12 Gift Exchange Games For Christmas

by Lucy Guo on Oct 30, 2024
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    People make gifts for the holiday gathering, which becomes an entertaining method of disseminating happiness and jokes. Replacing a regular gift exchange with a unique game will be perfect, as each participant will be involved and enjoy it. These entailing party games, such as classic dice games and musical gift swaps, among others, introduce tension, fun, and a little surprise into the celebrations. Everyone can find something for themselves and their friends, relatives, and co-workers, which allows them to join together and give each other gifts.

    Christmas Gift Game

    1.    Switch, Steal, And Unwrap Dice Game

    Switch, Steal, and Unwrap Dice Game is another fun way to play the popular gift Exchange game. In this game, players use dice to decide on actions. This game makes people very alert; every time they roll the die, they get different things and switch other people’s gifts.

    Switch, Steal, And Unwrap Dice Game on Christmas

    How To Play:

    1. Everyone brings a wrapped gift. They gather around in a circle, and each places a gift at their front.
    2. One person rolls the dice and follows the rules according to the number rolled:
      everyone takes a numberChristmas swap game
      • Roll a 2: Exchange gifts with the person to your immediate left.
        christmas gift
      • Roll a 3: Choose anyone you like to exchange gifts with.
      • Roll a 4: Each person then carefully hands their gift to the person on their right.
      • Roll a 5: Take off the wrapper and place your gift before you.
        unwrap christmas gift
      • Roll a 6: All change their gift to the left.
    3. The game continues until everyone has rolled the dice a few times or until you set a time limit for extra fun.

    Tradition:

    This dice game has stayed popular with many because of the surprises it brings and, most importantly, the laughter. Some families have homemade dice instruction sheets meant to be used annually.

    2.    Right-Left Story Game

    The Right-Left Story Game is fun to shuffle gifts by reading a holiday story filled with "right" and "left" hints.

    How To Play:

    1. Everyone selects one of the gifts that has been wrapped and sits in a circle.
    2. The show's host reads a Christmas story with words like right and left.
    3. Our gifts go to the right-hand side whenever the word ‘right’ is said. Similarly, when one hears “left,” one is expected to drop their gifts off on the left side of the show.
    4. Then, everyone takes possession of whatever item he holds at the story’s end.

    Tradition:

    Many families use tradition, and adding the writing of a new “Right-Left” story for the year is not a strange practice. Whoever is guessing gets a combination of suspense and humor as charity gifts swing from ‘right’ to ‘left.’

    3.    Musical Gifts

    Musical Gifts are similar to musical chairs, but the gifts move about while the players remain seated. This game is best played with holiday music that creates excitement.

    the best christmas gift for a christmas game

    How To Play:

    1. All people sit in a circle, and each person holds an overwrapped gift.
    2. A person assigned as the DJ plays holiday music. Participants take their gifts and pass them around in a circular motion when the music is playing.
    3. On other occasions, when the music is complete, everyone can hold the gift.
    4. This way, once everyone has received their gift, they can open it and see what we have.

    Tradition:

    This game can culminate in laughter depending on the pace of the music, which is usually full of sudden halts and jumps. It’s excellent for adding that ‘holiday’ feel to the situation, and it is a tradition to listen to holiday music as the guests wait to open their gifts.

    4.    Secret Santa

    Secret Santa is a popular and easy game that inspires participants to choose a meaningful gift and exchange it among those who remain anonymous until the present is unwrapped.

    How To Play:

    1. Write each participant’s name on a piece of paper and then put the paper in a hat.
    2. Every person selects a name they can’t choose and gives a gift to the person they selected.
    3. On a selected gift-swapping day, usually the swapping day, every person has to put the wrapped gift labeled with the donee's name in a particular area.
    4. Individuals go around receiving gifts, which are usually wrapped and unblessed, while others guess who their Secret Santa is.

