Yankee swap rules, and the final swap for number 1.
A Yankee swap is New England’s gift swap: bring a wrapped gift, draw numbers, and on your turn open a new one or steal one already open. The game on this page keeps track of the steals, freezes gifts at the limit and gives number 1 the final swap. Pass one phone round.
By the Gift DeskUpdated
Set up your Yankee swap
The order is drawn at random. Pass this phone round.
How does a Yankee swap work?
Everyone brings one wrapped gift and draws a number. Number 1 opens a gift. Each next player opens a new gift or steals one that’s already open; whoever loses a gift picks again, but not the one just taken. A gift is frozen after its third steal. When every gift is open, number 1 gets the final swap with any gift that isn’t frozen, and the game ends.
- Where: New England: Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island
- Budget: Usually $20 to $25
- Steals: A gift is frozen after the third
- Number 1: Gets the final swap
- Same game as: White elephant, Dirty Santa
How to play Yankee swap
- 1Bring one wrapped giftEveryone brings one gift at the agreed price, usually $20 to $25, wrapped so nobody can guess it.
- 2Draw numbersNumbers from a hat, or the phone. Number 1 goes first and opens a gift.
- 3Open or stealOn your turn, open a new gift from the pile, or steal a gift someone has already opened.
- 4Lost your gift? Go againWhoever loses a gift opens a new one or steals a different one, never the gift just taken from them. The turn moves on when someone opens a new gift.
- 5Frozen after three stealsA gift stolen three times is frozen with whoever has it. Some groups freeze after two.
- 6The final swapWhen the last gift is open, number 1 may swap with anyone whose gift isn’t frozen, or keep theirs. That person takes number 1’s gift, and the swap is over.
The final swap for number 1
Number 1 is the only player who never got to see an open gift before choosing. So in a Yankee swap, number 1 gets the last move: after the last gift is opened, they look over everything in the room and may trade their gift for any one that isn’t frozen.
Say Jen drew 1 and opened a puzzle. Twelve gifts later, Mike has the heated blanket, stolen twice. Jen swaps: she takes the blanket, Mike gets the puzzle, and that’s the end of the game. Had the blanket been stolen a third time, it would be frozen and Jen would have to pick something else, or keep her puzzle.
Why is it called a Yankee swap?
“Yankee” is the old word for a New Englander, and a Yankee swap is simply what the game is called there, especially in Massachusetts. The rules are white elephant’s; the one thing Yankee swaps insist on is the final swap for number 1.
Yankee swap etiquette
Spend the amount
Not much more, not much less. A $60 gift in a $20 swap starts an arms race next year.
Wrap it properly
No gift bags you can peek into. A box inside a box is fair game.
Keep a straight face
Nobody should be able to tell which gift is yours. Don’t cheer when yours gets stolen.
Steal without guilt
It’s the game. Taking the good blanket from your boss is allowed, and expected.
Yankee swap gifts that get swapped
Useful with a laugh wins: something people would never buy themselves but use every day once it’s theirs. Our white elephant gift guide has the gifts that get fought over, by budget.
Questions people ask
What are the rules of a Yankee swap?
Everyone brings one wrapped gift and draws a number. On your turn, open a new gift or steal an opened one. Whoever loses a gift picks again, but not the one just taken. A gift is frozen after three steals. When every gift is open, number 1 gets the final swap.
Does the first person get to swap at the end of a Yankee swap?
Yes, that’s the Yankee swap rule: after the last gift is opened, number 1 may trade with anyone whose gift isn’t frozen, or keep theirs. Whoever they trade with takes number 1’s gift, and the game ends.
How many times can a gift be stolen in a Yankee swap?
Three times in most groups: after its third steal a gift is frozen and stays with whoever has it. Some groups use two for a faster game.
What's the difference between a Yankee swap and white elephant?
The name: Yankee swap is what New England calls white elephant. The play is the same, open or steal; a Yankee swap gives number 1 the final swap, which most white elephant groups play too.
How much do you spend on a Yankee swap gift?
Usually $20 to $25, sometimes $10 to $15 at work or $50 in a family. Everyone sticking to the same amount is what matters.
Why is it called a Yankee swap?
“Yankee” is the old word for a New Englander. It’s simply the region’s name for the white elephant gift exchange, used most in Massachusetts and the rest of New England.