How to Have the Ultimate Holiday Gift Exchange

The holidays are back and it is time for a gift exchange at your office, at school or with your friends. You are bored of the usual gift exchange. You want to make things more interesting. Follow these instructions to learn how to have the ultimate holiday gift exchange.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large group of people [at least 7-10]

1. Assemble your large group of people. Arrange a time and a date for the gift exchange.

2. rules [#1]. Each person buys one gift. The gift should be generic so it is likely to be enjoyed by anyone. Each person must also wrap the gift.

3. The Cost. Set a price limit for the gifts. Anything between $10-$50 dollars works great. If everyone is on a budget, then set the limit low. If everyone just got a huge Christmas bonus, then you can set the limit higher. It seems that the lower you set the price limit, the more likely that people will buy gag gifts. Determine your goals for the gift exchange and set the price limit appropriately.

4. After each person has purchased a gift, gather everyone together. People need to be able to see each other. Try forming a circle.

5. The rules [#2]. Put numbers in a hat. Start with #1 and add one number for each person in the room. Each person selects a number. While maintaining a circular formation, have people stand in order according to their number.

6. The rules [#3]. Place the presents in the middle of the circle. Be sure that everyone can see the presents.

7. The rules [#4]. The person that drew #1 out of the hat goes first. This person selects a present from the pile. The person then must quickly unwrap the gift and show it to everyone. Then, the person that drew #2 out of the hat chooses a present. Person #2 must unwrap the present and show it to everyone. Person #2 now has two choices. Person #2 can keep her present or person #2 can swap presents with person #1. Person #1 must swap presents willingly.

8. The rules [#4 continued]. Now the person that drew #3 chooses a present from the pile. Person #3 unwraps and shows the present to everyone. Person #3 now has three options. Person #3 can choose to keep the present, or person #3 can swap presents with person #1 or person #2. The game continues like this until everyone has a present.

9. The rules [#5]. Each present can only be swapped three times. This makes the game more exciting. For example, let’s say person #1 chose a present –and it ends up being a gift certificate to a restaurant that everyone loves. Person #2 then chooses a present and decides to swap for the gift certificate with person #1. Now person #2 has the gift certificate. Then, person #3 chooses a present and decides to swap for the gift certificate with person #2. Now person #3 has the gift certificate. Next, person #4 chooses a present and decides to swap for the gift certificate with person #3. Now person #4 has the gift certificate. Now the gift certificate has been swapped three times. Once a gift has been traded three times, that gift can no longer be traded. To guarantee that you get the gift that you want, you have to be lucky enough to be the third person to trade that gift- otherwise someone could trade with you. This can make the game extremely exciting.

10. Congratulations. You have just made your holiday office party fun and exciting by playing “The Ultimate Secret Santa Game”.

Tips & Warnings

• Increase the intensity of the gift exchange by serving cocktails.

[schuschan]

on 9/11/2009 Good article ~ nice to be reminded as I often forget from year to year exactly how this works! Thank you for a reminder of the way to do it ~ I like the addition of a present can only be exchanged three times!

[AnneZ]

on 9/11/2009 We call this Pirate Bingo! FUN! 5*s