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Printable White Elephant Rules

Here are the classic White Elephant rules on a single page. Download the free PDF or print this page, then tape it to the wall or pass it around before the first gift is opened. Want your own house rules on the sheet? Use the rules generator.

White Elephant gift exchange rules

  1. Bring one wrapped gift worth about $20–30. Put it in the pile.
  2. Draw numbers to set the turn order.
  3. Player 1 opens a gift from the pile and shows it to everyone.
  4. On your turn, either open a wrapped gift or steal a gift someone has already opened.
  5. If your gift is stolen, you go again right away: open a wrapped gift or steal a different one.
  6. The turn ends when someone opens a wrapped gift. Then the next number goes.
  7. A gift can only be stolen once per turn, so no instant steal-backs.
  8. A gift is frozen after it has been stolen 3 times. Whoever holds it then keeps it.
  9. Final turn: after everyone has gone, player 1 may swap their gift with any opened gift. The person they swapped with may then swap with someone else who hasn't been swapped with yet. It ends when someone keeps what they have. Frozen gifts are fair game in the final turn.

Popular twists

  • Yankee Swap: same game, but player 1 gets just one final swap.
  • Dirty Santa: no freeze limit, but a turn ends after three steals.
  • Three strikes: once you’ve lost three gifts, your next gift is safe.
  • Dice game: roll a die to see whether you open, pass or swap.

whiteelephantgiftexchange.com

Full explanations, examples and dispute rulings are on the main White Elephant rules page. Need gift inspiration? See gift ideas under $25. Playing remotely? Use the virtual White Elephant game.