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White elephant gift exchange rules

White elephant is a gift swap where you can steal instead of unwrapping. Below are the standard rules, the house rules to agree on before you start, and a tool that draws the turn order for your group.

The rules, step by step

1. Each guest brings one wrapped gift within the price limit and adds it to the pile. Nobody says which gift is theirs.
2. Draw the turn order. The tool above does this for names or for numbers.
3. The first player picks a gift from the pile and opens it for everyone to see.
4. Each next player chooses: open a new gift from the pile, or steal a gift someone has already opened.
5. A player who loses a gift chooses again: steal from someone else, or open a new gift. They can't take back the gift that was just stolen from them.
6. A gift that has been stolen three times is frozen and stays with its owner.
7. When the last gift is open, the first player may swap with anyone whose gift isn't frozen. Then the game is over.

House rules to agree on first

• The price limit, and whether gifts should be funny, useful or either.
• How many steals freeze a gift. Three is standard.
• How many steals are allowed per turn. Many groups cap a turn at three, so it doesn't run forever.
• Whether the first player gets a final swap.
• Whether gifts stay wrapped until the end. In that version you steal by guessing from the wrapping.

Questions people ask

What are the rules of a white elephant gift exchange?

Everyone brings one wrapped gift. Players take turns in a drawn order. On your turn you either open a new gift or steal one that is already open. A player whose gift is stolen gets to steal from someone else or open a new one. The game ends when every gift is open.

How many times can a gift be stolen?

The usual house rule is three times. After the third steal the gift is frozen and stays with its owner. A gift also can't be stolen straight back by the person it was just taken from.

What is the difference between white elephant, Yankee swap and Dirty Santa?

They are regional names for the same game. Some groups use Dirty Santa for a version with more stealing, but the rules people play by depend on the host, so agree on them before the first gift is opened.

What is a good price limit?

Between 15 and 30 dollars works for most offices and friend groups. Say whether you want funny gifts, useful gifts or a mix, because a gag gift next to a nice candle makes for an uneven swap.

Does the first player get a last turn?

In many groups, yes. Going first is a disadvantage, since there is nothing to steal, so player one may swap with anyone at the end. Decide this before you start.

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