White elephant gift exchange rules
In a white elephant gift exchange, everyone brings one wrapped gift and draws a number. On your turn you either unwrap a new gift from the pile or steal one somebody has already opened, and a gift is frozen once it has been stolen three times. The game ends when every gift is open, and the first player gets one last chance to swap.
Take a wrapped gift from the pile. Pile empty? Steal any gift instead.
- 1 Pass your gift one seat to the left.
- 2 Pass your gift one seat to the right.
- 3 Steal any gift you like. The person you stole from takes yours.
- 4 Unwrap the gift in your hands. Already open? Keep it and pass the die.
- 5 Safe. Keep what you have and pass the die.
- 6 Take a wrapped gift from the pile. Pile empty? Steal any gift instead.
Phase one: pass the phone around and only a 6 counts, until everyone holds a gift. Phase two: start the timer and follow every roll until it rings.
The die above runs the dice version of the game, where every roll is an action like steal, swap or unwrap, and a five minute timer decides when the stealing stops.
- Players
- 6 to 30
- Time
- 30 to 60 min
- You need
- One wrapped gift each
Classic white elephant gift exchange rules
White elephant is a gift exchange where the fun is in the stealing, not the giving. Nobody knows who brought which gift, and the best present in the room can change hands four times before the night is over. The game is also called Yankee Swap or Dirty Santa, and the rules are the same.
- Set a price limitAgree on one amount, usually 20 to 30 dollars, and tell everyone whether you want funny gifts, useful gifts or a mix. Everyone wraps one gift with no name on it.
- Pile the gifts and draw numbersPut all the gifts in the middle of the room. Everyone draws a number from a hat, and that is the playing order.
- Player 1 unwraps a giftThe first player picks any wrapped gift, opens it in front of everyone and keeps it on their lap.
- Everyone after chooses: unwrap or stealPlayer 2 and every player after either unwraps a new gift from the pile or steals a gift that is already open.
- Whoever is robbed goes againIf your gift is stolen, you choose straight away: unwrap a new gift or steal another open one. You can't steal back the gift that was just taken from you.
- A gift freezes on its third stealOnce a gift has been stolen three times, its third new owner keeps it and nobody can take it again.
- Player 1 gets the last wordWhen the pile is empty, player 1, who never had the chance to steal, may swap their gift for any gift that isn't frozen. Then the game is over.
House rules worth agreeing on first
- Cap the chain. If one turn sets off a long run of steals, stop it after three: the next robbed player has to unwrap a gift from the pile.
- Your own gift doesn't count. If you unwrap the gift you brought, wrap it back up, put it in the pile and pick another.
- Open gifts stay visible. Every opened gift is held up in plain sight, so people know what they can steal.
- Steal limits can change. Three is the common limit. Use two for a quicker game in a big group, or no limit for a small group that loves chaos.
The white elephant dice game
The dice version is faster and louder than the classic game, and it needs no numbers or turns to keep track of. The die at the top of this page has the six actions built in, and the timer ends the game for you.
- Sit in a circle with the gifts in the middleEveryone puts their wrapped gift in the pile and sits down. Pass one die, or this page on one phone.
- Phase one: roll a 6 to take a giftGo around the circle. Roll a 6 and you take a wrapped gift from the pile. Any other number, pass the die on. Keep going until everyone holds one gift.
- Phase two: start the timerStart the five minute timer and keep passing the die. This time every number counts: pass left, pass right, steal, unwrap, safe or take from the pile.
- Stop when the timer ringsWhatever you hold when the time is up is yours. Unwrap anything still wrapped, and the swapping is over.
| Roll | Action | Why it is fun |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pass your gift one seat to the left | The good gift drifts away from you |
| 2 | Pass your gift one seat to the right | Sometimes it comes straight back |
| 3 | Steal any gift, the owner takes yours | The big moment of every round |
| 4 | Unwrap the gift you hold | Everyone finally sees what is inside |
| 5 | Safe, pass the die | A breather while the table plots |
| 6 | Take a gift from the pile, or steal one if it is empty | Keeps phase one moving |
White Elephant vs Yankee Swap vs Secret Santa
The three names get mixed up all the time. White Elephant and Yankee Swap are the same steal game, while Secret Santa is a different idea entirely.
