13 Best Christmas Gift Exchange Games for the Office

Brace yourself. The silly season is here. And so are the Christmas gift games that turn even your quietest colleagues into fierce and festive competitors. Whether your workplace loves gentle fun or full-blown holiday chaos, the right game can turn a simple gift swap into the much-loved highlight of the office calendar.

We’ve rounded up a fresh mix of Christmas giving games — from quick and quirky to clever team-building.

No matter the size of your team or the vibe at your party, these games for gifts at Christmas are guaranteed to bring it: laughter, connection and a little (friendly) competition.

What is Oxfam Unwrapped?

Before we dive into gifting games, meet the charity cards that make Christmas feel twice as good. Oxfam Unwrapped is a punny collection of charity gifts guaranteed to quack you and your loved one up (sorry).

Even better, every card supports Oxfam’s work tackling the root causes of inequality poverty. Each card is a meaningful donation that can assist communities with things like clean water, famine relief or climate action, and supports projects that build strong, lasting futures.

You can personalise your cards with your company logo or message, send them as e-cards or printed cards, and yes, they’re tax-deductible.

Ready to mix purpose with play? Let the games begin.

Fun Gift Exchange Games for the Office

1. White Elephant

White Elephant is a classic Christmas gift game where players unwrap presents, “steal” their favourites, and compete for the most sought-after surprise. It’s fast, funny, and delivers just the right amount of festive mischief. Perfect if you enjoy a bit of strategy with your shortbread.

How to play

Everyone brings a wrapped gift and places it in a central pile.
Players draw numbers to determine the order of play.
Player 1 picks and unwraps a gift.
Each following player can either unwrap a new gift or “steal” an opened one.
If your gift gets stolen, you choose a new wrapped one (or steal from someone else, if allowed).
Continue until every participant is holding a gift.

Tips for success

Set a clear budget so no one accidentally becomes the office philanthropist.
Limit how many times a gift can be stolen to keep things moving.
Encourage fun, quirky gifts — every good White Elephant game needs at least one mysteriously rattly present.

Optional idea

Sneak in in a meaningful twist, with an Oxfam Unwrapped card. It’s the only “steal” that makes everyone feel like they’ve won.

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2. Rock Paper Scissors Switch

Secret Santa is a Christmas gift game where each person anonymously buys a present for one colleague, then reveals (or keeps secret) who gifted what. It’s as simple as they come. Christmas gifting, but with plot twists.

How to play

A few weeks before the party, everyone writes their name on a slip of paper.
Participants draw a name at random — that’s who they’ll buy a gift for.
If someone draws their own name, they redraw.
On the day: gifts are exchanged anonymously, revealed in a group, or delivered stealthily to desks.
You can decide whether Secret Santas reveal themselves or remain forever mysterious.

Tips for success

Give people plenty of notice so no one panic-buys from the servo on the way in.
Use an online name-drawing tool if your team is remote or hybrid.
Make participation optional — gifting should feel fun, never pressured.
Share a budget so everyone’s on equal footing.

Read our guide to Secret Santa gift ideas for our thoughts on how to make the game unforgettable.

4. Dice Exchange

Dice Exchange is a Christmas gift game powered entirely by the roll of the dice. Every turn decides whether you unwrap, swap, or suddenly find yourself holding the gift everyone’s been eyeing off.

How to play

Everyone brings a wrapped gift and receives one at random.
Players take turns rolling one or two dice.
Each number corresponds to an action:

1: Switch gifts with the person on your right
2: Switch gifts with the person on your left
3 or 4: Swap with anyone in the circle (and unwrap if still wrapped)
5 or 6: Unwrap your gift
The game ends once all gifts are unwrapped and everyone is holding one.

Tips for success

Print a simple action sheet so people can follow along.
Use oversized dice for extra novelty.
For big groups, have two dice rolling at once to keep the pace up.

5. Musical Gifts

Musical Gifts works like a festive mash-up of hot potato and musical chairs. Gifts get passed around the circle while the music plays — when it stops, whoever’s holding the present opens it.