    Tradition:

    Secret Santa is now popular during the holiday season, particularly in offices and households. It promotes involvement and a point of progress since each person aims at having a gift that will make a chosen person happy.

    5.    Gift Auction

    The Gift Auction raises fun by introducing a game in which guests are given a ‘bid’ with which they have to buy gifts. Instead of real money, it can be earned before the game.

    How To Play:

    1. The amount of fake money given to each participant is different. Money can be distributed to the guests based on some general consideration, or they can work for it in certain other games.
    2. The bidder should assign one person as the auctioneer to help present the gifts for people to bid throughout the event.
    3. There are always people who wish to be given the gift of their choice; however, you cannot bid for a gift that you have come with or that of your spouse.
    4. As people bid, the ‘winner’ unwraps it on the spot, which adds energy because everyone sees what was bid on.

    Tradition:

    Gift auctions add a lively atmosphere to the event since everyone wants to outdo each other to win the most popular gifts. This game is perfect for holiday parties where guests like a bit of competition, and it can turn into hilarious memories of the party enjoyed time and again.

    6.    Self-Gifting

    A fun game, Self-Gifting requires each guest to arrive with a gift they want to receive. This game also adds a little spice with a pot of money, whereby the winner earns all the cash.

    How To Play:

    1. Before the game starts, every visitor provides a gift they’d like to receive and a dollar for a pot.
    2. One person distributes gifts to ensure no one receives their own, and everyone receives a blank sheet of paper and a pen.
    3. Each of them removed the wrapper of the gift they had received and wrote down the name of the person they imagined who had brought it and the names of other gifts in the room where they sat or stood.
    4. Once all have guessed, those playing the game get to know their answers, and whoever has guessed most correctly receives the money in the pot.

    Tradition:

    These games are a valuable addition to friendly competition, where everyone attempts to guess each other’s preferences. It is trendy in groups of people who like to have fun with riddles, as adding personal items to the list and surprises add holiday charm.

    7.    Christmas Carol Gift Exchange

    The Christmas Carol Gift Exchange is an excellent way to walk around the house and sing popular carols as people exchange gifts.

    How To Play:

    1. Ahead of time, jot down the first line of Christmas carols on individual pieces of paper and mix them in a bowl or basket.
    2. When guests come with their gifts wrapped, write the second line of another Christmas song on it.
    3. At the time of gift sharing, a person picks a piece of paper with the starting line of a carol written on it.
    4. Guests are now expected to place their second line on the slip with the second line of one of the wrapped presents. If they do find the right gift, they have the option of keeping it.
    5. To make it even more difficult (and entertaining), you can ask the guests to hum the first line of the carol they have drawn before they open the gift.

    Tradition:

    This game will be great for those groups that like to play holiday music and for groups that want to get a little more creative. The singing aspect makes it more personal and fun, and the carol matching makes it a great tradition that all families and friends can look forward to on every holiday.

    8.    Themed Gift Exchange

    The Themed Gift Exchange allows participants to express themselves by having the gifts assigned to them be based on a particular theme, making the gift more special.

    How To Play:

    1. Choose the gift exchange theme before the actual event, for example, Christmas colors – red and green, cozy gifts – scarves and warm blankets, holiday treats – cookies, cocoa, etc., or seen on TV.
    2. Every guest is then expected to contribute a wrapped gift corresponding to the selected theme.
    3. Those receiving gifts also get to open them, one gift per theme. You may get those involved to guess the theme before the game begins. 

    Tradition:

    Themed exchanges are preferred because they enhance the unity of the meeting and increase people’s curiosity to know how others understand the topic. For families or groups of friends who want to make gift-giving more special and unique, the themes make it easy to do just that every year.

    9.    Alphabet Gift Exchange

    The Alphabet Gift Exchange is a game in which the gifts are named after the letters. It is suitable for groups that like surprises and several gift rules.

