How do you choose a gift for your parents?
Give them a moment or a keepsake that will last: most parents already have the essentials.
One gift for both of them: a meal, an outing or a keepsake they will share, rather than two small separate gifts.
Something to experience or savour: a good restaurant, a stay, chocolates; nothing that piles up in their cupboards.
A little of yourself: family photos, a day spent together, a recipe in your own handwriting.
Products chosen from their product pages, without trying them, from retailers that deliver in France. Outside France, check delivery and the addresses covered by the gift boxes.
Parents who have everything, retired or far away: what to give?
Start from what they are missing, often time with you: a meal out or a night away for parents who have everything, a workshop for newly retired parents, a Wi-Fi photo frame for parents who live far away.
Parents who already have everything
Time spent together, or a treat to share.
- A meal at a restaurant
- A night away
- Christmas chocolates
Newly retired parents
They finally have time: give them something to fill it with, as a couple or with you.
- A workshop with a craftsperson
- A gourmet getaway
- A 1,000-piece jigsaw
Parents who live far away
What brings them closer to the family, despite the distance.
- A Wi-Fi photo frame
- A family album
- A visit over the holidays
Parents who host Christmas
They cook for the whole family: a gift for the table, or something to help them unwind once the festivities are over.
- Foie gras
- A teapot for teatime
- A dinner served by someone else
Your in-laws, for the first time
A first meeting or a first Christmas at their home: a simple, thoughtful gift chosen with your partner.
- A box of chocolates
- A speciality from your region
- A bouquet of flowers
New grandparents
What pleases them most: time, and news of their grandchildren.
- Photos of the grandchildren
- A framed drawing
- An afternoon together
Still not sure? Ask them for a Christmas list: they write down what they would really love.
Experience gifts for parents: a meal out, a weekend away or a workshop
A gift box for a meal, a weekend away or a workshop: your parents pick the date, and the gift becomes a memory.
Across the 2025 Christmas lists in our barometer: 27% of them asked for outings, experiences or subscriptions.
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A meal out: lunch or dinner for two, at a restaurant they would not have treated themselves to.
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A night away: a guesthouse or a château, for a gourmet getaway.
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A craft: a cooking, pottery or basket-weaving workshop, as a couple or with you.
Free for you: no fees or commission are deducted from your gifts. Some merchant links are affiliate links: the merchant may pay us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
More than 1,400 restaurants
E-coffret Wonderbox Tables gourmandes
A meal for two, starter and main or main and dessert, at more than 1,400 restaurants: a Parisian brasserie, a former coaching inn, a restaurant serving south-west French food… An e-gift box, available as soon as you buy it.
€69.90
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Fnac
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
For 2 people
E-coffret SmartBox Week-end charme et saveurs
A gourmet getaway for two, chosen from châteaux, estates, hotels and guesthouses, to discover a region and its food. Your parents book the date and place themselves, subject to availability.
€99.90
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Fnac
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
Valid for 2 years
Carte cadeau Wecandoo
More than 9,000 workshops with craftspeople, and your parents choose theirs. Amount of your choice: €50, €100, €150 or €200; valid for 2 years, the card arrives by email (paper card optional, €5.90).
€100.00
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Wecandoo
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
Treats for your parents: chocolates, foie gras, a teapot
Chocolates, foie gras, a teapot for afternoon tea: gifts to share as a family, around the table.
Order early: in December, delivery times get longer, and some Christmas chocolates only ship from a date given on their product page.
225 g
Boîte de chocolats de Noël T2, 225 g (Jadis et Gourmande)
An assortment made with cocoa butter only, in dark and milk chocolate: pralines, ganaches, chocolate discs topped with nuts and dried fruit, a star and chocolate-coated hazelnuts. Shipping from 23 November 2026 (available to pre-order until then).
€30.90
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Jadis et Gourmande
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
Whole foie gras
Coffret foie gras de canard entier du Gers IGP, 180 g (Esprit Foie Gras)
Ready to give as it is, and a fine start to the festive meal.
