The White Elephant Game, also known as Yankee Swap or Dirty Santa, is a popular holiday or party gift exchange game. It’s a fun and interactive way for a group of people to exchange presents, often with a humorous or competitive twist. We will explain the white elephant game rules with an imaginary group of friends below.
Getting the Party Started
- Gathering Participants: Start by rounding up a group of your favorite people. Each participant should bring a wrapped gift. You can decide on a specific budget for the gifts, such as $10, $20, or whatever suits your group’s preferences.
- Drawing Numbers: Assign a number to each participant to determine the order in which they’ll select gifts or “steal” them.
Rules of the game
- Gift Selection: The person with number 1 kicks off the game. They select a wrapped gift from the pile and open it with anticipation and excitement.
- Subsequent Turns: Now, it’s number 2’s turn. They can make a crucial decision: choose an unopened gift from the pile or opt to “steal” the gift just unveiled by the person with number 1. If they go for the steal, the person who was “robbed” gets to choose a new, unopened gift. The cycle continues down the line.
- Limits on Stealing: To keep things fair and fun, many groups set a limit on how many times a gift can be stolen—typically two or three times. After reaching this limit, the gift becomes “frozen,” and no more stealing is allowed.
- Ending the Game: The game proceeds until the last person takes their turn. It’s often an unspoken tradition that the person who initially went first (number 1) gets the chance for a final “steal” to wrap up the game. Once this last turn is taken, the game is officially over, and everyone keeps the gifts they hold.
White elephant game rules with an example
Let’s dive into a hypothetical scenario featuring 10 friends: Alice, Bob, Carol, Dave, Emily, Frank, Grace, Helen, Ivan, and Jack, who have each brought a $20 gift.
- They draw numbers to establish the order:
- Alice (1)
- Bob (2)
- Carol (3)
- Dave (4)
- Emily (5)
- Frank (6)
- Grace (7)
- Helen (8)
- Ivan (9)
- Jack (10)
- The game kicks off with Alice, who unwraps a beautiful coffee mug.
- Bob, next in line, decides to spice things up by “stealing” Alice’s coffee mug, leaving her with a new unopened gift from the pile.
- Carol selects an unopened gift from the pile.
- Dave fancies Bob’s coffee mug and snatches it, leading Bob to choose a fresh unopened gift.
- Emily goes for an unopened gift, adding to the mystery and intrigue.
- Frank decides to stir the pot by taking Emily’s gift, leaving her with another unopened one.
- The game proceeds, with each participant choosing a gift or executing a strategic “steal.”
- After Jack’s turn, the spotlight turns back to Alice, who, as the game’s instigator, gets the opportunity for a final “steal.”
Is white elephant gift exchange fun?
The White Elephant Gift Exchange game never fails to generate excitement, laughter, and even a touch of friendly competition during holiday parties and gatherings. It’s not just about the gifts; it’s about the unforgettable memories and the sense of community it fosters among participants. You will definitely laugh at it watching the pictures in the future. Also, the reactions during the game make up for hilarious shares on social media!
Happy gifting! 🎁🐘
If you want to spice up the things and introduce some variations of the rules to the game, check out how!