Times Of TIU

Writer: Rikio Y.
Editor: Natsumi K.

As the holiday season is starting, you are probably wondering what to get your friends and family for the holidays. However, one thing you can think about when finding gifts for your friends and family is: what if you tried out doing some holiday exchange games? Holiday exchange games are not only cost-efficient as you only need to bring one game for your entire group, but also fun to participate in! Whether you want to hold this with your friends, coworkers, or family, these are some good games that help people bond and bring some excitement to an old tradition of gift-giving. 

General Rules: 
For holiday exchange games, there are three ground rules that need to be followed when it comes to the presents. One rule is no cash or gift cards as presents; the only gifts allowed are physical, non-monetary gifts such as clothes, electronics, books, etc. Another rule is to set a price minimum and price limit so all gifts are fair in monetary value. This avoids the possible conflict of someone not getting something of the same value as their gift. Lastly, keep what you got a secret. This is important because if you tell anyone playing the game what you’re giving, it will ruin the surprise of what is under the wrapping paper or in the bag. By following these three rules, you will have a successful holiday exchange game event filled with fun and excitement.

Secret Santa: 
https://guides.myregistry.com/secret-santa/secret-santa-clues/
Secret Santa may be one of the most popular gift exchange games played by people. To play, write the names of everyone participating on a piece of paper along with three things they want within the price range. Then, mix it in a bowl, hat, or whatever you can find. Have everyone blindly pick a name, and each person must find a gift for the person they drew without letting them know it’s from them. On the gift you buy, when writing “To” and “From,” write “To: [whoever you drew]” and “From: Secret Santa.” Then, on the day of the event, put all the gifts in one area, and have everyone find the gift with their name on it. After opening the gifts, each person guesses who their Secret Santa is.

White Elephant: 
White Elephant is a game similar to Secret Santa, but without picking a name. In this game, you simply bring a gift wrapped in paper or in a bag so people can’t see through it and place it in a pile. It is optional to put who the gift is from, as it won’t really matter in this game. Each person draws numbers to determine the order in which players pick gifts. After each person picks a gift, the first person opens it for everyone to see, and then the second person can either “steal” the first person’s gift or pick a new one from the pile. If a player’s gift is stolen, they have to choose a new gift from the pile or steal someone else’s gift. The number of times one gift can be stolen is up to the group, but typically it is only allowed to be stolen once or twice. Once a gift has been stolen, another player cannot steal it again. After everyone has gone, the game is over, but sometimes the first person is allowed one final turn to swap their gift if they choose to do so.

Musical Chairs: 
Musical Chairs is a classic game played by many people around the world. However, this is a holiday-themed version of the game, which is very similar to the original. First, put all the gifts in order from 1 to however many people/gifts there are. Then, set up chairs in a circle with one fewer chair than the number of people (e.g., 10 participants will have 9 chairs). Play music of your choice, and everyone must walk in a circle. Once the music stops, everyone finds a seat, and the person without a seat is eliminated. The order of elimination determines the number of gifts you receive. For example, the 9th-place person in the game will receive gift #9, and so on. After the winner is decided, that person essentially gets bragging rights for however long they choose.
https://www.hellowonderful.co/post/the-best-christmas-games-for-kids/

Relay race: 
The relay race game can be played in a multitude of ways, depending on which game(s) you and your group decide to do. Set up an area with a straight line and place all the presents in a pile at the end of the line. Have people line up and play a game, such as tying a tissue box to your waist and trying to get all the ping pong balls out of it. Once the person finishes, they run to the present pile, pick a present, and bring it back to their group. They then tag the next person, who starts the game again, and so on. After each person has gone once and gotten a gift, everyone opens their presents, and the game is over.

Left and right: 
The Left and Right game is a very short, easy, and quick game to play. Everyone prepares their gift and sits in a circle with a random gift. Play any song you choose and pick two words that will mean “left” or “right.” For example, if you are playing “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter, each time Sabrina says “please,” pass the gift to the right, and each time she says “really,” pass the gift to the left. After the song ends, the gift the person has in their hand is the gift they keep and get to open.
https://www.whiteelephantrules.com/gift-exchange-small-groups/

These holiday exchange games are all very versatile so you can add your own spin or twist on each one. Personally, me and my friend group played Secret Santa but with a twist that we called Naughty or Nice Secret Santa. We would play the original Secret Santa but at the end, each person would say something “naughty” another player knows he/she has done. Then, the person can switch gifts if he/she chooses to do so. For example, if Player 1 wants a gift from Player 3, Player 1 will say something like, “I know you broke your moms phone and blamed it on your dog,” and then Player 1 will switch gifts with Player 3. You go in a circle, exposing people and switching gifts in order to add some excitement. Through games like these, players can create a closer bond through fun activities and not break their wallets too as there will be a price minimum/limit to follow as well as not needing to buy individual gifts for everyone.