Santa Games: 24 Secret Santa Games for Any Gift Exchange

The best santa games give people something to do before, during, and after the gifts change hands: a guessing game while everyone wonders who drew them, a reveal game when the gifts come out, and a quick swap twist to finish. A plain Secret Santa is over in ten minutes. Add two or three small games and the same exchange becomes the part of the party everyone remembers.

This page is built around that idea. Instead of one long list, the games are sorted by when you play them, so you can pick one from each stage and have a complete plan. Every game has a short how-to, the group size it suits, and the kind of crowd it works best for.

If you still need to draw names, do that first with the free Secret Santa generator. It sends each person their match privately, which is what makes most of the guessing games below possible.

How Secret Santa Games Fit Into a Gift Exchange

A Secret Santa exchange has three natural moments, and each one can hold a game.

1. The waiting stretch. Names are drawn, but nobody knows who has them. This can last a day or several weeks. Clue games and hint games live here.
2. The exchange itself. Gifts are handed over and opened. Reveal games and guessing rounds live here.
3. After the gifts. Everyone has something in their lap and a little energy left. Swap twists and quick party rounds live here.

You do not need a game in every stage. One good waiting-stretch game and one good reveal game are plenty for most groups. Big office parties may want all three; a family of eight may want just one.

Games for the Waiting Stretch (Before the Party)

These secret santa games run in the days or weeks before the exchange. They build suspense, and they work especially well in offices and classrooms where people see each other every day.

1. The Daily Clue Drop

Best for: offices, classrooms, groups of 8–40. Each Secret Santa leaves one small clue for their person every day during the final week. Clues can be a riddle, a single letter of their name, a hint about their favorite snack, or a doodle. On party day, each person writes down their guess before the reveal. Our page of Secret Santa clues has ready-made hints if people get stuck.

2. Mystery Desk Drops

Best for: workplaces with shared office space. Santas leave a tiny anonymous treat or note on their person's desk once or twice before the party. The game is staying unseen. Anyone caught in the act has to wear a festive hat at the party.

3. The Questionnaire Swap

Best for: groups where people don't know each other well. Everyone fills out a short questionnaire (favorite color, snack, hobby, a "please don't get me" item). The organizer posts all answers anonymously on a board, numbered. Players try to match each numbered answer sheet to a coworker before the party. Our get-to-know-you questions work well for this.

4. Elf Mail

Best for: families and friend groups who are spread out. Each Santa sends their person two or three short anonymous messages through a shared group chat organizer or a written note passed by a neutral "elf." Messages must contain one true hint about the Santa. At the party, recipients guess before opening.

5. Guess-the-Santa Bracket

Best for: competitive offices. Before the party, each person submits a written guess about who drew their name. Correct guesses earn a point. The person with the most correct guesses across the whole season (if you run a few rounds of clues) wins a small bragging-rights prize like a paper crown.

6. Wish-List Riddles

Best for: friend groups and teens. Instead of a plain wish list, each person writes their wish list as three riddles. The Santa has to decode them to shop. It adds a puzzle without making the gift harder to get right.

Games for the Exchange (Reveal and Opening Games)

These are the santa games most people picture: what happens when the gifts finally come out. The goal is to slow the opening down just enough that each gift gets a moment.

7. Guess Before You Open

Best for: every group. The simplest reveal game. Before opening, the recipient holds up the gift and names who they think their Santa is. If they're right, they get a cheer. If they're wrong, the guessed person gets to say "not me" in their most dramatic voice. Then the real Santa stands up. For more ways to stage the moment, see our Secret Santa reveal ideas.

8. Three Questions

Best for: groups of 6–20. The recipient may ask the room three yes-or-no questions ("Does my Santa sit near the window?" "Is my Santa taller than me?") and then must guess. Only the real Santa answers, but everyone else nods along to cause confusion.

9. Line-Up Reveal

Best for: offices and classrooms. Pick three people, including the real Santa, and line them up. The recipient opens the gift and then picks who they think gave it. The two decoys try to look guilty.

10. The Story Pass

Best for: families and mixed ages. The host reads a short holiday story. Every time a certain word ("left," "right," "Santa," "gift") comes up, the gifts pass in that direction. When the story ends, everyone opens what they're holding, then returns it to the right person if needed. The site's left-right story game generator creates the story for you.

