A white elephant gift exchange (also called a Yankee swap or Dirty Santa) is a fun twist on the regular gift exchange. It’s meant to entertain everyone with unusual and hilarious gifts.
White elephant exchanges usually take place at a party with family, friends or coworkers.
Everyone can steal each other’s presents, with the goal of going home with the best one in the bunch. White elephant gifts should be fun and silly, but still have some kind of use.
White Elephant Gifts by Budget
Most exchanges set a price limit, so here’s where to start at each one. Prices on Amazon move around, so check the current price before you buy.
White Elephant Gifts Under $10
A small budget is where the weird stuff shines. Tiny Finger Hands put little hands on every pen in the office, the Screaming Goat screams when you press it, and the Squirrel Hot Tub Prank Gift Box hides whatever you bought inside a box that promises a backyard hot tub for squirrels.
White Elephant Gifts Under $20
This is the sweet spot for most office exchanges. The Yodeling Pickle yodels at the push of a button, the Desktop Boxing Kit gives someone a tiny punching bag for their desk, and the Emotional Support Chicken Nuggets are exactly as comforting as they sound.
White Elephant Gifts Under $25
A little more room lets you go useful and still get a laugh. A Zippo Hand Warmer gets stolen for being practical, The Burrito Blanket is funny and cozy at the same time, and a Dumpster Fire Candle sums up everyone’s year in one wick.
White Elephant Gifts Under $50
Bigger budgets call for gifts people will actually fight over. Furry Monster Feet Slippers, a Carry-On Cocktail Kit or a Fuego Sauce Gift Set are the kind of gifts that change hands more than once.
How Do You Play White Elephant?
All you need to start is a gift and a way to send out invitations. Once enough players sign up, the fun can begin.
Here are the white elephant rules:
- Set a price limit so all the presents are worth about the same.
- Each player brings a single wrapped, anonymous gift (pranks are encouraged, and gifts can be wrapped in a completely different shape from what they actually are).
- Guests draw numbers or names to decide the order of play.
- The first player picks and unwraps any gift for everyone to see.
- The next person in order either steals any gift that’s already open or unwraps a new one.
- When all the gifts are unwrapped, the first player gets one more turn.
- If they keep their gift instead of stealing, the game is over. Otherwise, the game keeps going until someone decides to hold on to their gift.
To keep the game from dragging on, try a couple of common rule tweaks.
For example, the person whose gift got stolen can’t steal it right back in the same round. Limiting how many times a gift can change owners is also a common rule.
Beyond that, make up your own house rules!
What Are Good White Elephant Gifts?
White elephant gift ideas can range from a uniquely shaped mug to a temporary tattoo. It’s best to bring a mix of funny and useful. Blending gags with small stocking stuffers is a cheap and fun way to see who takes home the best present.
Disguising your gift is half the fun. Hide something small inside a big, heavy box and let the room guess what’s inside before it gets opened. Keep the group in mind and stick to what’s appropriate. If everyone agrees, you can even set a theme, and an affordable Christmas gift can turn into a running inside joke.
There’s a huge selection of gifts out there, and your wit is the only limit.
What Not To Do at a White Elephant Party
The game is meant to be fun for everyone.
Even though the gifts are supposed to be unique and silly, totally useless items aren’t much fun to win. Skip presents that might offend someone. What’s appropriate depends on the situation and the people there, so plan around that. Take your time wrapping, since that’s half the fun.
Don’t take it too seriously and enjoy the competition. That’s what it’s there for.
White Elephant FAQ
What white elephant gifts get stolen the most?
Steal-magnets share one trait: everyone in the room can picture using them tonight. Cozy blankets, mini waffle makers, good bottle openers and anything food-related dominate. Funny gifts get the laugh and useful gifts get the steals, so funny AND useful wins the whole exchange.
What are good white elephant gifts under $25?
Most of the picks on this page cost under $25, so you have plenty to choose from. For a laugh, go with the Yodeling Pickle or the Emotional Support Chicken Nuggets. For something people will actually use, The Burrito Blanket and the Zippo Hand Warmer both come in under $25. Match the limit your group sets: coming in way under looks low effort, and going way over makes the swap awkward.
Should a white elephant gift be funny or useful?
Read the room: office exchanges lean useful-with-a-wink, friend groups reward chaos. The safest play is a useful core with funny wrapping or naming. If you go pure gag gift, make sure it’s funny to the whole room and not only to your group chat.
Is a Yankee swap the same as white elephant?
Pretty much. Yankee swap, Dirty Santa and white elephant are different names for the same unwrap-or-steal gift game, and the one you hear mostly depends on where you live. Yankee swap is the usual name in New England. House rules vary, like how many times a gift can be stolen, but every gift on this list works for all three.
What is a good white elephant gift for work?
Keep it funny but safe for everyone in the room, so skip the swearing and bathroom humor. Desk toys are a solid bet, like the Desktop Boxing Kit, Tiny Finger Hands or a Desk Foot Hammock for whoever sits through the most meetings. For more office-friendly ideas, browse our gifts for coworkers.
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