What to Bring Your Host Family: 15+ Gift Ideas
What kind of gifts should you pack to give to a homestay host family?
If you’ve read our post, What Sucks About Home-stays and Why You Should Do Them Anyway or Michelle’s book Unconventional Budget Accommodations, you know we’re big fans of getting an authentic, local experience by staying with a host family during your travels.
Arranging Homestay Hosts for Travel
You might have the opportunity to stay with a local family through a study abroad program, language school, international volunteer program, Work Away/WWOOF experience, or foreign exchange.
Independent travelers may arrange their own homestay experience through networks like:
- Homestay.com
- Homestay International
- Servas cultural exchange network
- Couchsurfing.com
- or your own personal network (friends of friends)
Homestay Host Gifts
It’s common practice for visitors to bring a token of appreciation for their hosts, whether they are paying for the homestay experience or being hosted free of charge.
Picking a gift for someone you’ve never met before can be quite a challenge, so we’ve compiled a small list of host family gift ideas to help you choose the perfect present.
Learning a new way of cooking with our homestay host family in Vietnam
Tips For A Good Homestay Host Gift
Keep portability in mind
Most likely you’ll be traveling some distance and carrying everything in a suitcase, so light-weight gifts that don’t break easily will make transporting them much easier.
Lean a little generic
Since you probably don’t know your host family yet, there’s no sense trying to guess their specific tastes. Choose family-friendly options that can be enjoyed by most anyone.
Share something with a story
Gifts can be a great conversation starter. Opt for something that can help you explain more about yourself or where you’re from. Meaningful gifts are better than expensive ones!
Go regional
Our best advice is to bring a gift that is unique to your area, something unique that can’t be found anywhere else. Local treats or small craft items from your hometown or region make some of the best gifts for hosts.
Keep expenses low
It’s always a good idea to minimize traveling with valuables in case of damage or theft. Gifts for homestay families don’t need to be costly anyway. It’s a token of appreciation, not an opportunity to flaunt wealth.
Goodbye presents and thank you gifts
You’ll likely want to give your host family gift on arrival when you first meet your new host family. But you may also want to bring a thoughtful going-away present when you say goodbye. A handwritten card or keepsake photo with the whole family are good options.
What gifts not to give your host family
First, it’s important to do a little research about what might be culturally appropriate for gift giving in the host country.
Also keep in mind that perishable items can go bad in transit. Certain objects and things like plants may not be allowed in your luggage by TSA.
A gift shouldn’t become a burden, for yourself or your recipient. Avoid items that are excessively heavy, bulky, or require a lot of upkeep.
Top Homestay Host Family Gift Ideas
We’ll use our home state of Oregon in our examples, but you can obviously substitute something similar from your own area.
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Regional picture book
A coffee table book or homemade photo book is a great way to show your host parents where you come from. This can be an excellent ice breaker when you meet your family.
Shop for regional photo books >
A Box of Locally Made Treats
Treats unique to your region make great gifts. Try to choose something that’s not widely available in the place you’re visiting.
Hard candies, coffee, or tea travel well. Locally made chocolates can work if you use a hot-cold bag to prevent melting.
Regional Wall Calendar
Calendars with images of your hometown, state, or country are good light-weight gifts for exchange students or other travelers who don’t have much space in their luggage. It helps introduce yourself, and the host family can use it year round.
Shop for regional wall calendars >
Book on the National Parks
A book that highlights the National Parks is another good gift option if you’re not able to find more region-specific products to bring.
Shop for National Parks books >
A Photo Album You Can Add To Together
Bringing a nice photo album or scrapbook is a creative option for exchange students who plan to stay long-term with a host family.
You can present the album when you arrive. Then be sure to follow up before your departure to fill it with printed pictures of your time together.
Ingredients For A Favorite Recipe You Can Make For Them
If you like cooking, consider showing your new host family a meal you can enjoy together. Bring pre-measured dry ingredients and written instructions.
Cookie, cobbler, and cake mixes can help keep it simple and give you something to do together.
Local Sports Team Paraphernalia
Whether from your city, college or University, sports gear is another gift that represents where you’re from.
Avoid giving shirts or clothing unless you know your host family’s sizes. Hats, scarves, pens, keychains, and stickers are all good options.
Games
Games are an especially great idea for host families with children. Games that are easy to travel with include card games, small board games, and frisbees.
Other souvenirs from your hometown
Collectibles can make a cheap and small gift you can pick up from local gift shops, tourist information centers, and even the airport if you forget a gift en route.
- Postcards
- Magnets
- Pens
- Mugs
- Key chain
- Stickers
- Playing cards
- Calendar
Handmade Crafts
Making your own gift is a thoughtful gesture. If you have a hobby like painting, drawing, weaving, crocheting, consider making a small piece of art. Handmade gifts help the host family get to know you and show that you took the time to appreciate them.
Remember that they don’t have to be fancy or expensive. In fact, hand-made presents can be even more meaningful.
If you’re able, why not create something small, like an ornament that represents where you’re from or some kind of hands-on activity you can do together with the family (like cooking).
What homestay host family gifts will you give?
Hopefully you have a few ideas for host family gifts now.
If you have other ideas for American gifts to take overseas, we’d love to hear them. Please share your homestay gift advice in the comments below!
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This is such a thoughtful idea, especially if you bring them a little bit of your home too.