White elephant rules in one minute
A white elephant gift exchange (also called Yankee swap or dirty Santa) is a party game where everyone brings one wrapped gift and nobody knows who gets what until the end. These are the rules most groups use, and the ones the tracker above follows.
- Everyone brings one wrapped gift. Agree on a price limit first; $20 to $25 is the most common.
- Draw numbers. Each player gets a number. The number picker above shuffles the names so the order is fair.
- Number 1 opens a gift. They pick any wrapped gift from the pile and open it so everyone can see.
- Everyone after that has a choice. Open a new wrapped gift, or steal a gift someone has already opened.
- If your gift is stolen, you go again. You can open a new gift or steal a different one. The turn only moves to the next number when someone opens a new gift.
- No immediate steal-back. You cannot take back the gift that was just taken from you; steal something else or open a new one.
- Gifts freeze. After a gift has been stolen 3 times it is frozen and stays with its third owner.
- The final swap. When every gift is open, number 1 (who never got to steal) may swap with anyone once. Then the game is over.
| Players | 2 to 60, by name or by number |
|---|---|
| Steals before freezing | 2, 3 (most common), 4 or no limit |
| Steal-back | Not allowed straight away (switchable) |
| Final swap | Number 1 may swap once at the end (switchable) |
| Price and setup | Free, no account, no download; runs in your browser and saves on your device |
How to use the number picker and steal tracker
- Add the players. Type one name per line, or just pick how many people are playing and use numbers.
- Pick your house rules. Choose how many steals freeze a gift and whether number 1 gets the final swap.
- Draw the order. Read it out, copy it to your group chat, or print number slips to hand around.
- Start the steal tracker. It shows whose move it is. Tap Open a new gift (and type what it was, if you like) or tap Steal next to an opened gift.
- Let it keep score. The tracker counts steals, freezes gifts, blocks steal-backs and hands the final swap to number 1. Undo fixes a wrong tap.
Popular rule variations
- Three steals and it is frozen keeps a 20-person game to about an hour. With 2 steals it is quicker; with no limit the best gift can bounce around for a long time.
- One steal per turn means a stolen player must open a new gift instead of stealing again. Set steals to 2 and play this by agreement if the group is large.
- Dice white elephant replaces numbers with a die: roll a 1 to open, a 6 to steal, and so on. It works best for small groups that already know each other.
- Left right white elephant skips stealing altogether: read a story and pass gifts on every LEFT and RIGHT. Our left right Christmas game has three stories ready to read.
Tips for a good white elephant party
- Wrap gifts so nobody can guess them from the shape; a box inside a bigger box works.
- Tell people whether it is a joke-gift party or a useful-gift party. Mixing both leaves someone with a rubber chicken while everyone else has a blanket.
- For 25 or more players, set the freeze to 2 steals so the game ends before people start leaving.
- Seat people in a circle in drawn order; it makes the steals easier to follow.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic white elephant rules?
Everyone brings a wrapped gift and draws a number. Number 1 opens a gift; everyone after can open a new gift or steal an opened one. If your gift is stolen you go again. A gift is frozen after 3 steals, and number 1 may make a final swap at the end.
How many times can a gift be stolen in white elephant?
Most groups freeze a gift after it has been stolen 3 times. Some use 2 to keep large games short. The tracker lets you pick 2, 3, 4 or no limit.
Can you steal a gift back right away?
Usually not. The common rule is no immediate steal-back: you cannot take back the gift that was just stolen from you. You can steal it later, after someone else has had a turn.
Why does number 1 get a final swap?
Number 1 had nothing to steal on their first turn, so the final swap evens things out: when every gift is open they may swap with anyone once.
What is a good price limit for white elephant gifts?
Between $20 and $25 is the most common. Office parties often go lower, around $10 to $15. Agree on it before the party so the gifts are fair.
Is the white elephant number picker free?
Yes. It is free, needs no account or download, and the game is saved only on your device.