Secret Santa Games: 8 Gift Exchange Variations with Rules

The best Secret Santa games change how the gifts move around the room: in a gag gift exchange the funny present is the point, in a White Elephant swap gifts can be stolen, and in the dice game luck decides where each package ends up. All of them work with the same group and the same budget, as long as everyone agrees on the rules ahead of time.

If your group is tired of the usual draw, where half the room has figured out who got whom before the reveal, one new twist changes the whole evening. Below are all 8, step by step, with a quick chart to pick one in a minute, ready-to-use rules and how to keep everyone happy, from the kids to the grandparents.

Which Secret Santa game fits your group: the 8 at a glance

Use the chart to narrow things down by group size and the mood you want at the party. Some need names drawn in advance; others don’t, which helps when the family plans everything at the last minute.

For laughs: gag gift Secret Santa and the dice game (with dice rules)

1. Gag gift Secret Santa

You draw names the usual way, but the gift has to be funny, unexpected or deliberately useless. Think an outrageous piece of clothing, an over-the-top decor item or a kit built around one of the group’s inside jokes.

Golden rule: the joke should be about the situation, never about the person. No gifts that poke fun at weight, looks, age or money. Some groups do two drawings, one serious and one for gag gifts, so nobody goes home without something useful.

2. Dice game

Each person brings a wrapped gift within the agreed budget, and nobody knows what’s in each package. Everyone sits in a circle with a package in their lap, and the die is passed from hand to hand. Here’s one set of rules:

• 1 or 2: pass your package to the person on your left;
• 3 or 4: pass it to the person on your right;
• 5: swap packages with anyone you like;
• 6: everyone passes the package they’re holding to the right at the same time.

If there are little kids in the circle, an adult can roll for them. Start a timer without showing how much time is left. When it goes off, everyone keeps the package in their lap and you all open them together.

For big groups: White Elephant steal rules and guess the gift

3. White Elephant (steal swap)

Also known as a Yankee Swap or a gift-stealing game. Each person brings a wrapped gift, and all the packages go in the middle. Draw numbers to set the order. Number 1 picks a package and opens it. From number 2 on, each person decides: open a new package or steal a gift that’s already been opened. Whoever gets their gift stolen picks another wrapped package or steals from someone else.

To keep the game moving, set a limit: each gift can be stolen at most twice, and on the third time it stays with whoever has it. You can also ban stealing back, in the same turn, the gift that was just taken from you.

4. Guess the gift

Before opening, whoever receives the package has to guess what’s inside. They can shake it, squeeze it and sniff it, and the group chimes in with guesses. Guess right and you get to pick who hands out the next gift. It works with drawn names or with gifts pulled from a bag, and kids usually love it.

To make it last for weeks: Secret Santa sweets and the reverse reveal

5. Secret Santa sweets

After the drawing, each person leaves small treats for their person over one or two weeks, without revealing who they are. The goodies show up on a desk, in a backpack or at a bedroom door, with mystery notes. The main gift is handed over on reveal day.

If it’s warm where you are, chocolate melts fast. Mix in hard candy, cookies and treats in jars, which hold up better in the heat.

6. Reverse reveal

Instead of the giver announcing who they drew, the recipient tries to guess who their Secret Santa was. Each person opens their gift, studies the wrapping, reads the note and makes a guess. If they’re wrong, the group can offer a clue. It works best in groups where everyone knows each other, because the gift style and the handwriting give away a lot. For tips on dropping hints without giving yourself away, see our guide to Secret Santa clues and hints.

For more meaning: themed and giving-back exchanges (5 theme ideas)

7. Themed Secret Santa

The group picks a theme and every gift has to fit it. A few themes that work well:

• books, with a handwritten inscription;
• handmade, with a homemade recipe, crochet or crafts;
• kitchen, with utensils, spices or a special ingredient;
• cozy, with things like socks, a mug or a throw blanket;
• color, where every gift has to be a color drawn at random.

The handmade theme is also a great way to keep costs down, since a batch of cookies or a simple craft fits any budget.

8. Giving-back Secret Santa

Along with the gift for their person, everyone brings an item to donate: gently used clothing, a toy, nonperishable food or school supplies. After the exchange, the group delivers everything to a charity. Before collecting, ask the organization what it actually needs, so the donation is truly useful. Also agree on who will drop off the items and when, so they don’t end up forgotten in a corner after the party.

How to choose a game and agree on the rules before the party

• Look at who’s playing: competitive games are a hit with teens and adults; with young kids, go with guess the gift.
• Keep the budget the same: the variation changes how you swap, not how much you spend. A low spending cap, say under $20 or $30, works for all of them.
• Explain the rules beforehand: especially for White Elephant and the dice game, which spark arguments if the rules are made up on the spot. Our guide on how to organize a Secret Santa covers the basics.
• Think neutral gifts: in variations without a drawing, nobody knows who will end up with what, so the gift needs to work for anyone.
• Don’t push it: if someone doesn’t enjoy competitive games, let them join just the traditional exchange.

If the party still has energy after the exchange, check out more Christmas activities to do as a family.

If your Christmas party is outdoors in summer

In Australia, New Zealand and other places where the exchange happens at a backyard barbecue or by the pool, the dice game and White Elephant are easy to play outside: just keep the wrapped gifts in the shade, skip chocolate as a gift (or keep it in the cooler until the swap), and pick an hour after the worst of the afternoon heat, when people are happy to sit in a circle for a while.

Whichever game you choose, may the best part of the night be the laughter in the circle, not the gift that ends up in your lap.

Frequently asked questions

How does a White Elephant gift exchange work?

Each person brings a wrapped gift, and the playing order is drawn at random. On their turn, each person opens a new package or steals a gift that’s already been opened. Set a limit, like a maximum of two steals per gift, so the game comes to an end.

What are the rules for the Secret Santa dice game?

There’s no single official rule, so the group agrees beforehand. One option: 1 or 2 passes the package to the left, 3 or 4 to the right, 5 swaps with anyone, and 6 makes everyone pass their package to the right at the same time. When the timer goes off, everyone keeps the package they’re holding.

What makes a good gag gift for Secret Santa?

Something funny or unexpected, like an outrageous piece of clothing or an item tied to one of the group’s inside jokes. Avoid any gift that pokes fun at the person’s weight, looks, age or money.

Can you combine two variations in the same Christmas?

Yes. A popular combo is a traditional Secret Santa for the adults and guess the gift for the kids, or Secret Santa sweets in the weeks before with the main exchange at Christmas Eve dinner.