Spin the wheel White elephant game
A twist for every turn of the swap
The standard white elephant game is simple: everyone brings a wrapped gift, players draw numbers, and on your turn you either open a new gift or steal an opened one. A gift is usually frozen after it has been stolen three times. That is already fun, but the same moves repeat, and the last few players often decide the winner of the whole evening.
This wheel replaces the single rule with a surprise on every turn. Most of the 36 entries are small variations on the same idea: swap with a neighbor, steal and open at once, pass all gifts to the left, or pick the biggest box. A few are bigger twists, like freezing a gift or going twice in a row. Groups that play the dice version can use the wheel instead of a die: one spin gives one move, with no chart to look up.
Keep the gifts in the usual price range, often $15 to $25, and agree on the rules before the first spin. Take out the twists that do not work for your group. Large groups may want to remove the ones that need everybody to move, such as passing gifts around the circle.
What's on this wheel
- Steal a gift
- Open a new gift
- Swap with anyone
- Swap with the player on your left
- Swap with the player on your right
- Steal and open at once
- Open two, keep one
- Everyone passes gifts left
- Everyone passes gifts right
- Open a gift, then trade it
- Pick a gift for the next player
- Gift is frozen, no steals
- Unwrap with your eyes closed
- Describe a gift, then pick
- Trade with the first player
- Trade with the last player
- Choose who goes next
- Skip the next player
- Go twice in a row
- Steal back a gift
- Steal from the best-wrapped
- Take the biggest box
- Take the smallest box
- Take the gift with a bow
- Take the tallest gift
- Swap two gifts of your choice
- Open a gift wearing mittens
- Guess what's inside, then open
- Shake a gift before choosing
- Open a gift from the bottom
- Choose any gift, no steals
- Steal only from a neighbor
- Reverse the turn order
- Spin the wheel again
- Swap with a person across
- Keep your gift this round
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Playing white elephant with the wheel
- Everyone wraps a gift, and players draw numbers to set the order. Put the gifts in the middle of the room.
- On your turn, press Spin and do what the wheel says. Read it aloud so the whole room can follow along.
- Use Entries to keep or remove twists. Choose Remove from wheel after a special rule has been used if you want it to happen only once.
- Press Original list if you want to start a second game with all 36 twists back.
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White elephant questions
What are the basic white elephant rules?
Each guest brings one wrapped gift. Players draw numbers. Player one opens a gift. After that, each player either opens a new gift or steals an opened one. A stolen gift cannot be taken again right away, and after three steals it is frozen. The first player often gets one last turn to swap at the end.
How do I play white elephant with dice?
Give each result a number and roll a die on your turn: 1 steal, 2 open a new gift, 3 swap with a neighbor, and so on. The wheel does the same without dice, and you can add or remove twists in Entries to fit your group.
What is a good price limit?
Most office swaps use $15 to $25, family swaps $20 to $30. Pick one number in advance and say it in the invitation. Gag gifts and useful gifts both work, as long as they stay within the limit.
How many players do I need?
Eight or more makes it lively. With fewer than six, there are too few gifts to steal, so add a couple of extra gifts to the pile. Large groups of 30 or more can split into smaller circles.
Can we play online?
Yes. Each person holds up a wrapped gift on camera, and players steal by naming a gift on screen. Send the wheel link from Share so everyone sees the same spin, then mail the gifts after the call.
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