How to Play (& Win) White Elephant
How to Play White Elephant: A Guide to the Holiday Gift Swap Game
A combination of surprise, strategy, and a little bit of chaos—a perfect way to spice up your seasonal celebrations. Here's how to play White Elephant and make it an unforgettable part of your party.
What You’ll Need
- A Group of People: The more, the merrier. White Elephant works best with 6 or more participants.
- Gifts: Each participant should bring a wrapped gift. Set a price range (e.g., under $100) and specify whether gifts should be funny, practical, or a mix of both. We recommend encouraging something sparkly...like HART jewelry.
- Numbered Slips: These determine the order of play.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Gather and Arrange the Gifts
Place all the wrapped gifts in a central location. Make sure they’re anonymous— aka no tags.
Step 2: Draw Numbers
Each player draws a number to decide the order. The person with #1 starts, and play proceeds numerically.
Step 3: Player #1 Chooses a Gift
The first player picks any gift from the pile and opens it for everyone to see.
Step 4: Player #2 Takes a Turn
The next player can either:
- Steal the gift from Player #1, or
- Choose a new gift from the pile.
Step 5: Continue Around the Circle
Each subsequent player has the same choice: steal an already opened gift or pick a new one.
The Rules of Stealing
- Limit on Steals: A gift can only be stolen 3 times before it’s "frozen" and can no longer be taken.
- No Immediate Re-Stealing: If someone steals your gift, you must pick a new one from the pile (or steal from someone else later in the round).
- Ending a Round: Each round ends when every player has had a turn, and a gift is in their possession.
Final Turn Twist
After all the players have taken a turn, Player #1 gets a chance to swap their gift with anyone else—unless their gift is frozen. This keeps everyone on edge until the very end!