How to play

Everyone brings a small, wrapped gift and places it in a central pile.
Choose a DJ.
The DJ hands a wrapped gift to the first player.
When the music starts, players pass the gift around the circle.
When the music stops, the person holding the gift opens it and steps out.
Continue until every player has opened a gift.

Tips for success

Encourage your DJ to add surprise pauses.
Use upbeat songs that suit your workplace vibe.
Avoid breakable gifts.
For bigger teams, pass multiple gifts at once.

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6. Christmas Chaos

Christmas Chaos is an unpredictable and spontaneous Christmas gift game. Every player draws instruction cards that tell them who to swap gifts with.

How to play

Print a stack of instruction cards.
Place all wrapped gifts in a central pile and distribute one to each person.
Players take turns drawing a card and following its instructions.
Continue until all cards are drawn.
Once the final action is complete, everyone unwraps the gift they’re holding.

Tips for success

Personalise the prompts with office in-jokes.
Keep the pace brisk.
For hybrid teams, prompts like “swap with someone on the next screen over” also work.

7. Gift Scavenger Hunt

Gift Scavenger Hunt turns your office into a festive treasure map.

How to play

Collect all wrapped gifts ahead of time.
The organiser hides the gifts.
Prepare clues or riddles.
Hand out the first clue and begin the hunt.
The game finishes when every gift has been found.

Tips for success

Tailor clues to your workplace.
Pair people up.
Include a mix of clue styles.
Make sure all hiding spots are safe and accessible.

Optional idea

Hide an Oxfam Unwrapped card as a bonus “golden gift”.

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8. Gifts by Number

Gifts by Number is simple: assign numbers to gifts, draw numbers, unwrap.

How to play

Assign each wrapped gift a unique number.
Place all the numbers in a bowl or hat.
Team members draw a number at random.
Everyone retrieves the gift matching their number.

Tips for success

Unwrap the gifts in numerical order.
Track who brought which number.
Wrap tiny gifts in giant boxes for fun.

9. Holiday Trivia Gift Exchange

Holiday Trivia Gift Exchange makes your team earn their pick from the gift pile with trivia smarts.

How to play

Prepare a list of holiday-themed trivia questions.
Set up the wrapped gifts in a central pile.
Participants take turns answering trivia questions.
A correct answer lets them choose and unwrap any gift.
Continue until all gifts have been selected and opened.

Tips for success

Mix easy and tricky questions.
Try team-based trivia.
Add a lightning round.
Use visual questions too.

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10. Left-Right Christmas Story

Left-Right Christmas Story is a Christmas gift game that follows a story.

How to play

Each person starts with a wrapped gift on their lap.
The organiser reads a short Christmas-themed story filled with the words “left” and “right.”
Every time “left” is read, everyone passes their gift to the left.
Every time “right” is read, everyone passes their gift to the right.
When the story ends, participants unwrap whichever gift they’re holding.

Tips for success

Write a personalised story with office in-jokes.
Keep the pace steady.
Choose a story with a good mix of lefts and rights.

11. Speed Swap

A rapid-fire gift shuffle that quickly turns into chaos.

Keep the timing unpredictable and stop the game when the chaos turns into giggles.

12. Sneaky Santa

This one’s a fun twist on Secret Santa. Everyone still buys a gift for the person they draw, but instead of tagging it, they add one short clue about themselves.

13. Pass the Parcel: Team building edition

A nostalgic classic with a workplace twist.

Instead of wrapping little gifts in every layer, add a note with instructions to give the parcel to another person.

You could add some fun ones, too.

And the gift in the middle? Choose an Oxfam gift card that suits your crew.

Ready to wrap things up?

If you’re planning Christmas gift games this year, pair the fun with festive giving. Oxfam Unwrapped cards can be personalised with your company logo, sent as e-cards or print, and don’t forget — they’re tax deductible.

Explore the full Christmas range, pick something that fits your team’s spirit, and give a gift that keeps the goodwill going long after the last game ends.