€30.00
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Esprit Foie Gras
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
1.3 L teapot
Coffret théière 1,3 L, porcelaine et bonnet tricoté (Tous au ski)
Colourful snowflakes in a Nordic-jumper pattern, a red knitted cosy with a pompom and dishwasher-safe porcelain. A Maisons du Monde design, to give with a tea they love.
€24.99
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Maisons du Monde
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
Personalised gifts for your parents: family photos and keepsakes
A personalised gift made of family memories: a frame or an album of your photos, a book in which your mother or father tells their life story, a notebook to hand down their recipes.
A video from the whole family
Each family member films a message a few seconds long; you combine them into a single video, to watch together at Christmas.
An album of years gone by
Gather everyone’s photos, from childhood holidays to the latest birthdays, and have them printed in an album.
A day with you
A voucher for a day with just them, on a date of their choice: a walk, a museum, a lunch. Write it on a nice card.
Photos sent remotely
Cadre photo numérique Wi-Fi 10 pouces, RWF-108V, 32 Go (Kodak)
A 10-inch touchscreen that shows the family’s photos one after another: everyone sends them from their phone, wherever they are, through the Kodak Classic Frame app. Discounted price on the day it was checked.
€99.99
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Kodak
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
For your mother
Maman, raconte-moi, livre souvenir à remplir
A book in French with questions about her childhood, youth and adult life, and space to stick photos: your mother tells her story in it for her children and grandchildren.
€19.95
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Cultura
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
For your father
Papa, raconte-moi, livre souvenir à remplir
The version for your father: his childhood home, the games he played at school and his first job, with photos, to pass on to his grandchildren.
€19.95
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Cultura
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
9 photos
Cadre multivues 9 photos en bois de manguier, 62 × 53 cm (Bako)
Eight 10 × 15 cm photos and one 12 × 17 cm photo in the centre, in a single solid mango wood frame: children and grandchildren together on one wall. Fill it before you give it.
€44.99
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Maisons du Monde
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
48 pages
Album photos Sauge, 25 × 25 cm
A square 48-page album of thick paper, with a sewn and glued binding and an inside pocket to slip in your paper keepsakes.
€28.00
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Cultura
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
Recipes to pass on
Mon carnet de recettes de famille à remplir (Merci les livres)
A notebook in French where your parents write down their recipes, so their grandchildren can cook them in turn. Write the first one in it yourself.
€13.95
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Cultura
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
How do you choose a gift for your in-laws?
For your in-laws, choose a gift for both of them: a meal to share, foie gras, a box of chocolates or a teapot.
Ask your partner: they know what their parents like, and what they already have.
Give it from both of you: the gift comes from the couple, not just from you.
Keep to a reasonable budget: a gift that is too expensive makes people uncomfortable, especially at a first Christmas.
Your father’s or mother’s partner: in a blended family, a simple gift to share, a meal or a game for the evenings, shows you care without overstepping.
What to give your mother-in-law for Christmas?
For your mother-in-law, go for a treat she would not buy herself: a skincare set, a scented candle, cosy slippers or chocolates.
A mother-in-law you hardly know: a scented candle, a box of chocolates or flowers; skincare only if your partner knows what she uses.
A mother-in-law you know well: a workshop to do with her, slippers that match your father-in-law’s, an album of photos of her grandchildren.
Best avoided without advice: perfume or clothes, if you know neither her taste nor her size.
Across the 2025 Christmas lists in our barometer: 41% of them asked for beauty products or fragrances.
Christmas edition
Kit cadeau Soin corps Cocooning (Aroma-Zone)
An exfoliating glove, a gentle cleansing cream and a body lotion with a Christmas tea scent, together in a pouch. For a mother-in-law who likes to look after herself.
€23.15
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Aroma-Zone
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
Cashmere vanilla
Bougie de Noël parfumée en verre mercurisé doré, parfum « Vanille cachemire » (Paris)
A large candle, 16 cm tall, in a gold glass, with a scent created for Maisons du Monde that blends musky vanilla and a powdery floral bouquet, to dress the festive table, then the living room.
€26.99
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Maisons du Monde
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
Sherpa lining
Chaussons Wendy Slipper Buffalo Plaid (HEYDUDE)
Slippers lined with sherpa, in red and black check, with a removable insole. The matching men’s model is called Wally Slipper Buffalo Plaid, at the same price: a pair for each of them.
