White Elephant Dice Game: Rules, a Roll Chart and a No-Printer Setup
How to play the White Elephant dice game: a six-sided roll chart, a timed second round, what you need, and tips for kids, offices and big groups.
Short answer: the White Elephant dice game is a Christmas game where everyone first gets a wrapped gift, then players take turns rolling one die and following a roll chart: open, swap left, swap right, steal, trade with anyone or pass. A timer ends the round, and everyone opens what they hold. The dice decide the steals, so nobody feels greedy.
It is a good White Elephant Christmas game for families with kids, quiet offices and any group where people hate taking a gift from someone's hands. You only need one die, a phone timer and a chart that you can write on a sheet of paper in two minutes. No printer, no app, no downloads.
How the White Elephant Christmas game works with dice
The dice version has two rounds. The first gives everyone a gift. The second mixes them up by chance.
- Everyone brings one wrapped gift within the budget and puts it in the pile.
- Players sit in a circle. Each person takes any wrapped gift from the pile.
- Round one: players roll the die in turn and follow the round one chart.
- When everyone has had one roll, round two starts. The host sets a timer.
- Round two: the die passes around the circle fast, and each roll follows the round two chart.
- When the timer goes off, play stops. Whoever holds a gift keeps it.
- Everyone opens their gift at the same time, or one by one around the circle.
Opening all gifts at the end keeps the mystery alive. Some groups prefer to open as they go, which makes the steal rolls more strategic.
The roll chart
Write this on a sheet of paper or a whiteboard where everyone can see it. These two charts are a common starting point. Change any line to fit your group.
Round one: getting gifts moving
| You roll | What happens |
|---|---|
| One | Swap gifts with the player on your left |
| Two | Swap gifts with the player on your right |
| Three | Trade with anyone in the circle |
| Four | Pass your gift two places to the left |
| Five | Keep your gift, nothing happens |
| Six | Roll again |
Round two: the timed scramble
| You roll | What happens |
|---|---|
| One | Everyone passes their gift one place left |
| Two | Everyone passes their gift one place right |
| Three | Steal any gift you like and give yours to that player |
| Four | Swap with the person across from you |
| Five | Lose a turn, pass the die |
| Six | Pick two people and make them swap |
The round two charts with "everyone passes" are the loudest moments. Shy players get to move gifts without taking anything from a friend.
What you need
The beauty of this game is how little it takes.
- One or two six-sided dice. Two dice speed up big groups: roll both and choose one.
- A sheet of paper with the chart, taped to a wall or set in the middle.
- A phone timer. Five to ten minutes for round two works for most groups.
- One wrapped gift per player, all within the budget.
- Optional: a plastic cup to roll the die in, so it does not fly off the table.
If someone wants a printout, write the chart on a sheet once and take a photo of it. That photo is your printable for next year.
How long to set the timer
The timer is what keeps the game from dragging. Set it by group size.
| Players | Round two timer |
|---|---|
| Six to ten | Five minutes |
| Eleven to twenty | Seven to eight minutes |
| Over twenty | Ten minutes, with two dice moving at once |
Hide the time left from players if you can. When nobody knows when it ends, every roll feels important.
Variations on the dice game
Small changes make the game feel new each year.
- Story version. No dice. The host reads a short Christmas story full of the words "left" and "right", and everyone passes their gift that way at each word.
- Card version. Write actions on index cards instead of using a die: "Swap with someone wearing red", "Trade with the youngest player".
- Open as you go. Each player opens their gift after round one, so round two steals are made on purpose.
- Kids table. Run a separate dice game for kids with toys in their own pile.
For more ideas, see our White Elephant game variations.
Tips for families, offices and big groups
The dice game suits mixed groups, but each setting needs a small tweak.
- Families with young kids. Skip the steal roll, or let kids roll for a grown up's gift only. Keep the kids' gifts in a separate pile.
- Offices. Keep the timer short and say up front that everything is chance. Nobody looks like they targeted a manager's gift.
- Big groups. Split into circles of about ten, each with its own die and pile. All circles share one timer.
- Remote teams. The host rolls on camera and tracks gifts in a shared list. See virtual White Elephant for the full setup.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| People forget whose turn it is | Pass the die clockwise, always |
| The die rolls under the couch | Roll inside a cup or a shoebox lid |
| Someone loves their gift and fears losing it | That is the game, but allow quiet trades after |
| A player has no gift after a strange roll | The host keeps one spare gift ready |
| Round two runs long | Shorten the timer, or use two dice at once |
Choose a gift that survives the dice
In a dice-driven White Elephant Christmas game, chance moves gifts around, so any gift can end up with anyone. That makes broad appeal more important than in a classic game. A soft blanket, a nice tumbler, a quick card game or a small kitchen gadget will make most people happy.
If you need help choosing, the GiftX gift quiz is quick. Answer five questions about the group, the age range, interests and the budget, and GiftX shows gift ideas with prices and store links.
For proven picks, see our White Elephant gifts under $10 or the most stolen White Elephant gifts.[1]
Frequently asked questions
How do you play White Elephant with dice?
Everyone takes a wrapped gift, then players roll one die in turn and follow a chart of actions, such as swap left, swap right, steal or pass. A second, timed round mixes the gifts more. When the timer ends, players keep and open what they hold. It replaces deliberate stealing with chance, which shy groups prefer.
What do the numbers mean in the White Elephant dice game?
There is no official chart, so each group writes its own. A common one: one means swap left, two means swap right, three means trade with anyone, four means pass the gift along, five means keep it, and six means roll again. Write your chart where everyone can see it before the first roll.
How long should the timer be?
Five minutes suits a group of six to ten. Seven to eight minutes fits up to twenty players. Larger groups can run ten minutes with two dice moving around the circle at once. Keep the remaining time hidden if you can, so every roll in the last minute feels tense.
Is the dice game good for kids?
Yes. Kids enjoy rolling, and the dice take the blame for every swap, which means fewer tears. Remove the steal roll for very young children, keep their gifts in a separate pile, and use a short timer. Many families run a kids round first and an adults round after dessert.
Related guides
Read White Elephant for kids or browse all our gift exchange guides.