Inside: Gift Exchange Christmas Dice Game.

Christmas time is the best time to have parties and game nights! There is something so much more fun about a party during Christmas time! One of my favorite games or activities is gift exchanges.

This Christmas dice game is a fun twist on the traditional white elephant. You will have the best time ever with all your friends!

Gift Exchange Christmas Dice Game

Before you are going to play, you have a decision to make. You can either have people bring one, two, or three gifts each.

If you do two or three, just specify that they should be smaller price items within a price range of say $15 for all three gifts. If they’re just bringing one gift, just set your price range wherever you want it.

This is more fun with multiple gifts but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t still work well with one or two. I’ve included instructions below for playing it with just one gift or multiples.

When you ask your guests to bring gifts, make sure they know to bring them wrapped. This game only works if the gifts are wrapped.

When guests arrive, they should put their gifts in a pile on a table or on the floor! You can also decide what type of gifts you want people to bring – white elephant or regular.

Gift Exchange Game

Christmas Dice Game Instructions

How to Start the Game

Have everyone put their gifts in a pile in the middle. Before you start playing, have everyone just randomly pick out one (or 2 or 3) gift from the center then sit down in the circle. These are the gifts they’ll start with.

Alternately, you could have whoever is hosting the game just hand out all the gifts randomly until everyone has the correct number of gifts. Everyone should start with the same number of gifts and will end with that same number.

How to Play the Game

Choose someone to start the game and give them the dice. If you are playing with one gift per person, give them one die. Two gifts = two dice. Three gifts = three dice.

They roll the appropriate number of dice and take action based on what they roll. Each die corresponds with one of the gifts in their pile. The person who is rolling the dice gets to choose which gifts to swap and steal.

  • Roll a 1 – they switch gifts with the person on their right
  • Roll a 2 – they switch gifts with the person on their left
  • Roll a 3 or a 4 – Switch gifts with anyone in the circle AND unwrap the gift if it’s not already unwrapped
  • Roll a 5 or a 6 – Unwrap your gift

So for instance, if you are playing with three gifts and the person rolls a 2,4,6, they would swap one of their gifts with a gift from the person on their left (the swapper’s choice of gift). They would steal a gift from anyone around the circle (trade one of their gifts with someone else), and they would choose to unwrap one of their gifts.

If someone cannot complete the action on the dice, their turn is over. Better luck next time.

Once the player has completed all of their actions, they hand the dice to the person on their left and it’s now that person’s turn.

Continue playing around the circle with people rolling the dice, swapping presents, stealing presents, and unwrapping presents.

Christmas Dice Game

When the Christmas Dice Game Ends

The game ends as soon as the final gift is unwrapped and everyone keeps the gifts they have in hand. If someone ends up with their own gift, they can either trade if they want or just keep it.

This is one of the most fun parts of the game because you never know when the last gift is going to be unwrapped. There’s always a possibility of your gift being switched until that final gift is unwrapped.

Alternate Ending

If you’d prefer, you could do one more roll for everyone after the final gift is unwrapped, including the person who unwrapped the last gift. This will add a bit more time to your game and the unwrapping of the last gift isn’t quite as suspenseful, but totally up to you!

Whatever you decide, make sure everyone know ahead of time so you don’t have any confusion or complaining.

Christmas Dice Game for 1 or 2 Gifts

If you have people bring two gifts, the game will be the exact same except everyone will only roll two dice instead of three. And the game will likely be quite a bit shorter.

A couple of reasons it’s more fun with multiple gifts instead of one:

  • The game lasts longer
  • The gifts get more mixed up because there are more chances on the dice to switch, swap, etc.
  • People don’t get stuck (rolling a 5/6 when their gift is unwrapped) not being able to do anything at all on a turn because they always have two or three dice and gifts.
  • There’s more variety in the gifts making for more excitement when people swap and steal.

More Christmas Party Game Ideas

  • Ice Breaker Games for Parties – I love a good party, nothing is better than good food, fun music, and great people. But there is always that little bit of an awkward time when everyone is just arriving and the party has quite kicked off! Don’t let those awkward silences or uncomfortable first meetings ruin your good time. Here are 43 of the most hilarious ice breaker games for parties!
  • Best Amazon Board Games – Ditch the TV and let the games begin! We love a good game night, whether its a game night with the kids, our adult friends, or as a family this list of 25 Best Amazon Board Games make for one FUN game night full of laughs and fun. Now I cannot promise there won’t be a little friendly funding but don’t worry it won’t last long!