The short answer
A White Elephant gift exchange is a party game where everyone brings one wrapped gift, draws numbers, and takes turns either opening a gift or stealing one someone else already opened. It also goes by Yankee Swap and Dirty Santa.
Here you’ll find the full rules, free tools for running the game in person, and a live online version for remote teams.
Learn the rules in four moves.
New to it, or settling an argument? Read the complete White Elephant rules, print the printable rules sheet, or compare Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa and the dice game.
- 01
Bring one wrapped gift
Everyone adds a gift to the pile, inside the budget. $20–30 is typical.
- 02
Draw numbers
Numbers set the turn order. Player 1 opens the first gift.
- 03
Open or steal
On your turn, open a wrapped gift or steal an opened one. Stolen from? You go again.
- 04
Three steals and it freezes
A gift stolen three times stays put. At the end, player 1 gets a final swap.
Where is your party happening?
- Playing in personFree tools that run on one phone: draw numbers, spin a wheel, track every steal.Open the free tools
- Playing onlineA live game for Zoom, Meet or Teams. Everyone plays from their own screen.See the virtual game
- Need gift ideasLists by budget and by crowd, picked for what actually gets stolen.Browse gift ideas
Play White Elephant online. Zoom, Meet, Teams.
Remote team or family spread across time zones? The virtual White Elephant game tracks every turn, steal and frozen gift, shows a big-screen view for screen sharing, and collects gift links and shipping addresses for you.
- No accounts. Players join from a link with a name.
- Works on any call. Zoom, Meet, Teams, or the same room.
- Kind when it needs to be. Cozy rules say “swap”, ask first, and cap the stealing.
Free tools for an in-person party
Each one works offline once the page has loaded. Nothing you type leaves your phone.
- Number generator Draw the turn order in one tap.
- Spin the wheel Pick who goes next, with a proper spin.
- Dice game Roll to open, pass or swap. Rules you can edit.
- Steal tracker Count steals and frozen gifts on one phone.
- Rules generator Share your exact house rules with guests.
- Left-right story Read-aloud mode with every pass highlighted.
- Invitation maker Write the invite, then share or print it.
- Host script Exactly what to say to start the game.
Gift ideas that people actually fight over
Browse ideas under $25, for coworkers, funny gifts or genuinely useful ones, or pick a theme for the whole party.
Quick answers
How does a White Elephant gift exchange work?
Everyone brings one wrapped gift. You draw numbers for turn order. On your turn you either open a wrapped gift or steal one that’s already been opened. If your gift is stolen, you open or steal again. A gift usually freezes after three steals, and player 1 gets a final swap at the end.
What do you bring to a White Elephant?
One wrapped gift within the agreed budget, usually $20–30. The best gifts are things lots of people would want, with a little humor. Our gift idea lists are sorted by budget and by who’s playing.
Can you play White Elephant online?
Yes. Our virtual game runs the turns, steals and limits for you, works on any video call, and is free for up to 8 players.
Ready when your party is.
Free for up to 8 players. Bigger party? Upgrade once from the host screen.