Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read. The little rhyme has become one of the most popular ways to plan Christmas gifts, especially for families who want fewer, better presents instead of a mountain of plastic. It gives children a clear, fair shape to their wishes, keeps spending in check, and still leaves room for a real surprise. This Wish List Template turns the rhyme into four wrapped presents, each with its own tag to fill in.
Why the Four-Gift Rule Works
Parents who use the four-gift idea usually mention the same benefits. Children think harder about what they really want when they only have one want to choose. The need slot quietly covers something practical, like new boots, that would have been bought anyway. Clothing and books are gifts that last beyond Boxing Day. And because the list has a clear end, the pressure to keep adding presents fades. Many families add a fifth line for something to do or, as this template does, a little something extra, usually a small stocking treat.
Four Presents on the Page
The template is US Letter portrait, 8.5 x 11 inches. A deep pine-green header carries My Christmas Wish List in the festive Mountains of Christmas lettering, with Want · Need · Wear · Read in bold white Playfair Display beneath it and a short italic line about four thoughtful gifts. Two sprigs of holly sit on the gold edge of the header, one at each corner. Under the header are handwritten-style lines for the child’s name, age, and the year.
The heart of the design is a grid of four gift boxes, drawn as wrapped presents with ribbons and bows:
- WANT in a red box with a gold ribbon;
- NEED in a pine-green box with a red ribbon;
- WEAR in a golden box with a red ribbon;
- READ in a navy box with a gold ribbon.
Each present carries a white gift tag with Something I or Something to, the category word in large serif capitals, and three writing lines. Below the grid, a red ribbon banner with notched ends reads And a little something extra: with space for one more wish. A pine footer with a gold edge echoes the header and holds our logo in gold.
Gift Ideas for Each Box, by Age
Stuck for ideas? This table gives a starting point for each category at different ages. Use it to prompt children, not to fill the list for them.
| Age group | Want | Need | Wear | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 3-6 | Play kitchen, ride-on toy, building blocks | Night light, backpack, bath toys | Character pajamas, snow suit | Lift-the-flap or rhyming picture books |
| Ages 7-10 | Building sets, art kit, scooter | Lunch box, water bottle, desk lamp | Sports jersey, winter boots | Chapter-book series, joke books, comics |
| Ages 11-14 | Instant camera, headphones, craft kit | Sports kit, calculator, alarm clock | Hoodie, trainers, beanie | Graphic novels, fantasy series |
| Teens and adults | Concert tickets, gadget, hobby gear | Good pillow, work bag, kitchen knife | Quality coat, jewellery, cosy socks | Novels, cookbooks, a magazine subscription |
Filling In the Presents
- Click the name, age, and year to type them in. They are set in a handwriting font, Caveat, so the page still feels personal once printed.
- Click each line inside a gift tag and replace the sample wishes. The sample list shows an instant camera and a LEGO flower bouquet as wants, snow boots and a water bottle as needs, fleece pajamas and a pom-pom beanie to wear, and a book series and a graphic novel to read.
- Write one or two ideas per box. A second idea gives the gift-giver a choice without turning the list into a catalogue.
- Add the extra wish on the ribbon banner, or delete the banner if you stick strictly to four gifts.
Younger children can dictate their wishes while an adult types, or you can print the template with the sample lines deleted and let them write or draw in each box by hand.
Making the Presents Your Colours
Every present is built from simple editable shapes: the box, the two ribbon bands and the bow. Select a box and change its fill to a new colour, then change its ribbons to match. The bows are grouped, so a bow recolours as one piece. The holly sprigs in the header are editable vector illustrations; recolour them from their colour swatches or delete them for a plainer look. To use the list for an adult, change Something I to Something you and the header to Christmas Wish List for Dad.
Using the List With Grandparents and Relatives
The four-gift rule is easy to share. Some families assign one box to each giver: parents take want, grandparents wear, an aunt read, and so on. Others keep all four as the parents’ gifts and send the finished list to relatives as ideas. Download it as a PNG to share by message, or print a copy to post in a card. Either way, everyone knows what the child really hopes for, and duplicates become far less likely.
Printing the Wish List
Print on US Letter at actual size, or choose Fit to page for A4. The green header and coloured presents look best from a colour printer on bright white paper, or on matte card if the list will be kept or displayed. For a list that goes up on the fridge, a thicker 200 gsm card holds up to December handling.
Your Questions About the Four-Gift List
Does “need” have to be boring?
Not at all. A child might need new football boots, a bike helmet or a bedside lamp in their favourite colour.
Can siblings share one page?
It works best with one page each, so every child has their own four boxes. Duplicate the page in the editor and change the name.
What size is it?
US Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches, portrait.
Four Gifts, Wrapped and Ready
Want, need, wear, read: four simple words that make Christmas more thoughtful for children and easier for the grown-ups. Fill in the presents and share the list.
