Gifts for Uncle: Ideas for the Fun Uncle Who Has Everything

Every family has one: the uncle who taught everyone card games, knew a trick with a coin and could be relied on for a terrible joke. Buying for him is tricky because he is not your dad — the gift should be warmer than a gift card but less weighty than a heirloom — and like most men of a certain age, he already has the things he needs.

The right gift is something that fits his role in the family: a game, a prank, a puzzle to pass round. The test: will he bring it out at the next family gathering? If it ends up on the table at Christmas, it has done its job.

For the family table

A dice cup. The leather dice cup with lid comes with five dice and is the uncle gift in one object — he will teach the whole table liar's dice by the end of the evening.

Shut the box. A four-player shut the box is an old pub game that every generation can play at once. See shut the box rules.

A deck with character. A plain deck is fine; a Pirate King playing card deck is a talking point. If he is the one who always deals, he will enjoy it.

For his pocket

A puzzle to pass round. The wooden rope and ring puzzle is the perfect uncle prop: he can solve it, hand it over and watch everyone struggle. See how wire and rope puzzles work.

A lucky card guard. For the uncle who plays poker, a lucky clover card guard sits on his cards at the table and in his pocket the rest of the time. Explained in card protectors in poker.

A pocket watch. For a milestone — his 60th or 70th birthday — a steampunk pocket watch feels like an occasion. Pair it with how to wind a pocket watch in the card if he is new to them.

For his desk

A dice spinner. The dice fidget spinner in antique bronze — six cast dice on spokes — spins quietly on a bearing and suits the man who loves a game. It is the kind of thing he will fiddle with on every phone call.

For the prankster uncle

If he is the family joker, give him ammunition. A snake in a can is the classic, and our guide to the snake in a can prank explains how to set it up so it lands. For more ideas, see gag gifts for adults.

Gifts for uncle from niece or nephew

For a grown niece or nephew buying for an uncle, the most touching gift is one that recalls something he did for you: the card game he taught you, the trick he showed you, the game you always lost to him. Give a good version of it with a note — "you taught me this, so now I owe you a rematch" — and you have the gift he keeps.

Gifts for uncle and aunt together

When buying for an uncle and aunt as a couple, choose a game for two: a backgammon set or cribbage board, or a good deck and a list of card games for two.