10 Fun Christmas Gift Exchange Games for Adults

The holiday season is here, and it’s time to turn ordinary gift exchanges into unforgettable moments filled with laughter and excitement. Gift-giving can sometimes feel like a routine, but not anymore!

 These 10 fun Christmas gift exchange games for adults are designed to spice up your holiday party, ensuring smiles and surprises all around. 

Whether you’re hosting friends, family, or coworkers, these games are simple, creative, and full of festive cheer.

1. Guess the Giver

Game Overview

If you are exchanging gifts with a small group of friends or family, Guess the Giver is a fun game to play. The game has players performing silly tasks, making it a perfect gift-giving game for people with whom you are completely comfortable. 

It’s an excellent choice for bringing laughter and enjoyment to a close-knit group during the holidays.

Setup

• A jar
• Small slips of paper and a pen
• One wrapped gift for every player that does NOT include a tag saying who the gift is from.
• A small table

Game Build-Up

When people come through the door, have a small table at your entryway for guests to set their wrapped gifts down discreetly. This will ensure that no party guests know who brought what. On slips of paper, write silly Christmas tasks for players to perform. Tasks might include:

• Act like a reindeer
• Sing a verse from a holiday song
• Name all of Santa's reindeer
• Tell a funny Christmas story
• Share what the worst Christmas gift you ever received was

How to Play

Everyone playing sits in a circle with a gift. The first person selected tries to guess who bought the gift they are holding. If they guess incorrectly, they draw a slip of paper from the jar and perform the silly task. If they guess correctly, they unwrap the gift.

This game creates plenty of laughter and keeps the focus on fun, making it a fantastic icebreaker for holiday celebrations.

2. Hot Potato Presents

Game Overview

Kids love playing Hot Potato because it’s fast-paced and full of excitement. The classic game gets a fun twist when it results in a gift! If you have a gathering of little cousins at your holiday party, this game is perfect for gift time. 

It’s also a great way to separate activities—set up Hot Potato for the kids and choose another adult-friendly gift exchange game for the grown-ups.

Setup

• Music
• One wrapped gift per player
• A timer

Game Build-Up

• Have Christmas music cued up to play in the background. This isn’t a must for the game, but holiday tunes help set a festive mood for your gift exchange.
• Review how to work your timer.

How to Play

• Have kids stand in a circle.
• Turn the music on.
• Set the timer for a specific amount of time.
• Yell “Go” as kids pass a single gift around the circle.
• When the timer goes off, the passing of the gift stops.
• The person holding the gift is “out.” They unwrap their gift and show the group what they received.
• This continues until only one person is left.
• The last person standing unwraps the last gift left. They can choose to keep that gift, or they can make one single trade with anyone who has already opened a gift.

It’s a fun and simple way to get kids involved in the holiday gift exchange, ensuring everyone has a great time!

3. Roll of the Dice Gift Exchange

Game Overview

Roll of the Dice is a fun game for adults and kids alike, making it a perfect addition to any Christmas Girlfriend Sleepover Party. This game is interactive, unpredictable, and guarantees that no one will know what they end up with until the game is over. 

Whether you're playing with a group of friends or family, Roll of the Dice brings an exciting twist to the classic gift exchange.

Setup

• One wrapped gift for every person playing
• An instruction sheet telling players what to do with the dice number they roll
• A single die

Game Build-Up

• Have each person wrap a gift. If playing with friends, ensure everyone has a set monetary budget, so the gifts are similar in price and value.
• Create an instruction sheet telling players what to do with the number they roll. Instructions should read:
  1. Trade gifts with the person on your left
  2. Trade gifts with the person on your right
  3. Trade gifts with the person across from you
  4. Trade gifts with a person of your choosing
  5. Unwrap your gift
  6. Unwrap your gift

How to Play

Everyone sits in a circle holding the gift that they brought. The first person rolls the die and follows the instructions provided on the dice instruction sheet. The die continues to be rolled until everyone has opened their gift. The person holding the gift is "out," unwraps their gift, and shows the group. 

This continues until only one person is left, and the last person standing unwraps the last gift. They can keep it or trade with anyone who's opened a gift already.

