Set the big day once
Tap the countdown at the top of the Dashboard and name the day the whole family is counting to: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Eid, a birthday, anything. Every child counts down to it, so you only set it once, and it comes back every year.
Add your kids
On the Dashboard, tap Add Child. Each one gets their own card with a name, age and interests. A child counting down to a different day, like their own birthday, can have their own date on their card instead.
Put gifts on the list
On the child’s card, type into the “Add a gift” box and tap Add. Your child can also add their own wishes in Kids Mode - both land on the same list.
Set the behavior score
Slide the score as behavior changes. That is the whole trick: kids see the behavior score move with it, and best behavior follows.
Tick what the Gift Keeper is bringing
Check off a gift once it is bought. Your child only ever sees how many gifts are coming, never which ones.
Share the wishlist link
Send grandparents, aunts and uncles a private link with the wishlist and the behavior score. They need no app and no account. They can claim a gift so nobody buys the same present twice, and your child never sees who claimed what. Add an Amazon wish list and they can buy straight from it.
Turn on Holiday mode for Christmas
Settings → Holiday mode. One switch turns the whole app into Happy Santa: Santa's List, naughty or nice, and a countdown to December 25. Nothing else changes, both parents see it, and you can switch back whenever you like. The rest of the year it counts down to your own big day.
Light, Dim or Dark
Settings → Appearance. Dim is a softer dark: easier at bedtime than full Dark, with cards that still stand off the page. System follows your phone and uses Dim when it asks for dark. This one is just for your device, not the whole family.
Set a PIN before you hand the phone over
Settings → Kids Mode PIN. Without one, anyone can tap straight back out of Kids Mode into the parent screens.
Parenting is hard. Happy Gift Day gives you one more thing that works.