa gift with the rest of your Christmas shopping. Our guide to Australian Christmas gifts for kids covers the bigger presents.

Secret santa gifts for kids: FAQs

What are good secret santa gifts for kids?

Pick something that suits a range of ages and gets used after Christmas: sticker packs, a blind box collectible, a torch, a card game, a sun hat or a funny tee. Avoid food and novelty plastic.

How much should you spend on a kids’ Secret Santa?

School and kinder swaps tend to keep it small, around $5 to $10, while family Kris Kringles might run to $20 or $40. Whatever the limit, stick to it so every child gets a similar gift.

What’s a good Secret Santa gift for a child you don’t know?

Choose something that works for any personality, such as a character sticker pack, a Mystery Mini blind box or a UPF 50+ bucket hat. Hats fit most kids aged about 4 to 10.

Are Mystery Minis OK for toddlers?

No. Flipsy Mystery Minis have small parts and aren’t suitable for children under 3. For toddlers, choose bubbles, chunky chalk or a Christmas tee, which starts at size 2.

How fast do Flipsy orders arrive?

Orders are posted within 1 to 2 business days. Sticker postage is $4.50, free on three or more packs, and shipping is free on orders over $80.