4. Spin the Candy Cane

Game Overview

Older kids and teens might enjoy playing Spin the Candy Cane. This game is a festive twist on the classic Spin the Bottle—without the kissing, making it family and kid-friendly, perfect for holiday gatherings.

Setup

• Place wrapped gifts on a table or in a pile.
• Have a Christmas music playlist ready to set the mood.

How to Play

• Everyone sits in a circle.
• Place a large candy cane on its side in the middle of the circle.
• Turn on the Christmas music to get everyone into the holiday spirit.
• One person spins the candy cane.
• Whoever the straight candy cane tip is pointing to gets to choose the first gift.
• The person who selects the gift unwraps it and shows it to the other players.

Spin the Candy Cane is simple, yet it offers a fun way to make gift-giving last longer. It slows down the process, encouraging everyone to enjoy each gift. This is especially helpful with children who might typically rush through gifts without paying much attention. 

For adults, it adds a nostalgic touch, bringing back memories of the original Spin the Bottle games. Overall, this game is perfect for creating a relaxed and enjoyable gift exchange atmosphere at your holiday celebration.

5. Blindfolded Musical Gift Exchange

Game Overview

Add festive Christmas music to your exchange for a fun and lively twist! This game works best with at least ten friends or family members, ensuring there are plenty of chairs and gifts for everyone. Whether you're playing with kids or adults, the Blindfolded Musical Gift Exchange is a perfect way to get everyone involved.

Setup

• Blindfold for each guest
• Chair for each guest
• Christmas music (a mobile device works well)

Game Build-Up

• Arrange chairs in a circle at the party venue.
• Place a blindfold on each chair.
• Prepare your Christmas music playlist on your phone, iPod, or another device.

How to Play

1. Gather all gifts from the guests and place them in a central location.
2. Have everyone choose a chair and put on the blindfold placed on it.
3. Once the blindfolds are on, hand each guest a gift.
4. Start the Christmas music and instruct everyone to pass their gift to the person on their right.
5. Continue passing gifts until the music stops.
6. When the music stops, guests must leave their blindfolds on and feel their gift.
7. They can choose to keep the gift or pass it along. If they wish to keep it, they can remove their blindfold.
8. The game ends when only two players remain with their blindfolds on.

This game brings suspense and laughter, making for a delightful Christmas gift exchange!

6. Christmas Card Match

Save last year's Christmas cards or use up the free ones you get in the mail to get this exchange party started. There is no limit to the number of guests that can participate in this game, making it perfect for both intimate and large gatherings. 

This game is also highly versatile, as it can be played by guests of all ages and easily adjusted to suit a mixed-age group.

Setup

• Christmas cards
• Scissors
• Pen
• Tape

Game Build-Up

Before the party, gather or purchase a variety of Christmas cards. You don't want any two cards to be alike. You will need one card per participant. 

Cut all the cards in half. Put one-half of the cards in envelopes and place the other halves into a bowl. When guests arrive with a gift, choose a random card half to tape onto their gift and set it aside.

How to Play

When it's time for the gift exchange, ask guests to choose an envelope (with half of a card inside). Once everyone has chosen an envelope, players should open them to reveal the card inside. The guests should then proceed to the pile of gifts to find the gift with the other half of the card. 

If the players are evenly matched (all the same age and ability), you can have the players race to find their gift. If it is a mismatched crowd of varying ages or abilities, then it is safest to encourage an orderly find. Guests can then open their gifts. 

You can have the gifts opened by the youngest to the oldest or, if it was a race, in the order in which they were found.

7. Follow Santa's Footprints

Game Overview

Half the fun of this game is hunting for gifts, and it works seamlessly with white elephant, blind, or name-draw exchange styles. Whether you're hosting a small party with only a few people or a large gathering of 50, this game is adaptable and enjoyable. 

It’s especially great for families of all ages, as it accommodates guests with designated gifts for certain individuals. Even young children who love hide-and-seek or treasure hunts will enjoy this festive scavenger hunt.

Setup

• A venue with several hiding places
• Paper cut-outs of a man's footprints—use a clean shoe as a template to cut prints from red construction paper. The number of prints needed depends on the number of gifts and the size of your venue.

Game Build-Up

• Before the party, cut the footprint shapes out of red construction paper.
• Scout the venue for good hiding spots for gifts.

