Gift Ideas Generator for Birthday, White Elephant, Mothers & Fathers (2024)

FAQs

What is considered a white elephant gift for adults? ›

“There [are] some things that you can't go wrong with in general: beeswax candle sticks, pretty stationery, a box of chocolates, lottery tickets, a small bottle of rum if it's the right crowd to give alcohol to,” Smith says. “There are certain general things that can make for really fun gifts.”

The White Elephant Game Rules

Sit in a circle and place the gifts in the center, preferably under a festive tree. The person who drew #1 selects a gift from the pile, opens it, and holds it up for all to see. The person who drew #2 decides whether to steal that gift or unwrap a mystery present from the pile.

If you're running out of time and ideas for your upcoming white elephant gift exchange, you might want to consider bringing a gift card to the festivities. You can pick out cards for dining, gaming, music and so much more.

An unwanted or useless item, as in The cottage at the lake had become a real white elephant—too run down to sell, yet costly to keep up , or Grandma's ornate silver is a white elephant; no one wants it but it's too valuable to discard .

A: Most White Elephant gift exchanges or Yankee Swaps have a set price range to make sure everyone is gifting items of equal value, so check in with the person organizing the swap first. If you're still unsure, a good default range for a group of friends or coworkers is $10 to $25.

Whatever budget your office sets, these are white elephant gifts worth stealing. We know one thing for sure. If you bring a co*cktail related item or alcohol itself, you will be the most popular person at the party.

A white elephant is a burdensome asset, property, or investment whose cost of upkeep is not in line with its usefulness or value. The term derives from the old Thai custom of gifting rare, expensive-to-keep white elephants to the reigning monarch. Nowadays it is often associated with unprofitable real estate.

White Elephant is a party game in which players bring wrapped gifts at a set price, such as $20. From there, they draw numbers and pick the gifts out one by one from the pile. They also have the option to steal.

White Elephant Rules

White elephant is a gift exchange, so each person must bring one wrapped present to the holiday party. Once everyone is assembled, have each person draw a number. The person with number "one" chooses a present to unwrap.

How many gifts do you bring to a white elephant party? ›

Each participant supplies one wrapped gift, usually of similar value or any value. The gifts are placed in a central location, and participants determine in which order (often by numbers randomly drawn prior to the start of the game) they will take turns selecting a gift.

Whether you call it White Elephant or Dirty Santa, the game sticks to the same format. We're not sure where the name "Dirty Santa" originated, but it's meant to refer to game participants, the "Santas," stealing desirable gifts from each other.

Secret Santa is when members of a group receive random assignments to give a gift to. In some cases players make a small list of ideas for what to get them. The identity of the gift giver remains anonymous until the receiver opens the gift. White Elephant has players put an unmarked wrapped gift in a designated area.

The Milk Bar tin of assorted cookies is a great gift for white Elephant, as it takes the guessing out of figuring out a favorite flavor.