How to Host a White Elephant Gift Exchange: Rules of the Game and 30 Gift Ideas

White elephant (also known as Stealing Santa, the Chinese Gift Exchange, and Yankee Swap) is a popular party game, especially during the holiday season. If you are hosting a holiday party, a White Elephant gift exchange is a fun and inexpensive way to trade gifts. I recommend it for groups with varying budgets.

How to Play the Game
1. The rules can vary but the most basic directions are below.

2. Everyone brings an inexpensive gift to the party. The gifts can follow a theme (theme examples are below).

3. All gifts should be wrapped with no outside markings. You shouldn't know who the gifts are from, what they are or who they are for.

4. Everyone puts their gift in a pile.

5. Everyone draws a number (1 to however many people are playing)

6. Number 1 goes first, picks and unwraps a gift.

7. Number 2 can pick another gift or "steal" an unwrapped gift. If an unwrapped gift is "stolen," the person it is stolen from can then "steal" or pick a wrapped gift.

8. The next person's turn occurs after a wrapped gift is open.

9. The game ends when all gifts are unwrapped.Rules
All of these rules are optional but should be decided on before the game starts.

1. A gift can not be "stolen" more than twice. So whoever steals it second gets the gift.

2. A gift can not be immediately stolen back by the person it was stolen from.

3. All gifts must be kept in plain sight.Tip: If there is a gift you want, wait to steal it. If you are the second person to steal it, you get to keep it.

Theme ideas
You can choose any theme or just set a price limit and not have a theme. Here are some suggestions.

Around the house - An item you find around your house
Naughty Christmas - You know. I don't recommend this theme for work parties.
Home baked/ made
"Shove under" - A gift that you would want to shove under your bed
Rooms of the house - In their invitation, everyone is assigned to a room and they have to get gifts that would go in those rooms.
Gag gifts

Gift Ideas
The gift possibilities are endless but here are some great ones I have seen in the past.

Around the House
Bottles of wine
Canned or Boxed food
A barely used candle
An embarrassing picture of yourself (your friends will appreciate the blackmail)
Old scarves

Naughty Christmas
Xmas underwear
Nothing but a... Santa Hat
Liquor or Xmas beer
Suggestive ornaments - I've seen them
A naughty Santa

Home baked/made
Cookies or other baked goods
Chocolate covered spoons to dip in coffee
Chocolate covered pretzels
A Cookbook
A Picture Frame

"Shove Under"
Silly slippers
Pajamas with feet
A show tunes CD
A handheld game
A dirty novel

Rooms of the house
Spices - Kitchen
A platter - Dinning Room
A DVD - Family Room
Cleaning products - Bathroom
A pen - Office

Gag Gifts
Reindeer poop - marshmallows
Finger exercise machine - a rubber band
Spray on hair
An insult button - similar to Staples' easy button
Fake dog poop