How to Play the "Goofy Gift Exchange" Christmas Game

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 16, 2022

Whether you’ve always called it a “white elephant gift exchange,” "Pollyanna," or a “Yankee swap,” this gift-giving game is a fun addition to your holiday party. And while it’s obviously perfect for Christmas, you can have a goofy gift exchange on many other occasions too.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Planning the Exchange

1
Determine a maximum cost. Generally, $20 to $25 is the recommended cap on cost for gifts, but you should adjust that amount to suit the situation. For casual gatherings, a smaller amount might be appropriate. Likewise, if it’s just a silly game for kids, it will probably be more fun with small, inexpensive toys than bigger items.^{[1]
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2
Ask your guests to bring a gift to the party. Give them the price range, and let them know that they should wrap whatever they bring.
- If the game will include all ages, ask guests to label any adult items, such as alcoholic beverages. Likewise, if they bring a toy, they can label it specifically for children.e
- Specify in advance whether they should bring silly gag gifts or something small but nice, just so all of your guests are on the same page.
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3
Count all the guests at the party who want to participate. Write numbers on pieces of paper from one up through the total number of participants.
4
Throw all the numbers in a hat. Have each person to take one. This will determine the order that they go in to pick their gift.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Swapping Gifts

1
Direct the first person to pick a gift. They can unwrap it immediately. Otherwise, they don’t have to do anything else for now, just hold on to what they chose.
2
Let the second person pick a gift. Once they have unwrapped it, they can either trade with the first person as long as the first person agrees to the swap, or they can keep what they chose.
3
Repeat the previous step with the rest of your guests. During their turn, they can trade with anyone who has gone before them or keep the gift they chose.
4
Give the very first person the option to trade with someone. This way they won’t miss out on the chance to make a trade even though they went first.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Playing a Variation

1
Tell the first person to pick a gift. Don’t let them unwrap it yet. This will be a "blind" exchange, where nobody gets to see what they've chosen until the end.
2
Let the second person choose a gift. They can also steal from the first person. If the second person decides to steal, then the first person gets to choose another gift.^{[2]
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3
Repeat the previous step with the rest of your guests. Once you have three or more participants, a person who loses their gift to a thief now also has the option of stealing from someone else.
- You might want to have a “three steals” rule for gifts, people, or both. This means that a gift can only be stolen three times before the third thief gets to keep it. Similarly, a person can only be stolen from three times before they get to keep what they have.
- If you have a large group or you put a limit on the number of steals, you may want to tell those who have been stolen from just to choose a new gift from the pile. Otherwise, it could prolong the turn indefinitely, because whoever they steal from could steal too, and so on.
4
Give the person who went first a chance to steal. Once everyone else has gone, go back to the first person. If they want to keep their gift, they can, but at least they have the chance to participate in the stealing.
5
Unwrap the gifts. Now that everyone has a gift, tell them to unwrap what they have and enjoy!