Sorry about getting back to you after Christmas. I didn't see this until just now.
The way we play white elephant in our family is this:
Before the game:
Everyone who wants to participate must submit a wrapped gift. Sometimes there may be a theme, but two rules must be adhered to for each gift:
- Your gift must have cost you somewhere between the upper and lower price threshold agreed upon by the group (the exception being if you are a professional who sells the item inside the gift you are submitting - in this case, you must have spent more than the lower threshold, but the final value may exceed the upper threshold - some family members are artists/authors and like to submit their work).
- Your gift must be something that you want to steal for yourself - if you liked nothing else anyone submitted, you would be happy to walk away with your own gift. (This generally helps us avoid garbage or joke submissions. About 25 years ago, before we made this rule, the gifts were nothing but plungers, toilet seats, fake poop, literal white elephants, painted portraits of Betty White, and other hilarious japes that were ultimately left at the host's house. The host kept this collection of items for an entire year, and then used it as their white elephant submission the next year - and that was when everyone agreed on this rule.)
During the Game
- Everyone takes numbers.
- #1 opens a wrapped gift and shows everyone.
- Starting with #2, everyone has the option to either "steal" an unwrapped gift or open a wrapped gift to show everyone.
- If you have a gift stolen from you, then you have the option to "steal" a gift or open a gift.
- Cards may trigger involuntary swaps.
- As an optional rule (that must be agreed upon by the group): Voluntary swaps may happen at any time, BUT they completely reset any locked gifts (be careful with this one - it can cause chaos).
- As an optional rule (that must be agreed upon by the group): Voluntary swaps may happen at any time, BUT they completely reset any locked gifts (be careful with this one - it can cause chaos).
- Once #1 plays their card: every gift is locked to whomever is holding it (except, obviously to whomever #1 chooses to swap with), all cards can no longer be used, and everyone must hold their gifts up so #1 can "sweep" the room and choose the gift they wish to swap with. (#1 should be kind about this - they shouldn't spring their activation on everyone to try to trick people into not using their cards - they should announce "I'm about to use my card. Would anyone like to play their cards, now, before I do? This is your last chance to use your card.")
- The game ends when #1 swaps. (Of course, people can choose to swap or give gifts afterward, if they like.)