Rules & Procedure
White Elephant rules: formats, dice game ideas, and flow
When you give away junk, you intentionally give away things that no one really needs - bad purchases, bizarre decorations, old finds. What matters is not the value, but the fun.
- White Elephant with fixed gift partners
- Draw all gifts in the middle & randomly
- White Elephant as a dice game
- Robber Secret Santa – steal & exchange gifts
At a glance
What awaits you on this page
- 1Core White Elephant rules for a fair round
- 2Variant 1: White Elephant with fixed gift partners
- 3Variant 2: All gifts in the middle
- 4Variant 3: White Elephant with a dice game
- 5Variant 4: Robber Secret Santa (steal gifts)
- 6Organize the group with Wichtlify
Practical Guide
Core White Elephant rules for a fair round
When you give away junk, you intentionally give away things that no one really needs - bad purchases, bizarre decorations, old finds. What matters is not the value, but the fun.
On this page you will find the most useful White Elephant formats, house rules, and planning tips for a round that stays funny without becoming chaotic.
Variant 1: White Elephant with fixed gift partners
You should set these rules in advance – regardless of the variant:
You can include these points directly in your invitation and link to your White Elephant invitation text or rules page if the group needs more detail.
Variant 2: All gifts in the middle
This variant is classic Secret Santa – just with “junk” instead of normal gifts. She fits in well with family, friends and clubs.
Advantage: Nobody goes away empty-handed, everyone receives and receives gifts - perfect for smaller groups.
Variant 3: White Elephant with a dice game
Organized with Wichtlify: You create the group, enter everyone, share private links and have the partners drawn automatically - without any slips of paper.
Here each person brings a wrapped junk gift, all the gifts end up in the middle - only then does it decide who gets what.
Practical tips for private groups, teams and community rounds
This variant is very simple and is suitable for larger groups where it is not so important who exactly gives gifts to whom.
If you still want to manage the participants in Wichtlify (e.g. for invitations or wish lists), you can create a group without permanent partners and explain the middle variant in the description.
Concrete implementation with Wichtlify
Wichtlify combines content and implementation: You get ideas plus a technical process for fair, transparent draws.
From invitations to wish lists to the draw, all core elements come together in one process. Advanced features such as Smart Draw, Auto-Reminder and Insights are optionally available with Wichtlify Pro.
Wichtlify Pro
If you need more control: Wichtlify Pro
For larger or recurring rounds, Wichtlify Pro expands the standard process to include Smart Draw, emergency assistant, auto-reminder, admin broadcasts as well as insights and event status.
This allows you to reduce manual effort, react more quickly to changes and keep the group stable despite high dynamics.
FAQ
What makes White Elephant different from Secret Santa?
In White Elephant, the fun comes from the group rules around the gifts: draw order, swaps, stealing, or dice mechanics matter more than a fixed giver-receiver pair.
Which White Elephant rules fit which group?
Smaller groups often work well with a simple draw order and one swap. Larger groups usually need clear stealing limits, dice rules, or a defined order to keep the round moving.
Ready for the next step?
Start directly on your preferred platform and lead the group to the result without any detours.