11. Wrapped in Clues

Best for: creative groups. Each Santa hides one clue about themselves somewhere in the wrapping: a drawing on the tag, a color only they would choose, a written hint inside the tissue paper. Recipients read the clue aloud before guessing.

12. Charades Reveal

Best for: outgoing groups. After opening, the recipient acts out who they think their Santa is without speaking. The room guesses who is being acted out. Then the real Santa stands up. This is the loudest game on the list.

13. Gift Guessing Round

Best for: small groups who exchange at one table. Before anyone opens, each person shakes, weighs, and squeezes their gift, then writes a one-line guess of what's inside. The closest guess wins first pick of the dessert tray.

14. Compliment Before You Open

Best for: teams and families who want warmth over laughs. Before the recipient opens, their Santa (still anonymous) writes one kind sentence about them on a card. The host reads it aloud. The recipient guesses the writer, then opens. It turns the exchange into a small appreciation moment.

Swap Twists and Games After the Gifts

Once the Secret Santa gifts are open, a short swap game gives the party a second wind. These secret santa games for gift exchange also work if a few gifts missed the mark.

15. One-Swap Rule

Best for: any group. After all gifts are open, everyone gets one chance to offer a trade. Nobody has to accept. It is a gentle safety net for gifts that didn't land, without turning things competitive.

16. Dice Swap Round

Best for: groups of 6–15. Pass a pair of dice around. Roll doubles and you may swap your gift with anyone. Roll a seven and you pass your gift left. Play for three minutes on a timer, then everyone keeps what they hold.

17. Trivia Swap

Best for: offices and families who like quizzes. The host asks holiday trivia questions. The first correct answer earns the right to swap gifts with anyone. Keep the questions easy and mix in a few about the group itself ("Who brought the cookies?").

18. Pass the Present Musical Round

Best for: families with kids. Play music while a single extra gift (bought by the host) passes around the circle. When the music stops, whoever holds it unwraps one layer. Many layers, one small prize in the center. It keeps kids busy while adults finish opening.

19. Steal Lite

Best for: groups who want a taste of a white elephant exchange without the full rules. After Secret Santa gifts are open, each person may "steal" one gift if they give up their own. A gift can only be stolen once. For the full version, read our white elephant rules.

Quick Santa Games for the Rest of the Party

These games don't depend on gifts at all, but they suit a Secret Santa party and fill time while people arrive or finish dessert. Our list of Christmas party games has many more.

20. Who Is Santa Thinking Of?

Best for: offices, groups of 10+. Each person writes one surprising fact about themselves on a card. The host reads them aloud. The room guesses whose fact it is. It doubles as a way to learn more about the people you'll be gifting next year.

21. Santa Says

Best for: families with young kids. It's "Simon Says" with Santa as the leader. "Santa says wiggle like a reindeer." The host wears the hat. Short, silly, and perfect for burning off kid energy before the gifts.

22. Draw Santa Blindfolded

Best for: mixed ages. Each player draws Santa while blindfolded (or with eyes closed) on a paper plate held on their head. Display the drawings and vote on the best one. Nobody is good at this, which is the point.

23. Holiday Word Chain

Best for: car rides, small groups, waiting time. One person says a holiday word, and the next person must say a holiday word that starts with the last letter. "Sleigh" to "holly" to "yule." Anyone who pauses too long is out.

24. Name That Carol

Best for: any crowd. Hum the first few notes of a holiday song. The first person to name it wins a point. Let kids and quieter guests take turns humming, since guessing is easier than performing.

Quick Picker: Which Santa Games Fit Your Group

Group	Before the party	At the exchange	After the gifts
Office team (10–30)	Daily Clue Drop	Line-Up Reveal	Trivia Swap
Small office (5–9)	Questionnaire Swap	Three Questions	One-Swap Rule
Family with kids	Elf Mail	The Story Pass	Pass the Present
Adult family	Wish-List Riddles	Guess Before You Open	Dice Swap Round
Friends	Guess-the-Santa Bracket	Charades Reveal	Steal Lite
Classroom	Mystery Desk Drops	Wrapped in Clues	Santa Says
Long-distance group	Elf Mail	Compliment Before You Open (on video)	Holiday Word Chain

Secret Santa Games for Family

Family groups do best with games that include every age and don't create winners and losers over gifts.

