Organize a fun white elephant gift exchange

Gifts exchanged during the holiday season do not have to have deep meaning. Among friends and coworkers, a type of gift exchange called a white elephant can add some more lighthearted fun to an already festive season.

A white elephant gift exchange involves participants selecting humorous, quirky, unusual, or themed gifts to swap with others. The wrapped gifts will be placed in a central location with no information indicating what's within the wrapping, nor who brought the actual gift. The rules of exchange vary depending on who you ask, but can include drawing numbers to pick the order in which participants will select their gifts. Some play where the first person opens the gift and then subsequent participants can opt for a wrapped gift or "steal" from the previously opened options.

Organizing this gift exchange is relatively easy, but involves picking a person to act as an emcee of sorts. That person will need to handle the following tasks:

· Establish a spending limit for the white elephant gifts. Some white elephant exchanges also define which gifts are appropriate and which should be avoided.

· Select an exchange date and time. This will involve having someone host at their home, a place of business for a work exchange, or even meeting at a restaurant or another establishment for a fun evening out.

· Invite participants to the exchange by explaining the rules and the expected amount of the contribution.

· Calculate the number of participants who have arrived and then print or write out number sheets that will be placed in a bowl. Verify this total matches the number of gifts to ensure that there will be no missing ones. There is no need to worry if someone commits and then drops out afterwards, because only the number of participants actually there on the day of the exchange will be factored into how many numbers will be used for choosing gifts.

· Plan a few ice breakers so that participants who may not know each other can become more comfortable before the fun begins, particularly if the white elephant exchange will include the stealing and swapping aspect for extra laughs.

A white elephant gift exchange can be an entertaining way to let off steam during the holidays and share small gifts with friends or coworkers.