4 Fun Gift Exchange Games For Christmas

Get four different ideas for a fun gift exchange game for your Christmas party this year. Fun games for white elephant gifts and other gift exchanges. 

Child holding gift wrapped in red

Whenever you do a gift exchange where people bring gifts not intended for a specific person, it is fun to have a game to go with the gift exchange. Here are some gift exchange games for you to try this Christmas.

Numbered Gift Exchange

This is my favorite way to do a gift exchange, but it really only works if you have people willing to steal gifts from each other.

You all sit in a circle and put the gifts in the center of the circle. You write out a number for each person on a slip of paper and put it into a bowl. People draw numbers.

Number one goes first. He picks a gift and unwraps it. Everyone needs to be able to see what the gift is. 

Number two goes next. Number two can either steal the gift number one got or choose a new gift from the center. 

A gift can only be stolen 2-3 times and then it is safe (decide on a number before the game starts). 

At the end, number one gets to go again. So if you had ten people, after number ten went, number one would then get to either stick with what he has or steal any gift that is still eligible to be stolen. 

If number one’s gift is stolen by number two, then number one chooses a new gift from the center. 

Games for gift exchange pinnable image

Never Have I Ever Gift Exchange

Before your guests arrive, write down a list of “never have I ever” statements. “Never have I ever shopped on Christmas Eve” for example.

Everyone sits in a circle with the gift they brought in front of them. One at a time, each person draws a “never have I ever” statement. Go around the circle reading the statements. 

There are many ways you could play this out. You could have everyone who has done the item get up and move clockwise to the next open seat. You could also have the person reading the statement trade with one other person. I prefer multiple people moving to help mix up who gets what gift.

The gift stays in the same spot and the people move. At the end, you all open the gift in front of you. 


Read: Over 40 Perfect White Elephant Gift Ideas


Christmas Carol Gift Exchange

Everyone sits in a circle. Take one gift from the gift pile. Start a Christmas Carol and pass the gift. Once the music stops, the person holding the gift names the next word in the song. If she is correct, she keeps the gift and steps out of the circle.

You then continue with the next song. 

You can have it so the person who names the next word correctly can keep the gift they have or trade with someone else if desired. 

Right and Left Story Gift Exchange

With this activity, everyone sits in a circle. You read a story that has been created for this game. Every time you say the word “right”, people pass their gift to the right. Every time you say the word “left”, people pass their gift to the left. At the end of the story, you keep the gift you have. 

There are a lot of stories out on the internet. If you do a google search for “gift exchange game right left story” you will get many options come up. 

4 Fun Gift Exchange Games Pinnable Image

Conclusion

These four games are all great options to make your white elephant gift exchange or simple gift exchange fun at your Christmas party this year. 

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