White Elephant order generator 🎁

How to run a fair White Elephant draw

Step by step

1. Clear the sample names: the box under “Player names (one per line)” starts with six example names (Alex, Sam, Jordan, Taylor, Riley, Morgan), and the page draws an order for them as soon as it loads. Delete them before you type your own list, or they will end up in your draw.
2. Enter one player per line: blank lines and extra spaces are ignored, so you can paste a list straight from a group chat or spreadsheet column. You need at least two names; with fewer you’ll see “Add at least 2 names.”
3. Tap “Draw the order”: the names are shuffled and shown as a numbered list. Number 1 is marked “opens first” and the last number is marked “goes last”. That player has seen every gift before choosing, which is usually the best turn.
4. Read the order out or show the screen: keep the page open during the game so anyone can check whose turn it is. Each tap of “Draw the order” produces a completely new order, so draw once, in front of everyone, and stick with it.

Good to know

• Duplicate names are not merged. If you type “Sam” twice, Sam gets two turns. When two players share a name, add an initial (“Sam K.”, “Sam R.”) so nobody argues about whose turn it is.
• Nothing is saved. The order lives only on the screen. If you close or reload the tab, you’ll need to draw again, so take a screenshot or write the order on a whiteboard if the game will run for a while.
• Couples and teams: if two people share one gift, enter them as a single line (“Dana & Lee”) so they get one turn together.
• Late arrivals: rather than redrawing and upsetting people who already know their number, add latecomers to the end of the current order or let them pick a turn number that hasn’t been played yet.

Rules to agree on before the first gift is opened

Most arguments at a gift swap come from rules nobody said out loud. Decide these first and announce them:

• Budget: one number for everyone, for example $20 or $25. Say whether it’s a cap or a target.
• Gift style: White Elephant traditionally means funny or odd gifts, while a Yankee Swap often means genuinely useful ones. Mixing the two leaves someone holding a rubber chicken while their neighbor gets a gift card.
• Steal limit: how many times one gift can change hands before it’s safe, and whether a player can steal back the gift that was just taken from them.
• The final swap: if player 1 gets a last chance to swap at the end, the player who goes last loses some of that advantage. Decide whether you use that rule, because it changes who really has the best turn.
• Wrapping: ask for gifts to be fully wrapped with no name tag, so nobody can guess who brought what.

Tips for different groups

• Office party: keep gifts work-appropriate and the budget low enough for everyone. With more than about 20 players, the game can take over an hour, so think about a steal limit of two or a time limit per turn.
• Family gathering: children often find steals upsetting. Either give the kids their own round or agree that gifts opened by children can’t be stolen.
• Remote or hybrid teams: share your screen when you tap “Draw the order” so everyone can see it was random, then have each person open their gift on camera when their number comes up.
• Classroom: project the list so students can follow along, and read each number aloud before that student’s turn.

Common questions

• Is the order really random? Yes. The list is shuffled in your browser every time you draw, and earlier draws have no effect on the next one.
• Can I print the order? There’s no print button. Your browser’s print command will work, or simply take a screenshot on your phone.
• Someone wants a redraw because they got number 1. Going first is part of the game. If your group uses the final-swap rule, point out that player 1 gets the last move, which makes up for opening first.