Games for Swapping Gifts
If you think the regular gift-giving routine at your office party or family celebration is boring, infuse your holiday gathering with a gift-exchange game. There are plenty of games to choose from, and your gift exchange is likely to become a favorite part of your annual celebration. Everyone can participate -- and everyone can leave with a gift. Does this Spark an idea?
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White Elephant Gift Exchange
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In this game, all party guests bring a wrapped gift and place it on a table. Each person chooses a number from a hat to determine his order in the line. The person who draws number one will take a gift from the table and open it. The person who draws number two can either steal that person's gift or choose a gift from the table. If a player’s gift is stolen, he can choose a new gift from the table or steal someone else's gift. Limits are often set so that the same gift may not be stolen more than three times. You can keep the gifts wrapped until the end of the game so no one knows what the packages contain. This game is also called "Dirty Santa."
The Left-Right Gift Exchange
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Each person brings a gift and everyone sits in a circle, holding his or her contribution. The host reads a story in which the words "right" and "left" appear numerous times. When the word "right" is read, the gifts are passed to the person on each guest's right. When "left" is read, the gifts go to the left. Stories can be found online or you can write your own. One example begins, "Twas the night right before Christmas when right through the house, not a creature was left stirring, not even a mouse." When the story ends, guests can keep the gift they are holding.
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Holiday Cheer Exchange
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Party guests sit in a circle and each one holds a gift. Prior to the party, prepare specific holiday-related questions that will allow your guests to exchange gifts with those who share certain characteristics. For instance, tell everyone who has an artificial tree at home to exchange gifts, or everyone who likes fruitcake to swap presents. Ensure there are questions that apply to all your guests so everyone can play.
Secret Santa
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In this game, you become the "Secret Santa" for a person whose name you chose randomly. No one -- especially the recipient -- can know whose name you picked until the final gift exchange takes place. To make gift-buying easy, ask participants to list their favorite things -- colors, foods, performers, restaurants, scents or authors -- on a piece of paper, along with their names. These pieces of paper will be used for the random drawing. Each day, you will leave a small gift for the person you've chosen. The fun part is trying to leave gifts at a coworker's desk or a family member's door without being detected. On the day of your holiday party, let the person know who you are and present that person with a larger gift.
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References
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