How to play white elephant game

The game derives its name from the term white elephant as defined by something of dubious or limited value or an object no longer of value to its owner but of value to others. Thus, in its basic form the game calls for people to bring “gag” gifts or gifts they received that they have no use for.

In a White Elephant gift exchange, each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, or their names are randomly drawn, and they select gifts in that order — with a twist.

On the first turn, the person assigned with #1 picks out a gift and opens it so all can see what it is. On the second turn, the person assigned with #2 gets the choice of “stealing” #1’s unwrapped gift or choosing a wrapped one from the pile. If #2 steals #1’s gift, then #1 must choose and open a wrapped gift.

As subsequent players take their turns, they either select a new gift or take any already opened gift from any of the other players. Have any player who has a gift taken away either choose a new gift or take an already-opened gift from another player.

The game continues with the following rules:

• If someone steals your gift, you can steal someone else’s gift or choose and open a wrapped one.
• Continue until everyone has had a turn for a gift. A turn is ended when an unopened gift has been opened.
• A gift can only be “stolen” once during a turn. If a gift is taken from someone during one round, she cannot take it back during that same round. She can, however, take it back in a later round if she is in a position to select a gift.
• A gift cannot be immediately stolen back from the player who just stole it.
• Once a gift has 3 “owners,” the 3rd owner of a gift gets to keep it – it is retired and can’t be stolen again.
• The gift exchange ends when the last wrapped gift is chosen and opened.

After the last turn, the person who started (since she didn’t get a chance at the beginning) can put back the gift and “steal” a gift according to the rules. This starts the gift exchange again (following the above rules) and ends when someone chooses or is forced to take the gift given up by the person with #1.

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A white elephant gift exchange deserves its reputation as a perennial Christmas game favorite. Whether it's a gathering of friends, family, or coworkers, a white elephant allows partygoers to relax and enjoy some good-natured laughter. Plus, you can see whether or not your bestie's new boyfriend has a good sense of humor. If you haven't played it before, read our simple white elephant rules. If you have played before, try one of our variations for a twist on the traditional white elephant game at your next holiday party.

White elephant is a gift exchange, so each person must bring one wrapped present to the Christmas party. Once everyone is assembled, have each person draw a number. The person with number "one" chooses a present to unwrap. The person with number "two" has a choice: They may choose a new, wrapped present, or they may take the unwrapped present from the first person. If they take the present from the first person, that person chooses another present to unwrap. The person with the number "three" may choose any previously unwrapped present or a new, wrapped one. The game continues until all presents have been unwrapped and everyone has a gift.

At least four people should play, but white elephant works best with six or more. Beware: The more people that play, the longer the game will last.

White elephant can go on and on, so it's best to have some sort of limits—a present can only be "stolen" three times, for example, or a person can only have something stolen from them a maximum of three times. Some variations also allow the person who drew number "one" to be the final person to choose a present after everyone else is finished. The white elephant gift exchange rules and limits are up to you and party attendees—just make sure to define them all before the game begins.

White elephant is a game where everyone wins; each person ends up with a present. Plus, the game itself is fun. What's a better gift than laughter?

• Put a specific dollar limit on gifts—and make it tricky. For example, each guest has to spend $10.51 exactly.
• Encourage each guest to bring a handmade gift. Check out our Christmas crafts ideas for inspiration!
• Have each person find something from their house or closet to give—no spending any money at all.
• Give every party attendee the same off-beat place that they need to buy gifts, such as a convenience or thrift store.
• Set a theme for gifts, such as a book or beauty product.

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Overview

In a nutshell, White Elephant is a great way to have a fun time with a group of friends, family or colleagues. The basic concept is that everyone who is participating brings a gift and you begin the game with one wrapped gift per person. Each participant is assigned a random number, and then one at a time each person either unwraps a new gift, or steals a gift from someone else. The game is finished when everyone has a gift.

Setup

As with any event, you will want to pick a date and time, and then invite your friends! It’s always good to set a dollar amount limit (say $20 or $25) so that the quality of gifts are comparable. Some people also like to set a theme for the gifts. The theme could be something specific (only music and movies) or more general, like ‘anything silly or impractical’. Sometimes no theme is the best, getting a broad mix of gifts that represent the personality of the group!

Gameplay

1. First, everyone is assigned a number, starting at 1 and going up to however many participants you have. In general the higher the number the better, but there are a few exceptions & twists, as you’ll see below!

2. #1 goes first (surprise, surprise). Since no one has any gifts to steal yet, the first player unwraps any gift they want from the table.

3. Each person then takes a turn (continuing in numerical order), choosing either to open a new gift, or steal a gift from someone who already opened theirs. If your gift is stolen, you may unwrap a new gift, or steal another one from someone else. This ‘round-robin’ stealing continues until someone choses to unwrap a new gift. The round is then over, and the next number takes their turn. (Note: you cannot steal the same gift back within the same round).

4. Once everyone has their gift, there’s one final twist: #1 gets to go again! They can choose to keep their gift or to swap it with anyone in the group.

Then the game is over! Sounds simple, but it packs a lot of laughs with funny gifts and many betrayals over stolen gifts!

Popular Variations

Here are a few rules you may want to incorporate into your game:

• Each gift can only be stolen 3 times

• Each person can only be stolen from 3 times

• No ‘round-robin’ stealing: if a gift is stolen from you, you must unwrap a new gift (you cannot steal another gift that has already been opened)

• Limited ‘round-robin’ stealing: any given round can only have 3 steals, after which that person must unwrap a new gift

On one hand these rules can seem limiting, but they’re all aimed at keeping the pace of play enjoyable. Especially with larger groups, White Elephant gift exchanges can go on for a while. By creating some additional limitations you can actually keep the game engaging and fresh.

It can also add some interesting twists. For example if there are one or two really popular gifts, then there’s quite a bit of drama over being the third (and final!) person to steal the gift. In fact, this makes lower numbers a possible advantage: if a great gift is opened early, then someone with a later number (who normally has their pick of any gift) may not be able to grab whatever they want because some gifts are locked already. It makes it more dynamic!