6 Gift Exchange Games For Your Holiday Party

Oct 25th 2022

women's hands extending a wrapped gift, Christmas tree in background

Gift exchanges are popular features of holiday parties. After all, who doesn’t love getting presents? There are several ways to make gift exchange games more congenial during the Christmas season, whether you limit the cost of gifts for cash-strapped guests or suggest that gifts follow a particular theme.

For an entertaining twist to the traditional Christmas gift exchange, we’re offering some activities that will help liven up the party!

1. White Elephant

A White Elephant Gift Exchange can also be known as Yankee Swap. Everyone who wants to play brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it on a designated gift table. Guests take turns picking a gift from the table and opening it. As the game continues, each guest can either steal a gift that has already been chosen from another guest, or choose one from the table. Those who have had a gift taken may go to the table and choose a new gift, which can’t be stolen for the rest of the game. To make this game even more interesting, some groups get very creative about the gifts they buy.

2. Hot Potato

This Christmas gift exchange game is similar to the Hot Potato game you played as a kid. Everyone passes around a single gift (make sure not to throw it) until a timer stops or a Christmas carol ends. Whoever holds the gift at the end keeps it and leaves the circle. The game continues until there is only one person left and everyone has a present.

3. Secret Santa

Secret Santa is a classic Christmas gift exchange. Well before the party date, everyone picks a name out of a hat and buys a gift for that person. In the spirit of fun, participants should not tell whose name they chose or try to guess who drew their own name. On the day of the party, participants open their gifts and then try to guess the identity of their “Secret Santa.”

4. Gift Auction

For a gift auction, everyone who brings a gift exchanges it for play money. As the host presents each gift, guests bid for it using their play money. High bidder wins the gift and the next gift is brought up for bidding. Keep going until everyone has a gift.

5. Musical Chairs

You’re probably familiar with Musical Chairs from childhood, but this version adds a gift exchange twist. Arrange chairs in a circle with a gift underneath each chair. Play music and have everyone walk in a circle around the chairs. When the music stops, everyone rushes to a chair. Whatever gift is under their chair is theirs to keep.

6. Trivia Game

Everyone who wants to play brings a wrapped gift to the party. The host asks trivia questions and the first person to answer the question correctly can either choose a gift or is given a gift by the host. Once a person receives a gift, they are out of the game, which continues until all the gifts have been distributed.

Given the turmoil of the past few years, this Christmas may mark the first time you’ve attended holiday parties in a while.

Adding a fun gift exchange activity may be just what the doctor ordered to add some extra cheer to Christmas gift-giving.

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