| White Elephant | Yankee Swap | Secret Santa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who you buy for | Anyone, the gift goes in a pile | Anyone, the gift goes in a pile | One person, drawn in advance |
| Stealing | Yes, with a steal limit | Yes, with a steal limit | No |
| Kind of gift | Often funny or odd | Often useful | Picked for that person |
| Who knows the giver | Nobody | Nobody | Only the giver, until the reveal |
| Best for | Office parties and big groups | Family and friends who want a real gift | Small groups who know each other |
Secret Santa rules in short
Everyone's name goes in a hat and each person draws one, keeping it secret. You buy a gift for the name you drew within the agreed price limit. On the day, gifts are handed out and opened, and the giver can stay anonymous or own up. If you draw your own name, put it back and draw again.
Something to play while the gifts are wrapped
Before the swapping starts, Dronk has 16 party games on one phone. In Imposter, everyone sees the secret word except the imposter, who has to bluff a clue and survive the vote. It works for 3 to 20 players, so the whole office can join.
Get Dronk free on iPhone
White elephant gift ideas that people actually steal
The perfect white elephant gift is useful enough that three people want it and odd enough to get a laugh when it is opened. These ideas fit a 20 to 30 dollar limit.
Useful gifts that get stolen
10- A heated throw blanket
- A cast iron skillet
- One good chef's knife
- A portable phone charger
- A pair of warm sheepskin style slippers
- A board game for the whole table
- A good bottle of olive oil with a flaky sea salt
- A cocktail shaker set
- Fuzzy socks with grip soles
- A mini waffle maker
Funny white elephant gifts
10- A calendar with the host's face on every month
- A rubber chicken with a gift receipt
- Toilet golf for the bathroom
- A desk sized punching bag
- A giant 'Do not disturb' sign for the office desk
- Bacon flavoured anything
- A singing fish plaque for the wall
- A 1,000 piece puzzle of a plain white wall
- A tiny inflatable crown with a certificate for 'Office royalty'
- A potato, wrapped in six layers, with a 20 dollar note inside
Gift ideas under 15 dollars
10- A mug with a good hot chocolate mix
- A deck of cards and a printed sheet of drinking game rules
- A plant in a nice pot
- A scented candle
- A pack of good coffee beans
- A pair of novelty sunglasses and a party hat
- A rechargeable head torch
- Hot sauce, the hotter the better
- A notebook that says 'Ideas I had at the Christmas party'
- A lottery scratch card in a very large box
Questions people ask
What are the rules of a white elephant gift exchange?
Everyone brings one wrapped gift and draws a number. In order, each player unwraps a new gift or steals an opened one, and whoever is robbed chooses again. A gift is frozen after three steals, and player 1 gets a final swap at the end.
How many times can a gift be stolen in white elephant?
The common rule is three times. On the third steal the gift is frozen, and the person who stole it keeps it. Some groups use two steals to keep a big game short.
Can you steal a gift back in white elephant?
Not straight away. If your gift is stolen, you can't take the same gift back on that turn. You can steal it again later if it isn't frozen yet.
How does the white elephant dice game work?
In phase one, players pass a die and take a gift from the pile when they roll a 6. In phase two a timer runs, and every number is an action: pass left, pass right, steal, unwrap, safe or take from the pile. When the timer rings, you keep what you hold.
What is the difference between white elephant and Yankee Swap?
Nothing in the rules. Both are steal games with a pile of anonymous gifts. Yankee Swap is the name used more in New England, and the gifts are often more practical.
What are the rules of Secret Santa?
Everyone draws a name in secret and buys one gift for that person within the price limit. There is no stealing, and the giver can stay anonymous when the gifts are opened.
How much should you spend on a white elephant gift?
Most groups set 20 to 30 dollars. Office parties often go lower, around 15 to 25 dollars, so nobody feels pressure. The rule that matters is that everyone sticks to the same limit.
Keep the night going
Updated