It’s that time of year when holiday party planning is in full swing. One way to make your event stand out is to host an epic gift exchange that your guests will talk about for years to come. 
When done well, these gift exchange games can be the central activity at your gathering. They are a great ice breaker and can help everyone get in on the fun.
In this gift exchange dice game, you just never know which way the gift is going to go until the dice get rolled. Print off the easy to follow instructions and get playing! This twist to the usual gift opening is sure to become a new holiday tradition. With this printable story, you pass the gift left when you hear the word "left" and right when you hear the word "right". If you're hosting a holiday gathering this year, the left right game is one way to keep all your guests engaged and entertained. Sometimes also called Yankee Swap or Dirty Santa, the White Elephant Gift Exchange is kind of the original present swap game. There are many variations, but in all, the goal is to walk away with the best gift of the night! Looking for a hilarious spin to this year's gift giving? Add in these holiday themed "never have I ever" questions and let the laughs begin! This game is a fun way to ensure that everyone walks away with prizes. It's great for all ages. It can get quite competitive so be sure to come prepared to play! Whether for an office party or a friend group or within your family, Secret Santa is a nice way to ensure everyone gets a gift without you personally being responsible for buying one for each person! Be sure to set a budget and to be clear on the expectations (example: that every gift be homemade or re-gifted or purchased) to ensure the best results. A fun twist on the usual, this game has a Christmas Carol theme. It's a cute way to involve everyone at the party. It's kid-friendly festive fun! Using the printable cards, create a fun game that gets everyone involved. In this game, it doesn't really matter which gift you originally pick because chances are, you're going to trade it anyway. If you want to put a much more competitive twist on the gift exchange, have less gifts than there are people and use these scratch off cards to determine who will get to go home with a present and who will go home empty handed. No need to get the same box of chocolates every year when you choose a unique theme for your gift exchange.Gift Exchange Games for Parties
Other Gift Exchange Ideas:
Ornament Exchange – Every year for the past 17 years, a group of friends and I have participated in an ornament exchange. We each buy a unique ornament (we are on the lookout for them all year and have managed to find some awesome ones over the years!) and place it in a gift bag. Then we take turns choosing a restaurant to meet at and at the end of the meal, we ask the waiter or waitress to randomly hand out the bags. It’s become a treasured tradition.
Christmas Cookie Swap – If you’re looking for a great way to add more variety to your holiday baking, a cookie swap is the way to go. Each guests brings a dozen cookies (all the same type) for each other guest present. So if you were one of 8 attendees, you would arrive with 8 dozen of one type of cookie and go home with 8 dozen different types of cookies.
Hot Potato – In this version, you’ll be using gifts instead of a potato! Set a timer. Pass the gifts around one at a time and whoever is holding the gift when the timer goes off gets to unwrap it and keep it. Kids like the fast pace of this game.
Family Auction – Using Monopoly money, distribute the same amount to each player. Players can then pick up, rattle, squeeze, and examine the gifts before bidding on them. The highest bidder or each one “wins” it and can open and keep it. 