Official White Elephant Gift Exchange Rules

1. Each player brings one wrapped gift to contribute to a common pool of gifts

The gift exchange organizer should provide information on what type of gift people should bring. The gift exchange organizer might not ask for a certain type of gift, but will most likely set the gift budget.

2. Players draw numbers randomly to determine what order they will go in

Alternatively, someone can draw names from a hat, or the order can be set by the organizer prior to the event. If this a gift exchange for the new generation just go on google and spin a wheel. Doing this together prior to the exchange is more fun than having the order preset or done beforehand. (The goal is to be the last to go)

3. Players sit together somewhere comfortable and cozy where they can see the gift pile

To make things easier, everyone should sit in the order in which they will take their turns. You can sit in a circle or a line, but just sit comfortably together because this is supposed to be about having fun with the ones you’re with.

4. The first player selects a gift from the pool of gifts and opens it

The first player will make sure to choose a gift from the pool in front of everyone. They will open the gift making sure everyone can see the gift! (Being the first person to pick means you cannot steal/swap your gift out unless someone steal/swaps with you)

5. The next players that go up can choose to either pick an unwrapped gift from the pool or steal/swap a previous player’s gift. Anyone who gets their gift stolen in this way now has the ability to do the same – choose a new gift or steal/swap from someone else.

To keep things moving along, there are a couple of limits on gift swapping:

• A present can only be stolen once per turn, which means players who have a gift stolen from them have to wait to get it back.
• After three swaps, the turn automatically comes to an end (otherwise things could drag on for a long time).
• Speak with your event organizer about other possible twists.

6. After all players have had a turn, the game comes to an end.

Usually after all players have had a turn, the game will come to an end. In some variants of the game the first player will get a chance to swap the gift he or she is holding for any other opened gift. Anyone whose gift is stolen may steal from someone else (as long as that person hasn’t been stolen from yet). When someone declines to steal a gift, the game comes to an end. Note that for this last “extra” turn, the three-swap rule does not apply. Players can keep swapping over and over again until everyone is happy with their gifts, or there are no other eligible people to steal from.

What Makes the Best White Elephant Gift?

There are lots of different approaches to buying a White Elephant Gift. As long as you’re following the price suggestion (typically around $10-$20) and any “special” instructions that may be set by the organizer, you can’t really go wrong. That said, here are some things to look out for when looking for a gift to bring to your White Elephant Gift Exchange party:

Funny. Funny gifts make the biggest splash at the party, but aren’t always the most desirable items for swapping. Think outside of the box for this and make sure to think about how everyone will react if you’re bringing this type of gift.

Weird. Weird artwork and gadgets can be popular at Christmas gift swaps, and surprisingly are often highly sought after. Try to be quirky and find something that nobody would think of bringing but everyone would want.

Nice. There’s nothing wrong with buying a genuinely nice gift, especially since it has the potential to fuel a lot of competition during the game. If you plan on bringing a nice gift, try to bring something everyone wouldn’t mind getting or swapping for. When you bring a nice gift you are trying to one up everyone with this gift.

In short, there’s a place for all sorts of different items in a White Elephant Gift Exchange. But if there’s one quality that all gifts should have, it’s that they should be interesting.