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About the G4G16 Gift Exchange

Traditionally, every Gathering conference includes an optional Gift Exchange in which some attendees swap puzzles, magic tricks, artwork, papers, novelty items, books, etc. Attendees who wish to participate in the Gift Exchange must either submit a physical item for the Exchange Bag or submit a paper for publication on the G4G website.

Frequently Asked – How Many Gifts Do I Need to Bring?

Attendees participating with a physical item must bring 170 copies of their gift. 

Looking for Inspiration?

Think of the exchange as something Martin Gardner might find intriguing. The best gifts have a clear use for the recipient in terms of exhibition, learning, demonstration, or play to bring delight through enhanced understanding.

Here are a few questions to consider when deciding on a gift to contribute:

  1. What will my gift teach or show the recipient?
    The best gifts tell people things that they didn’t know or give recipients a different perspective on or interaction with a concept. This could come through a game, a puzzle, an essay, a piece of art, or any other sort of thing.
  2. How will the recipient use the item? 
    The best gifts have a use, which could be that the recipient learns something, can use it to teach or entertain others, can play with it or make something with it, can exhibit it, or can use it as an interesting example.

As in past years, there is no vetting of gifts! We are providing these suggestions to help participants decide what to submit. But the decision on what to submit is ultimately entirely up to the participant.

VIEW EXAMPLES OF PAST GIFTS
Gift Exchange Items
Gift Exchange Items

How Do I Sign Up?

  • Step 1) 
    Signup via the Google form found in your invitation email. When signing up, you are committing to bring 170 copies of your physical item or write a paper.
    • Attendees who bring gifts to the conference but have not signed up via the Google form may choose to have their items added to the Exchange Bag but they will NOT receive a bag in return.
  • Step 2)
    Return to the online form to upload your paper or physical item photo before the conference begins.
    • This step is not required at the time of signup. However, all participants must complete it before the conference begins. This step helps us identify whose gift is whose and allows us to add your item to the online exchange archive. – Please upload one (or both) of the following:
      • A finished paper (PDF format)
      • A photo (or multiple photos) showing at least one sample of your physical gift exchange item. These photos will be used for our online archive, you may upload multiple photos of different views of your item if you want.

Gift Exchange Rules & Requirements

  • How do I know if there are still spots open in the exchange?
    • If the sign-up form is accepting responses, there are still open spots. We will post a warning at the top of the form when there are fewer than 20 participation spots remaining and will close the form when all of the spots are filled.
    • If you are interested in participating, we recommend submitting the form now to secure your spot even if you don’t have all of the details for your gift or paper worked out. You can go back and edit your form submission as often as you like before the conference begins.
  • Is there a deadline for submitting in order to participate?
    For G4G16, there is no deadline to sign up for the exchange. However, participation is limited and first-come-first-served. All papers and photos of physical items must be uploaded before the conference begins on February 18th. Anyone who does not upload their paper or item photo will NOT get a bag at the conference.
  • How many physical copies of my gift should I bring for the Exchange Bag?
    For those who registered for the gift exchange and plan to submit a physical gift, please bring or send 170 copies of your gift for the exchange.
  • What happens to the extra exchange gifts?
    All gifts submitted to the exchange become the property of the G4G Foundation. We understand that attendees put considerable care, time, creativity, and money into their gifts and we have changed our policies to better manage participation.
    • Participants must provide 170 copies of their gift. 
    • The number of exchange participants is capped at 150.
    • The 20 extra gifts will be used for the following purposes:
      • Featured Presenters
      • First-time Attendees (who register after the exchange is already full)
      • G4G Board Members
      • Fundraising Initiatives 
  • When and where can I ship my exchange items?
    Shipping should be arranged to arrive at the venue no earlier than Thursday, February 12th, 2026 and no later than Wednesday, February 18th, 2026. Please ship your items to:
        • Hyatt Regency San Francisco
          Gathering 4 Gardner (G4G16) Gift Exchange
          Attn: Katie LaSeur and Joey Ilagan
          5 Embarcadero Center
          San Francisco, CA 94111 USA
          (866) 238-4218
        • Package must also include the following:
          Your Return Address
          Participant Name
      • International Shipping: For international attendees this window for receiving items may be difficult; if you need to arrange for items to be received before February 12th, 2026, contact support@g4gfoundation.org, and we can make special accommodations.
      • IMPORTANT: Be sure to track and insure your package when shipping. G4G is not responsible for gift exchange items that get lost or damaged in the mail.
      • If you wish to avoid shipping, you are welcome to bring your gift exchange items with you to the conference. Please bring the items with you to registration so your gift can be properly documented. The cutoff for hand-delivering exchange items is Thursday, February 19th at noon. 
    • How should I name my exchange files?
      When uploading files to the signup form, please use the file-naming convention:
      • AuthorLastNameFirstName-GiftExchange-ShortTitle-G4G16
        Follow this example:
        DoeJane-GiftExchange-GameOfLifeTricks-G4G16.pdf
    • How do I participate with a paper? 
      You may submit a written paper instead of (or in addition to) a physical item for the gift exchange:
      • The paper MUST be completed by the start of the conference and a PDF submitted via the signup form.
      • We recommended that papers not be over 10 pages (but there is no hard cap).
      • It is optional to bring 170 printed copies of your paper for inclusion in the gift bag at the conference. We will combine all printed items into a G4G16 branded folder for each Exchange Bag. This folder will be in lieu of a printing a physical book. After the conference, the papers will also be made available online via the G4G website and our online archive (with author permission).
    • Can I collaborate on a gift or paper with other attendees?
      Yes, multiple attendees (or Paid Guests) can partner to develop a gift. However, for each item in the exchange a maximum of TWO bags will be given out and TWO collaborators must complete the sign-up form with different email addresses.
      • Example 1 – You write a paper or design an item with one other attendee. You both fill out the sign-up form (using the same title and description). You both can pick up an Exchange Bag.
      • Example 2 – You write a paper or design an item with two or more other attendees. You and one other collaborator fill out the form and pick up an Exchange Bag at the conference. After the conference, we recommend having a gift bag splitting party to divide up the contents of the two bags between all collaborators.