How to Play

• The host collects the gifts as guests arrive.
• Ask everyone to step into another room.
• Hide the gifts in your predetermined locations, ensuring you use nooks and corners for larger spaces. For small parties (under five people), you can hide the gifts in one location. If the group is large, hide gifts in multiple spots and divide guests by age or location.
• Lay the “Santa Footprints” on the ground, leading to the hidden gifts. If there are multiple locations, create several paths.
• Guests follow the footprints to find the gifts. If name tags are on gifts, decide if guests should only find their own gift or bring all found gifts to a central table. If it’s a white elephant, guests keep the first gift they find.
• After all gifts are found, allow guests to open them. The fastest team/pair/person to follow the footprints gets to open first.

8. Switch Steal Unwrap Game

Game Overview

In this game, everyone starts with three small gifts. You roll the dice, and the dice determine if you switch, steal, or unwrap gifts. The excitement builds as you never know who will end up with what gift until the last one is unwrapped. It's an unpredictable and thrilling game that keeps everyone on edge, making it one of the best gift exchange games to play.

Setup

• A deck of action cards, each with a different instruction (e.g., steal, unwrap, switch).
• Wrapped gifts placed in the center of the room.

Game Build-Up

• Players draw action cards from the deck.
• Follow the instructions on the card:
  1. Switch: Exchange gifts with another player.
  2. Steal: Take a gift from someone else.
  3. Unwrap: Open a gift and keep it.
• The game continues until all the gifts are unwrapped or players have used all their cards.

The action cards keep things fresh and unpredictable. There’s a lot of room for strategy, and players can control their fate with each action.

9. December Dice Gift Game

Game Overview

Unlike the game above where it’s a competition to keep your gift, this December Dice Gift Game uses dice to determine if gifts get passed, switched, unwrapped, or frozen! It’s the perfect gift exchange game for large groups or when you don’t want the pressure of choosing to steal or not because the dice choose for you!

Setup

• A set of holiday-themed dice with actions (e.g., unwrap, steal, swap).
• A table of wrapped gifts.

Game Build-Up

• Players take turns rolling the dice.
• Based on the roll, they’ll either unwrap, swap, or steal gifts.
• The game continues until all players have had their turn.

How to Play

Players roll the dice on their turn. The outcome of the roll decides their move, and the game progresses with everyone eagerly awaiting their chance to roll the dice. The element of chance keeps it exciting for all participants!

The action is quick, and the dice rolls keep things fun and random. This game offers the perfect mix of strategy and chance.

10. Deck of Cards Gift Exchange

Game Overview

This Deck of Cards Gift Exchange game is similar to the dice one above, except you’re using a deck of cards instead! Each card that gets flipped tells you to do something like passing gifts around a circle, stealing gifts, and more! It’s a fast-paced, exciting game that’s sure to keep everyone on their toes and create lots of laughter. 

This deck of cards gift exchange went absolutely viral for a reason and will definitely be a group favorite!

Setup

• You’ll need a deck of cards with instructions for each card. Examples of actions could include "Steal a gift," "Pick a gift," "Swap with someone," and "Pass your gift to the left."
• Each player brings a wrapped gift to contribute to the exchange.
• Arrange the gifts in the center of the circle or on a table.

Game Build-Up

• Players take turns drawing a card from the deck.
• Each card has a corresponding action that must be followed immediately.
• The game continues until all gifts are distributed or the deck runs out.

How to Play

• On your turn, draw a card and perform the action written on it.
  • For example, if you draw "Steal a gift," you can take a gift from any player.
  • "Swap gifts" means you exchange gifts with another player.
• Keep going until all players have a gift or the game concludes.

The unpredictability of the cards keeps things fresh and fun, and the group interaction makes it even more enjoyable. The viral popularity of this game speaks to its engaging nature!

Conclusion

These 10 fun Christmas gift exchange games for adults will transform your holiday party into an unforgettable celebration. From blindfolds and dice to scavenger hunts and card games, there’s something here for every group. Add laughter, surprise, and festive cheer to your next gathering by trying one or more of these creative ideas.

Make this Christmas memorable—start planning your gift exchange games today!