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Christmas gift exchange games,
ready to play.

Two games that turn a pile of gifts into the best twenty minutes of the party: a left-right story to read aloud while the gifts go round the circle, and a dice game with the die on your phone. Both print on one page. No app, no sign-up.

The left right Christmas game

Everyone sits in a circle holding one wrapped gift. One person reads the story out loud. Every time they say LEFT, everyone passes their gift to the left; every time they say RIGHT, to the right. Whatever you hold at the end is yours. The story is ours, written for this page; print it or read it from your phone.

  1. 1Everyone brings one wrapped gift at the agreed price and sits in a circle.
  2. 2Pick a reader with a clear voice. They hold a gift too, and pass it with everyone else.
  3. 3Read slowly. Pause a beat after each LEFT or RIGHT so the gifts can move.
  4. 4When the story ends, everyone unwraps what they're holding.

Pip and the Christmas Eve mix-up

On Christmas Eve, Pip the elf woke up late, which was not RIGHT → at all. The sleigh had ← LEFT the workshop an hour before, and somebody had ← LEFT one sack of presents behind on the floor.

“RIGHT →,” said Pip, pulling on one boot and then the other. “I’ll take them myself.” Pip grabbed the sack, ran out of the door, turned ← LEFT at the reindeer stables, then RIGHT → at the gingerbread shop, and stopped in the snow.

There were two roads. The one on the ← LEFT went over the hill. The one on the RIGHT → went through the forest. Pip couldn’t remember which one was RIGHT →, so Pip tried the ← LEFT one first.

Halfway up the hill, a goat was standing RIGHT → in the middle of the path. “Wrong road,” said the goat, chewing. “Santa ← LEFT by the forest. Go back down and keep RIGHT →.” Pip thanked the goat and went RIGHT → back down the hill.

The forest was dark and quiet. An owl hooted on the ← LEFT. A fox ran past on the RIGHT →. Pip held the sack tight and counted the presents: not one ← LEFT behind, all of them RIGHT → there.

At the edge of the forest was a small town with every window lit. Pip tiptoed into the first house on the RIGHT → and put a present under the tree. Then Pip crossed to the house on the ← LEFT and did the same. A dog opened one eye, looked RIGHT → at Pip, and went back to sleep.

House after house, the ← LEFT side of the street and then the RIGHT →, until the sack was nearly empty. There was only one present ← LEFT. Its label said: “For whoever is holding this RIGHT → now.”

Pip laughed, walked all the way home and ← LEFT the last present on the workshop step, RIGHT → where Santa would see it. When Santa got back, he read the label, smiled and said, “Well, that’s exactly RIGHT →. Merry Christmas, Pip.”

So whatever you’re holding RIGHT → now is yours to keep. Merry Christmas!

Written by Giftruly for families and offices to read aloud. Free to print. giftruly.com/secret-santa/gift-exchange-games

The Christmas dice gift exchange game

Good for 6 to 20 people and a mix of ages. All the gifts go in the middle, the die goes round the circle, and the timer decides when it stops. Roll the die below on one phone and pass it round, or use a real die and keep the table on the screen.

  1. 1Everyone brings one wrapped gift and puts it in the middle. Sit in a circle.
  2. 2Take turns rolling and do what the table says, until the middle is empty.
  3. 3Then start the timer. Keep rolling, but a 6 now means: take a gift from anyone.
  4. 4When time’s up, anyone holding more than one gift hands the extras to whoever has none. Then everyone unwraps.

Round timer

The dice game: what each roll means

The dice game: what each roll means
RollWhat happens
1Everyone passes the gifts they hold one place to the left.
2Everyone passes the gifts they hold one place to the right.
3Swap one of your gifts with anyone you like.
4Put one of your gifts back in the middle.
5Roll again.
6Take a gift from the middle. Middle empty? Take one from anyone.

Round 1: roll until the middle is empty. Round 2: set a timer and keep rolling. Free online die: giftruly.com/secret-santa/gift-exchange-games

Gift exchange games by group size

Which game fits depends mostly on how many of you there are and how long you want it to last.

  • 3 to 6 people: Secret Santa with clues

    Small groups know each other too well for a pile game. Draw names, drop a clue or two in the weeks before, and guess on the day.

    The rules and reveal ideas →

  • 6 to 15: the left right story

    About ten minutes, no rules to explain, and the kids can play with the adults. Works for an office lunch too.

    Read the story

  • 6 to 20: the dice game

    Twenty to thirty minutes, loud and a bit chaotic. Use the timer so it ends on time.

    Roll the die

  • 8 to 30: white elephant

    Open a gift or steal one, with a steal limit. The best game for funny gifts, and the one that runs longest.

    White elephant rules and turn tracker →

  • Big parties, 20 and up

    Split into two or three circles with a reader or a die each. One circle of forty takes too long and the far side can’t hear.

  • Families with young kids

    Give the kids their own circle and the left-right story, with a grown-up reading, while the adults play the dice game. Everyone unwraps at the same time.

Doing Secret Santa as well?

Draw names first so everyone knows who to buy for, then play a game on the day. Free, no sign-up, works for odd numbers.

Draw names

Gifts that do well in a game

The gifts people fight over are useful and a bit fun. Ideas by budget:

Gift exchange game questions

How do you play the left right Christmas game?

Everyone sits in a circle holding a wrapped gift while one person reads a story. Each time the reader says LEFT, everyone passes their gift to the left; each RIGHT, to the right. When the story ends, you keep the gift you're holding.

Is there a free printable left right Christmas story?

Yes, the one on this page. We wrote it for families and offices to read aloud; press Print the story for a one-page copy, or save it as a PDF from the print window.

How does the Christmas dice gift exchange game work?

All gifts go in the middle and players take turns rolling a die. Each number is an action: take a gift, pass left or right, swap, put one back or roll again. When the middle is empty, a timer starts and a 6 lets you take a gift from anyone. When time's up, everyone unwraps.

What is a good gift exchange game for a large group?

White elephant handles up to about thirty people. Above twenty, the dice game and the left-right story work better in two or three smaller circles, each with its own reader or die.

How long does a gift exchange game take?

The left-right story takes about ten minutes. The dice game takes twenty to thirty with a five-minute timer for the second round. White elephant takes about a minute per person.

Can kids play these games with adults?

Yes. The left-right story is the easiest: young kids only need to know left from right, and a grown-up beside them can help. In the dice game, let a child roll for the whole circle.

Updated October 2026