        Everyone who picks up an Exchange Bag must be an attendee or Paid Guest.
        Only one Exchange Bag will be given out to any single attendee – except in the case of picking up a bag for an Exchange participant who left the conference early.

    • Where can I see examples of past Gift Exchange items?
    • What items are prohibited in the exchange?
      We have many attendees traveling home by air to both US and international destinations. Many exchange participants choose to take their gift bags as a carry on. As such, items that are prohibited in carry-on or checked luggage or prohibited by most country’s customs offices should NOT be included in your exchange gift. This is includes: blades, matches, fresh produce, animal products, containers of liquid, etc. If you have questions about a specific exchange gift idea, please email us.
    • Other questions?
      If you have additional questions about participating in the Gift Exchange, please email them to: support@g4gfoundation.org

Examples of Past Exchange Gifts

Below are a handful of examples of past gifts that embody the spirit of the exchange and were well received:

Art:

  1. Unique Three-Color Colorings of Aperiodic Tilings – David Michael Greene
  2. Shibori Dyed Handkerchiefs – Carolyn Yackel & Bobby Stecher
  3. Crocheting Hyperbolic Regular Octagon and Pair of Pants – Daina Taimina

Games:

  1. Exploding Kittens – First Edition Game – Elan Lee & Jordan Gold
  2. The Elusive 13 Piece Complete Set Puzzle – Peter Knoppers
  3. Martin Gardner Puzzles-Games – Stephen Bloom, Lacey Echols, Jeremiah Farrell, Shannon Lieb

Magic:

  1. A Card Trick Inspired by Perfect Shuffling – Steve Butler
  2. Pentomino Divination Runes – Alexandre Muñiz
  3. A “Pick a Card” Card – John Harris

Legacy & Essays:

Math:

Puzzles: 

  1. Puzzles That Solve Themselves – Peter Winkler
  2. Free the Pearl – Bruce Patterson
  3. Surprise! Puzzle – Dick Hess

Science:

  1. Surface Tension Bar Bet – Tiago Hirth
  2. The Dynamics of Spinning Polyominoes – George I. Bell
  3. Tensegritiy Pop-up – Robert Connelly

Make & Assemble: 

  1. Warped-Grid Jig-Saw Puzzle – George Hart
  2. Akio’s Dahlia Star Translucent – Akio Hizume
  3. Troxes – Jonathan Bobrow

Miscellaneous:

  1. 13-Sided and Suits Dice – Robert Fathauer & Henry Segerman
  2. Mechanical Gift – Theodore Gray
  3. TetraFlexagon Catalog / Penrose Pattern Coloring Book – Red Dupree