A Peek at the Fun: If you have a Christmas party coming up, we have the perfect game to play. This simple gift exchange game is such fun and so easy to plan!
Gift exchange games seem to be a staple during the holidays, and there’s a reason for it! They are super simple and such a blast to play, making them perfect for any Christmas party. We love them because they really don’t take much planning or really any time to throw together. So in a season where time is limited, consider this simple gift exchange game for your next party.
Simple Gift Exchange Game:
So there are so many fun gift exchange games out there, but this one is one of the basics! If you are looking for a fun variation, we have some ideas for you.
10 Fun Christmas Gift Exchange Parties
Let’s talk about how to play this one, it’s so simple and fun we know you will love it!
How to Play-
Before the party, let your guests know they need to come with a wrapped gift. This is where you can make some choices about what type of gifts you want to see. You have some options with the instructions you give your party guests. Some options might include…
Gift Exchange Ideas:
- White Elephant Gifts (Random and Funny Gifts)
- Gifts Set at Certain Price Points (All Gifts Must Be Under $10)
- You Could Choose a Theme (Socks, Ornaments, Candy, Funny Gifts)
- “Favorite Things” (Everyone Brings One of Their Favorite Items)
Make sure they know to bring wrapped gifts, we don’t want any peeking! We would recommend having an extra gift or two just in case one of your guests forgets to bring one. We want everyone to be able to play and go home with a present.
When you are ready to start, have all your party guest sit in a circle after placing their gifts in the center. Guests can sit on chairs or floor, whatever you think works best for your peeps.
Once everyone is gathered, it’s time to decide who gets to start. Again, you have some options…
- Decide Who Has the Next Birthday and Start With Them
- Go According to Age (Youngest to Oldest)
- You Could Have Each Guest Take a Number When They Come to the Party
So let’s say we are going according to birthdays. We would choose the player with the nearest birthday to the current date. That player gets to pick any present from the pile. Once they choose, they unwrap the present and place it in front of them so other players can see it. Their turn is over. The next chronological birthday is determined and that player is next.
Now they have two options. They can choose a gift from the pile and unwrap it just like player one, or they can steal player one’s gift. If they steal player one’s gift, they take it and place it in front of them. Player one will then take another gift from the pile and unwrap it.
Player three is determined by birthday date and they will repeat this process. But they can steal from player’s one or two, or they can choose a gift from the pile. This process is repeated with each player.
The only catch to this system, is that a gift can only be stolen 3 times. On the third steal it can no longer be taken, so the player who stole it on the third time gets to keep it.
The stealing is where this game gets good. There are ALWAYS a few key gifts that everyone wants and are willing to scheme to get it. It makes the game super fun. If you are playing with younger kiddos, just make sure they know their gifts might get stolen so there are no surprises or hurt feelings.
That’s it folks. We promised simple and it doesn’t get easier than this. It’s a perfect game for any group. We’ve played it lots with our churches youth group and it’s seriously so fun. We hope you have a blast.
Have Fun playing this super simple gift exchange game!
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