Guides to gift exchanges
Everything we've learned about running a gift exchange that people enjoy: the rules, the budget, the awkward situations, and the differences between Secret Santa, White Elephant and the rest.
Secret Santa
- How to organize a Secret Santa, step by step
The order to do things in, from the guest list to the reveal, so nobody is confused on the day.
- Secret Santa rules: the classic rules and how to adapt them
The classic rules, why they exist, and the house rules that stop arguments before they start.
- Kris Kringle rules: how it works and how it differs from Secret Santa
The same idea as Secret Santa under a different name, with a few habits of its own.
- Secret Santa themes and variations: ideas for a more interesting exchange
Book swaps, handmade gifts, stocking stuffers and other twists that make a Secret Santa more personal.
White Elephant and party games
- White Elephant rules: how the game works, from setup to the last steal
How to play, how stealing works, and the rules to agree on before the first gift is opened.
- White Elephant, Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa: what's the difference?
Mostly the same game under different names, with a few rule differences worth knowing.
Planning
- Secret Santa or White Elephant: how to choose
Two very different games with similar seasons. Here is how to choose the right one for your group.
- How to set a gift exchange budget (and what to do when people go over)
How to pick a number that feels fair to everyone, and what to do when someone ignores it.
- Secret Santa gift ideas by budget, and how to choose for someone you barely know
Gift ideas grouped by budget, plus how to choose well when you barely know the person.
Work and remote
- How to run an office gift exchange that everyone is comfortable with
Keeping a workplace exchange optional, inclusive and low-pressure, with a sensible budget.
- How to run a virtual or remote gift exchange
Shipping, addresses, time zones and a reveal that works over video.
Etiquette and problem-solving
- Gift exchange etiquette: how to give and receive well
How to be a good giver and a gracious receiver in a Secret Santa or White Elephant.
- When things go wrong in a gift exchange: drop-outs, late gifts and other problems
Practical ways to handle the problems that crop up in nearly every gift exchange.