One of the most popular office games involving Christmas gifts is the “white elephant” gift exchange. The rules can vary depending on the office and participants, but generally it works something like this. Each person participating purchases a gift not to exceed a certain dollar amount (determined in advance and might range from $5 to $20, again depending on the group). The object here is a fun gift, so anything particularly practical is not welcome. You’re looking for unusual and interesting, perhaps funny, and something other people will want.
Everyone who’s participating in the exchange gets a number (the number should be the same as the number of presents). The numbers should be they drawn out of a hat or something else (perhaps a Santa hat, in recognition of the season?). So, the person who draws number “1″ goes first and picks a present. They open it and keep it. The second person can either pick a different present or they can “steal” the first present. They can’t open a present until they are sure they are keeping their choice and not picking the first gift. This continues until everyone has a present. Any present that’s been opened can be subject to stealing, but a gift can only be stolen three times.
At the end of the game, the person who was the first to open a present can steal a gift if they choose, since they didn’t have an opportunity earlier.
In this game there’s always one gift that everyone wants and will steal over and over again. What makes it fun is trying to figure out who is going to get the most coveted gift. In some cases, people can end up with the gift they brought.
Originally the “white elephant” gift exchange was a way for people to “regift” or give someone a gift they themselves received and don’t want. For a fun twist, you could ask people to bring something from their home like that, or you can require they purchase something (with the aforementioned limit on spending).
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