    How To Play:

    1. Take a piece of paper and put the name of a letter of the alphabet on each piece. Put these papers in a container for the ‘letter bucket.’ Each guest’s name should be written on a piece of paper, and as each name is called for the bride and groom, put that name in a separate ‘’name bucket’’ for easy calling out.
    2. All guests will take a letter from the letter bucket and a name from the name bucket.
    3. The guests must then purchase a gift for the individual whose name they pulled out of the bowl. The selected letter must be used to name the gift. For instance, if they draw “S” and “Tom,” then they will buy Tom a “sweater” or “snack.”
    4. Then, when it is time for the gift exchange—each person opens their alphabet-inspired gift and has to guess who chose it.

    Tradition:

    Alphabet gift exchanges are typically performed at office parties or for friends who want inside jokes for gifting sessions. Due to this, the game has become very popular. Every year, people wait to see how others execute, and the game is both fun and profound.

    10.   Color-Themed Gift Exchange

    As with the alphabet game, the Color-Themed Gift Exchange asked guests to purchase gifts within a specific color scheme for fun. Debra recommends this game, which encourages creativity and keeps the gift exchange more attractive to the eye.

    How To Play:

    1. Prepare two buckets: one that contains the names of all the participants and the second that may include some colors, such as red, green, blue, yellow, and so on.
    2. Names and colors are chosen similarly: each guest takes a name from the name bucket and a color from the color bucket.
    3. Then, each individual is to select a gift for the person they selected in the color described. This could refer to using that color in gift wrapping, choosing a specific color gift, or even using your innovative creativity to use items in that color.
    4. People have colorful gifts at the party and guess who chose this gift based on their color.

    Tradition:

    This game has become popular during office parties and celebrations with family and friends. Others like the new color combination of the year, and it’s entertaining to see how individuals innovate their color assignments.

    11.   Rock, Paper, Switch

    Regarding this fun and challenging approach to the traditional gift exchange, the Rock, Paper, Switch is one game that will capture the interest of all who partake in the fun and is very easy to organize.

    How To Play:

    1. Each guest brings a wrapped gift, and all the guests remain seated in a circle.
    2. When it is their turn, they physically get into groups of two, and then both play a round of RPS.
    3. The player who ultimately wins the turn gets to keep the current item they were given, trade it with their partner, or choose a gift from the round from any other player.
    4. This goes on until everybody has had their few rounds, and at the end of the night, each person is given a gift. At the end of the program, people remove the tag on their gift to find out what they have been given.

    Tradition:

    The participants can exercise their competitive spirit and get the comic section moved. When steals and swaps are acceptable, it makes it a tradition where both the need for consultation and the element of surprise can be added to the holiday event.

    12.   The Urn Of Fate

    It is a creative game for children that lets them receive and unwrap gifts and open them extraordinarily. Although it is meant for children, adults can also use it as a twist on the regular exchange.

    How To Play:

    1. Arrange several gifts in gift wraps, put them in a big bowl or a basket, and name it the ‘Urn of Fate.’
    2. The kids (or an adult if it is being adapted) then rotate in choosing a gift from the urn.
    3. If they pick the wrong gift, they keep going back to exchange it with the right one they wanted to get. On the flip side, when the music stops, everyone has to open a gift, and in case it was not the gift they picked, they can exchange it until everyone is holding the right gift for them.

    Tradition:

    This is fun for big family events or any event that includes a kids' section or a holiday party, and everyone is searching for their gifts. This tradition unites everyone, and every turn increases tension and a jolly atmosphere during the celebration.

    Conclusion

    All these 12 Christmas gift exchange games are a mix of creativity, humor, and Christmas cheer that is bound to make any occasion out of the ordinary. It does not matter if you are planning to make your family, friends, or coworkers happy during the season of giving. Each has its own way of being fun. These ideas combine popular games with new variations so that people are happy they turned up at the end of the tournament and won’t forget the experience. Give a few a try here and there, and you know what? You might even establish a family tradition for the festive season!

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