How to Plan a Yankee Swap

Christmas is a time for giving. Yankee Swap, also known as Yankee Doodle, Dirty Santa or White Elephant, is a popular and fun way to exchange gifts, whether it's between friends or co-workers. There was even an episode of "The Office" that was entirely devoted to a Yankee Swap; so what are you waiting for?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Organize a group of people to participate in the Yankee Swap. It's a great way to arrange a cost-effective gift exchange among a large group of friends, family or co-workers.

2. Have everyone wrap their gifts and bring them to a central location. Do not label the gifts, so that it will remain a mystery as to who has brought which item.

3. Draw numbers to determine the order in which everyone will pick their gift.

4. Follow the numerical order, starting with the lowest number first. Person number one picks a gift and opens it, person number two goes next, and so on.

5. Decide whether to pick a new gift or "steal" player number one's gift. You can pick an unwrapped gift to open, or steal a gift from another person that has already been opened. Continue in numerical order until all of the gifts have been chosen or swapped.

Tips & Warnings

• In some variations of Yankee Swap, you can choose and open the gift before deciding to swap it.
• If someone's gift is stolen, they immediately choose and open a new gift or steal someone else's gift.
• After all of the gifts have been stolen or swapped, player one has the option of swapping gifts with someone else.

[hormellunchmeat]

on 9/7/2009 I've put together a website dedicated to the Yankee Swap including downloadable rules and gift ideas at www.YankeeSwap.com

You never know what the "good gift" is going to be but kitchen gadgets always seem to be a big deal. Coffee gift baskets are also a crowd pleaser. Oh, and don't forget martini glasses with mixes. I think the gift that got stolen the most last year was just a plain old bottle of Kahlúa.

[hormellunchmeat]

on 9/3/2009 www.yankeeswap.com has a good gift finder

[partywedo]

on 8/1/2009 The Yankee Swap is a great way to stay connected and have fun in the holidays.. There are now online Yankee Swap parties so that distant friends can participate in the fun.