wheelspinnerWhite elephant generator
Draw a fair picking order for your gift exchange in one click, or turn your phone into the hat everyone draws a number from. Set your steal rules and copy the order straight into the group chat.
8 players
Your picking order shows up here
Add everyone who brought a gift, set your house rules and press Draw the order.
White elephant rules
The classic way to play, start to finish.
- Everyone brings one wrapped gift within the agreed price limit and puts it in a shared pile.
- Draw the order. Each player gets a number. Number 1 goes first.
- Player 1 opens a gift from the pile and shows it to everyone.
- Each next player chooses: open a new gift from the pile, or steal an opened gift from someone else.
- Whoever is stolen from either opens a new gift or steals a different one. Most groups don’t allow stealing straight back.
- A gift freezes after it has been stolen two or three times and can’t be taken again.
- The game ends when the last gift is opened. If you use the final swap, player 1 may then trade with any unfrozen gift.
Yankee swap, Dirty Santa and other names
The same game goes by many names depending on where you live: Yankee swap in New England, Dirty Santa in the American South, and steal the gift, rob your neighbour or simply gift exchange game elsewhere. The rules are nearly identical everywhere. Only the house rules for stealing tend to change, which is why the generator lets you set them before you draw.
White elephant gift ideas
The best gifts are ones people actually fight over. A few that work at most parties:
Under $15
- Really good socks
- A hot sauce or spice sampler
- A pocket card game
- A mug with a terrible pun
- Fancy chocolate
Under $30
- A 1,000-piece puzzle
- A small shower speaker
- A cosy throw blanket
- A desk plant that’s hard to kill
- A party board game
Funny ones
- A giant gummy bear
- A toilet-roll holder shaped like a person
- A framed photo of the host
- An inflatable crown
- A “certified good listener” trophy
Questions
How do you decide the order in white elephant?
Everyone draws a number, and number 1 goes first. Type the players into the generator and press Draw the order for a full numbered list, or use Pass the phone so each person draws their own secret number, just like pulling one from a hat.
How many times can a gift be stolen?
Most groups freeze a gift after it has been stolen two or three times, so the last person to take it keeps it. Pick your limit under House rules and it is added to the order you copy.
Does the first player get a final turn?
In the classic rules, yes. Player 1 never got to steal, so at the end they may swap their gift with any unfrozen gift. You can switch this off under House rules.
What is the difference between white elephant and Secret Santa?
In Secret Santa each person secretly buys for one assigned person. In white elephant everyone brings one wrapped gift to a shared pile and players take turns opening or stealing. For Secret Santa, use the Secret Santa wheel instead.
What is a good price limit for white elephant gifts?
Between $15 and $30 is the most common. Agree on one amount before the party so the gifts are roughly even and stealing stays fun.
Is the draw random?
Yes. The order and the numbers are shuffled with your browser’s cryptographic random number generator, and nothing is sent to a server.