Rules & Procedure
White Elephant rules: formats, dice game ideas, and setup
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 to clarify before you start
- 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.
Useful White Elephant formats, house rules, and planning tips keep the round 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 add the White Elephant invitation text or rules guidance 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 brings planning and setup together: you get practical ideas and a clear way to run fair, transparent draws.
From invitations to wish lists to the draw, all core elements stay in one place. 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 adds Smart Draw, emergency assistant, auto-reminder, admin broadcasts, 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.