Sitting in a circle playing wholesome games with your friends or family is everyone’s favorite thing about the holidays. It’s an excuse to spend some quality time with your loved ones with no screens or devices to distract you from the present moment. Traditional games like Yankee swap or the white elephant gift exchange have been the life of such parties for a longest time, and they never get old. Aside from being super fun to play, they’re also wildly entertaining to shop for.
Plan on participating in a white elephant gift exchange any time soon? This is your chance to be as funny, scandalous, comical, or ridiculous as you want (depending on your audience, though). If you can’t think of any great ideas on your own, feel free to grab one of the items from our list above. But before that, you should get to know the game well — so let’s get into it.
White Elephant Gift Exchange Rules
The rules and premise of a white elephant gift exchange are pretty simple. Everyone buys one random gift item that’s generally very affordable, wraps it up, and contributes it to the pool of presents. Each guest gets a number assigned to them which determines their turn for opening up the gifts one by one.
When it’s your turn, you’ve got the choice to either unwrap a brand-new present or steal another already-revealed one from another player. The person you steal from then gets to either unwrap a new gift or steal one from the other participants in the group. If someone wants to steal from you, you’ve got to surrender the gift and grab another.
We’d recommend clearly communicating these basic rules to all new and old players at a gathering — this helps keep confusion and awkward encounters at bay. But, remember that you’re not supposed to take a White Elephant game too seriously. Don’t worry, the gifts will be stupid enough to remind you that in each round!
White Elephant Gift Exchange General Guidelines
The gifts are supposed to be random and silly, but the game isn’t! It’s got rules to it that must be followed to have a civil, enjoyable, and well-managed game of white elephant exchange. So be sure to follow these guidelines!
- If the host of the party has specified a maximum threshold for the price of whatever gift you buy, make sure you respect it and don’t overspend.
- Don’t forget to wrap your gift well so that no one can tell what’s inside.
- Secrecy is the key to an enjoyable game of gift exchange, so don’t put your name on the wrap or card.
- You can also spin a bottle to determine gift-opening turns rather than preparing and drawing numbered chits.
- The same gift cannot be stolen more than thrice, or at least that’s a rule most households like to keep and follow.
The Iconic Origin Story
Ever wondered when and why someone came up with the idea for this game? What’s the origin story behind the white elephant gift exchange? Legend says it dates back to the Siamese kingdom. The King of Siam would allegedly gift a white albino elephant to folks who caused him displeasure. You might think that’s a noble way to respond, but that’s not the case. These elephants are super high-maintenance, and only the rich could arrange that regularly.
Most would run into financial burdens just trying to meet their expenses. After all, keeping a 6 to 12-ton mammal happy and healthy isn’t easy. Now, not being able to take care of it properly would be an embarrassment, and letting it die would be unacceptable.
White elephants were perceived to be symbolically revered in Thai and Buddhist cultures, which is why regifting them or even putting them to work weren’t options. If you think about it, it’s not a gift at all, but rather an extravagant liability that’s designed to ruin the beholder. That’s why some recipients of the gift would even go bankrupt trying to tend to its needs, and the King doesn’t even have to be the bad guy for it.
Since the gifts in this silly exchange game are supposed to be just as ludicrous, the words “white elephant” in the title are fitting. Though we recommend looking for funny gift items that at least have some utility to please the recipient — but it’s by no means necessary.
Tips for Buying the Perfect White Elephant Gift
White elephant gift shopping is supposed to be carefree and fun, and there are no real rules to follow when you’re in the market for them. Some instructions, however, must be kept in mind, like staying under a budget threshold (if any) specified by the party host or following a theme that they may set for the exchange.
Also, always keep the target audience in mind when you’re deciding what to buy. An 18+ gift, for instance, could be naughty and funny when you’re playing a game with your friend group, but not at a family party with kids all around.
Aside from these obvious guidelines, your white elephant gift can be…
Weird
Christmas or holiday gift swaps commonly see weird gadgets and artwork that almost no one would be proud to display in the living room. But, that’s exactly what makes them a great idea for a white elephant gift exchange.
Nice
While most people try to be annoying and funny with their white elephant gift choices, every group has some nice guys that find the most useful products to add to the pool. Feel free to purchase a genuinely useful present to add to the pile; such items are important for fueling an air of competition!
Funny
When it comes to a white elephant gift exchange, nothing beats a truly funny gift. They’re never the most sought-after ones in the game, but always get a round of laughter when they’re first unpacked — and understandably so.
If there’s one thing all three of these types have in common, it’s interestingness. As long as your gift item is interesting in some way, everyone’s going to appreciate it!
Variations to Try
The default version of the white elephant gift exchange is pretty enjoyable as it is, but people have introduced many new changes to the rules over the years. The aim of these variations is to keep the game novel, make it even more strategic, and of course, funnier for all.
Here are some variations you can try:
Play with a riddle
Playing with a riddle means participants have to solve a riddle to get a chance to draw or steal a gift. This way, everyone earns their gifts. If you don’t know the answer, you don’t get a turn!
Maximum three swaps
Some people like to play with a three-swap rule, both for gifts and players.
If a gift gets stolen by players three times, it’s no longer up for grabs and the last person holding onto it keeps it.
Similarly, if a player gets stolen from three times, they’re out of the game and get to hold on to whatever they draw/steal in their last turn.
Story or poem
This is a simpler version of playing with a riddle. In this variation, every participant adds a sentence to an ongoing story just to get a chance to draw from the gift pile (or steal). This way, you get to have two channels of entertainment in one game!
Gift themes
Some white elephant gift exchanges can also be themed. This means the gift idea would have to follow a certain premise decided by the host of the party. For instance, it could be DIY white elephant gifts, unwanted regifting, decoration pieces, and more.
