White elephant is a gift exchange where everyone brings one wrapped gift, the gifts go in a pile, and players take turns either opening a new one or stealing one somebody else already opened. Nobody knows who brought what. The fun is in the steals, and so are the arguments.
How to play white elephant, step by step
- Set a price limit. Pick one number, like $25, so the pile is roughly even. Say whether gag gifts count.
- Pile up the gifts. Everyone brings one wrapped gift with no name or tag on it.
- Draw numbers. Every player gets a number, and that number is their place in the turn order.
- Number 1 opens a gift. They pick anything from the pile and open it where everyone can see.
- Everyone else opens or steals. On your turn, open a new gift from the pile or steal one that is already open. If someone steals yours, you open a new gift or steal a different one. Your turn ends when somebody opens a new gift.
- Finish with the final swap. When the last gift is open, number 1 gets one last chance to trade with anyone. Then the game is over and everyone keeps what they hold.
Plan on 30 to 45 minutes for 12 people. Steals are what stretch it, so the steal limit below is the main way to control the length.
White elephant steal rules to agree on first
Most fights at a white elephant party come from rules nobody said out loud. Settle these before number 1 stands up.
- The steal limit. A gift is usually frozen after its 3rd steal. Whoever holds it then keeps it.
- No steal backs. If your gift gets taken, you cannot take that same gift straight back on the same turn.
- One steal per turn. Some groups allow only 1 steal per turn before someone has to open a new gift. It keeps a 20-person party moving.
- The final swap. Decide whether number 1 gets it. It changes which number is the good one (more on that next).
- Gag gifts. Say up front whether a joke gift is allowed, or whether everything has to be useful.
- Unwrapped means open. Once a gift is unwrapped it can be stolen, even if the person holding it has not finished admiring it.
Which white elephant number is best
Under the basic rules, the last number is the best one. That player sees every gift in the room and steals the one they want. Number 1 is the worst: they open a gift blind and spend the game hoping nobody wants it.
That is why so many groups add the final swap. Give number 1 a last chance to trade with anyone, and the worst number becomes the best one. Either way, the number somebody draws decides a lot of the night, which is exactly why the draw should happen where everyone can see it.
How to draw white elephant numbers fairly
Slips in a hat work fine when everyone is in the room. They work less well when 3 people are on a video call, someone draws for the cousin who is running late, or the host folds the slips and somebody swears they saw the 12 go in last.
This number draw puts every player in a ring as a pixel-art wrestler. They get tossed out one at a time, and the order they go sets the numbers. The last one standing gets number 1, which pairs well with the final swap rule. The order is locked to one share link, so everyone who opens it sees the same match and the same numbers, and refreshing does not reroll anything.
Add the players
Type the names or paste a list. 2 to 32 players.
Name the party
Use the league name field for the party name, so it shows on the results.
Watch it together
Put it on the TV or send the link. Everyone sees the same numbers.
The tool was built to set fantasy draft orders, so the results screen says "Final draft order". Read pick 1 as number 1, pick 2 as number 2, and so on.
Virtual white elephant over Zoom
A virtual white elephant runs on the same rules. Everyone ships or brings their gift to the host, or opens their own on camera, and the steals happen out loud. The hard part is the number draw, because nobody on the call can see inside the host's hat.
Schedule the match for the start of the call and drop the link in the chat ahead of time. Everyone gets the same countdown, the match plays out for the whole call at once, and the numbers are settled before anyone has to unmute.
Yankee swap, Dirty Santa and white elephant
They are the same game under different names. Yankee swap is the name you hear most in New England, and Dirty Santa is common in the South. Groups using either name sometimes change the steal limit or the price, but turns, steals and the number draw work the same way. Whatever your family calls it, the rules on this page apply.
White elephant rules FAQ
How many times can a gift be stolen in white elephant?
Usually 3. Most groups freeze a gift after its third steal, so whoever holds it then keeps it for the rest of the game. Agree on the number before the first gift is opened.
Can you steal a gift right back in white elephant?
No. Under the standard rules, a player who has a gift stolen cannot take that same gift straight back on the same turn. They open a new gift or steal a different one.
What is the best number to get in white elephant?
The last number, under the basic rules, because that player can see every gift and steal the best one. Many groups give number 1 a final swap at the end to balance that out, which makes number 1 the best spot instead.
How do you pick numbers for white elephant?
Draw numbered slips from a hat, or use a free number draw like this one. Everyone becomes a pixel-art wrestler, and the order they are eliminated sets the numbers. One link shows the same result to everyone, so remote players can watch too.
What is the difference between white elephant and Secret Santa?
Secret Santa pairs each person with one other person to buy for, and the pairing is kept secret. In white elephant, everyone brings an anonymous gift to a shared pile and takes turns opening or stealing, all in the open.
Are Yankee swap and Dirty Santa the same as white elephant?
Yes, mostly. They are regional names for the same open-or-steal gift exchange. Groups that use them sometimes change the steal limit or the price, but the turn order and stealing work the same way.
Is the white elephant number draw free?
Yes, and no account is needed. It takes 2 to 32 players.
Need a turn order for something other than a gift exchange? The random order generator handles any list of names.
Draw the numbers in front of everyone
Set up the draw in a minute, put it on the TV, and start the steals with numbers nobody can argue with.
Draw Your Numbers