A few things change when the group is family:

• Mixed ages. A six-year-old and a grandparent should both be able to play. The Story Pass, Santa Says, and Name That Carol all work across ages.
• Everyone already knows each other. Guessing games are harder, which makes them funnier. Encourage Santas to plant fake clues.
• Feelings run deeper. Skip steal games if any gifts are handmade or sentimental. The One-Swap Rule is a kinder alternative.
• Long gaps between visits. If the family lives far apart, Elf Mail stretches the fun across weeks.

For more on running the whole exchange with relatives, see our guide to family Secret Santa.

Games for a Secret Santa Party at Work

Office games should be short, inclusive, and easy to opt out of quietly.

Keep these points in mind:

• Time box it. Thirty to forty-five minutes covers a draw reveal and one short game for most teams.
• Avoid performance pressure. Charades Reveal is fun for some teams and painful for others. Guess Before You Open is safer.
• Make clues optional. Some people love leaving daily clues; others are busy. Offer the game, don't require it.
• Keep it work-appropriate. Trivia about the team should be light and kind. No inside jokes that leave new hires out.
• Plan for remote teammates. Every reveal game in this list works on video if the host shares the order of turns ahead of time.

How to Plan Your Secret Santa Game Lineup

Use these steps to turn a pile of secret santa game ideas into a plan.

1. Count your people. Under 8, pick games where everyone watches every turn. Over 15, pick games that run in parallel or move quickly.
2. Check the clock. Allow about two minutes per person for a reveal game. Twenty people means roughly forty minutes.
3. Pick one game per stage, max. More than three games and the party starts to feel scheduled.
4. Decide the energy level. Quiet group? Guessing and compliments. Loud group? Charades and dice.
5. Gather supplies early. Most games need only paper, pens, a timer, a pair of dice, or a speaker for music.
6. Tell people in advance. If you're running a clue game, the invite should say so. Send the rules with the invite so nobody is surprised on the day.
7. Draw names with enough lead time. Clue games need at least a week. Use a private draw so matches stay secret.

Mistakes to Avoid With Santa Games

• Revealing the Santa too early. If the organizer drew names by hand and everyone saw the hat, guessing games fall flat. Draw privately.
• Too many games. A party with five structured games feels like a work training. Two is the sweet spot.
• Steal games with uneven gifts. If gifts vary a lot, stealing creates hurt feelings. Use swap rules that are optional.
• Games that need a lot of explaining. If the rules take more than a minute to explain, people tune out. Write rules on a card and read them once.
• Forgetting shy guests. Always include a low-pressure way to play, like writing a guess instead of saying it aloud.
• Leaving out remote players. If even one person is on video, make sure the camera can see the gift opening.

FAQ

What are the most popular santa games for a gift exchange?

Guess Before You Open, the Line-Up Reveal, and the left-right Story Pass are the most common because they need no supplies and work with any group size. Dice swaps and trivia swaps are popular add-ons after the gifts are open.

How do you make Secret Santa more fun?

Add a waiting-stretch game like daily clues, then a reveal game where each person guesses their Santa before opening. Those two small additions turn a quick handoff into an event with suspense and a payoff.

What games can you play at a Secret Santa party for adults?

Charades Reveal, Three Questions, Trivia Swap, and Who Is Santa Thinking Of? all work well for adults. For a group that likes a little friendly competition, add Steal Lite or the Dice Swap Round after the gifts.

What are good Secret Santa games for family with kids?

Santa Says, Pass the Present, the Story Pass, and Draw Santa Blindfolded keep kids involved. Avoid steal games with young children, since losing a gift they just opened rarely goes well.

How long should Secret Santa games last?

Plan about two minutes per person for a reveal game and five to ten minutes for a swap round. Most groups finish games and gift opening in thirty to sixty minutes.

Can you play Secret Santa games over video?

Yes. Guess Before You Open, Three Questions, Compliment Before You Open, and Name That Carol all work on a video call. Share the turn order ahead of time and ask each person to open on camera.

Do you need a Secret Santa generator to play these games?

You don't need one, but a private draw makes guessing games work. If anyone sees who drew whom, the suspense is gone. A generator that sends each match privately keeps every Santa a secret until the reveal.