€69.99
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at HEYDUDE
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
What to give your father-in-law for Christmas?
For your father-in-law, choose something well made that lasts, or a pleasure to share: a pocket knife, a 1,000-piece jigsaw or a card game.
A father-in-law you hardly know: a speciality from your region or foie gras, for Christmas Eve dinner.
A father-in-law you know well: a knife engraved with his name, or a cooking or basket-weaving workshop to do with him.
Depending on his interests: gardening, cooking, DIY or reading; avoid clothes or a gadget picked at random.
Across the 2025 Christmas lists in our barometer: 46% of them asked for things for the home, the kitchen, the garden or DIY.
Made in France
Couteau Laguiole manche en bois d’olivier, 9 cm (Laguiole Iforge)
A folding knife, 9 cm long when closed, with an olive wood handle and stainless steel bolsters, and a lifetime guarantee. The blade can be engraved with a name for €5.12 more.
€115.00
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Laguiole Iforge
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
1,000 pieces
Puzzle 1 000 pièces « Un dimanche à la campagne » (Maison Joliette)
Soft colours and a peaceful scene: a conservatory full of plants, looking out over the countryside. Just the thing for winter afternoons, alone or together.
€34.90
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at La Puzzlerie
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
2 to 8 players
Skyjo, jeu de cartes (Blackrock Games)
A family game that is easy to explain: for ages 8 and up, games lasting 15 to 30 minutes. Grandchildren and grandparents can play together.
€16.99
Price checked on 06/11/2026 at Fnac
Excluding delivery, wrapping and extras.
Gifts for parents on a budget or as a group: how much to spend?
There is no set amount: a book, a game or a teapot for under €30 makes a welcome gift, and a weekend away is easier to fund as a group, with your siblings.
A benchmark: according to our 2025 Christmas List Barometer, the median price of a wish was €26.
Teenager, student, small budget: a handwritten letter, a jar of homemade biscuits or vouchers for breakfast in bed mean as much as a bought gift.
Under €30
8 ideasA small gift to give on your own, with a few words on a card.
€30 to €70
6 ideasA gift for one of your parents or both, from you alone or from a few of you.
€70 and over
4 ideasThe right budget for a group gift from you and your siblings.
A group gift for your parents, from you and your siblings
A weekend away, a Wi-Fi photo frame or a big meal: everyone chips in what they can, and your parents receive a gift none of you would have given alone.
1. Choose the gift together
Agree on the idea and on a budget that suits everyone.
2. Everyone notes their contribution
On your parents’ list, start a gift pool on the chosen gift, as long as nobody has reserved it. If it is not on their list, add it for them with the “Surprise gift” box ticked: the app does not show it to them. Everyone records their pledge in the pool and sees what is left to raise.
3. One person buys it
They order the gift once the money is raised, and the others pay them back directly.
No payment goes through Listopia: the gift pool keeps track of pledges, and the money is settled between you.
A gourmet weekend away for Annie and Gérard
€75 pledged by three siblings
€25 still to raise
Thomas, Claire and Hugo
The simplest option: ask them for their Christmas list
Never sure what to give your parents? A shared Christmas list saves you guessing: your parents add their wishes, and everyone can see what is already reserved for the others.
1. One list for the whole family
On Listopia, create a group event for Christmas, add your parents, then send the link to the family: everyone lists their wishes on it. It is free, with no sign-up.
2. Your parents list their wishes
They open the link on their phone or computer. If they prefer, they can tell you their wishes and you add them on their behalf, with the “Surprise gift” box unticked so they can see them.
3. No duplicates, and the surprise is kept
Others see a reserved wish as taken. By default, your parents cannot see whether their wishes are reserved, or by whom.
Across the 2025 Christmas lists in our barometer: each member of a family list asked for a median of 5 gifts.
Family Christmas
- Gift pool
A gourmet weekend away
Annie and Gérard
€75 pledged by three siblings €25 still to raise - Reserved
A Wi-Fi photo frame
Annie and Gérard
- Available
A teapot
Annie
- Reserved
A Laguiole knife
Gérard