What is a White Elephant gift exchange?
Nobody draws anybody here. Everyone brings one wrapped gift for a shared pile, and during the game the gifts travel from person to person: opened, stolen, swapped. Whatever you hold at the end is yours. In Secret Santa it is the other way round: everyone draws one person and gets a gift ready just for them – see the Secret Santa rules.
Classic White Elephant rules
- Everyone brings one wrapped gift within the agreed budget, e.g. $25.
- Numbers decide the order: slips from a hat, or the order generator above.
- No. 1 opens a gift from the pile and shows it to everyone.
- Each next player either opens a new gift from the pile or steals one that is already open.
- Whoever loses a gift chooses again right away – a new one or another steal – but can't take back the same gift at once.
- A gift can be stolen at most 3 times. After that it is frozen and stays where it is.
- The game ends when the last gift is opened. Then no. 1, who never got to steal, may make one last swap.
The dice game: White Elephant with a die
No turns to keep track of: the die decides. You need a die and a timer: the online ones above, or a regular die and the timer on a phone.
- Everyone puts a wrapped gift on one pile.
- Take turns rolling a die. A 6 takes a gift from the pile.
- When the pile is empty, set a timer, e.g. 10 minutes. Now a 6 takes a gift from someone else.
- When time is up, everyone keeps what they hold.
Tips for a good game
- Keep the budget low – the fun is in the steals, not the price. Ideas: funny gifts under $10.
- A gift anyone would be glad to get: any gift can end up with anyone at the table.
- Wrap it properly, so nobody can guess what is inside – the surprise is half the game.
- Agree on the steal limit before you start: frozen after 3 steals means no endless tug-of-war and no hurt feelings.
Gifts ready? Secret Santa games and reveal ideas.
Prefer paper? Print name slips to draw from a hat.
Another game with wrapped gifts in a circle: Left right Christmas game: gift exchange story.
Hosting an ugly sweater party? Design a sweater and print the contest ballots.
More on santa.haus
- Christmas quizzesTrivia and emoji puzzles, checked as you play, with sheets to print for teams.
- Christmas bingoa card of its own on each phone, a caller that draws the words, or up to 40 different cards to print.
- PuzzlesA word search, two crosswords, six mazes and the memory game – on the screen or on paper.
- Advent calendarMake one online and send it: a door a day until Christmas Eve.
- Online Christmas cardPick a picture, write your wishes and send the card as a link. Free, no account.
- Christmas printablesColoring pages, cards, gift wrapping and decorations to cut out – print them at home, free.
Drawing names for gifts too? Secret Santa on santa.haus.