I wrote these rules down because a few years ago, my office began to play Yankee Swap instead of Secret Santa. (Sometimes called White Elephant, or Dirty Santa). Growing up in Boyscouts, we used to play Yankee Swap for our annual Christmas party. It always went well with a bunch of 12 year olds, so Imagine my surprise when it went horrible wrong for my office party.
The reason was immediately apparent, the people running the game were using some harebrained rules. (If someone takes your gift, you can take someone else's, and then they can take someone else's, etc, etc, etc.) The game would take forever, everyone was quite bored, since every turn consisted of everyone stealing the same present over and over. It got so bad they started making spot rules up. (Time limits, gifts can only be stolen once)
So I set out to find the rule set we used in Boyscouts. It works great for large groups (which was the primary downfall of the failed office party, we had 60 people) as well as small groups.
Yankee Swap Rules
Equipment needed:
- A Hat. (Buckets, Bag, whatever.)
- Enough paper strips for the game (You might want to print them out, it's easier)
Preparation:
- Create
the seeding batch. Number strips 1 thru the highest number of people
you expect. Add a few numbers, but no more than 5, since the numbers
will come up in the game, and will have to be kept track of. - Create
the picking batch of numbers. Create 3 strips of each number. So there
will be 3 number one strips. 3 number two strips, all the way up to the
highest number. (I did mention that a computer and a printer would make
this easier. Note, don't allow people to create they're own slips, or
you will have some people make LARGE slips trying to increase they're
chances of getting picked. The paper should all be uniform in size
Variation: Instead of using numbers, have each person write they're name on 3 slips of paper when they arrive. - (Optional) All players are seating in a circle, with all the present in a "Pile" in the center.
Game Play:
- Mix the seeding batch of numbers in the hat.
- Have every person playing draw a number from the hat. Note, the number you get does not determine order.
- Remove the seeding batch of numbers from hat, and replace with picking batch. (A second hat could be used here instead)
- Number is drawn from hat. This first person MUST pick a gift from the "Pile".
- Second,
and all other numbers drawn from hat. Player MUST pick a gift from the
"Pile". They may either keep it, and sit down, or they may "Swap" it
with any other player that has a gift. - When number is
called, and player already has a gift (Second call of number), you may
either, Keep your current gift, or swap it with someone else. You
cannot select a new gift from the "Pile" - When number is called
for the 3rd time, it is that players "Final Call". They may either keep
they're current gift, or swap it with someone. However, the gift (and
the player) are retired from play. The gift is no longer availble, and
the player has finished the game.
- Keep playing till the last number is called.
Pro's to this approach:
No one player has an advantage. It's random who's name gets picked three times.
Really Random. Someone may get called for the 3rd time REALLY early. Even before the Best gift has been unwrapped.
I
feel it unwraps the gifts faster than other varient. If you know you
can select again, you don't feel bad getting something from the pile.
But you don't have too.
Couple of thoughts I had when I was re-reading the rules over.
If you don't mix up the picking batch of numbers, you can remove the numbers that haven't been picked. Then mix the numbers up when the game starts.
You could even hand out numbers as people arrive, since the number really doesn't matter.