White Elephant Left Right Story

Left right stories about the swap itself: type your names, read aloud, pass the gifts.

3 words needed.

Example, filled in with our words

Short: The Number Hat

Welcome to the white elephant swap at Aunt Carol's place in Maple Grove. Hold your wrapped gift, listen, and pass it one seat whenever I call out a direction.

A swap starts with numbers in a hat. Aunt Carol shook the hat and held it out to the LEFT. The first hand went in and came out with number seven. The hat went RIGHT. Number two. It went LEFT this time, and somebody drew number one and cheered, which was a mistake, because now everyone knew who to steal from.

Number one opened first and found a singing fish. Nobody said a word. Number two looked LEFT at the pile, looked RIGHT at the singing fish, and chose the pile.

So did number three. So did four, five and six. By the time number seven stood up, there was one box LEFT on the table and one singing fish that nobody had tried to steal.

Number seven took the box.

"Any steals LEFT?" asked Aunt Carol. There were none, RIGHT down to the last number. So the swap is over, and whatever you are holding is yours. If it is a singing fish, act pleased.

Short: The Number Hat

Next step Playing with steals next? Draw the picking orderMore ways to run a gift exchange

How it works

A white elephant left right story swaps the stealing for passing: everyone holds a wrapped gift and passes it at each LEFT or RIGHT. Press Start: give me 3 words to put your host and town in the first story.

Read the full guide

How to play

Seat three or more people in a circle, each holding one wrapped gift. Read slowly. At every LEFT or RIGHT in capitals the whole room passes one seat that way, and after the last line everyone opens what they hold. In a left and right white elephant story nobody steals; the story does the moving.

Pick one from the Story list

The Number Hat is the short one: about 2 minutes and 8 passes. The Gift That Came Back, a white elephant gift exchange story with 12 passes, runs about 3 minutes. The Break Room Swap is written for a swap at work. The list under the tool gives every count.

Tips
  • Every story ends two seats to the left, so in a circle of three or more nobody keeps the gift they brought.
  • Type foot spa, not a foot spa: the story adds a or an.
  • Want steals as well? Read a story first to shuffle the gifts, then play the usual game from the new seats.

Questions and answers

Is there a white elephant poem to read aloud?

The Swap in Couplets is a left right white elephant story in rhyme: 14 couplets, about 3 minutes, 12 passes. Pick it from the Story list. It works as a white elephant gift exchange poem in any season, because it names no holiday.

What is a white elephant story?

A read-aloud text that runs the gift swap: each time the reader says LEFT or RIGHT, every wrapped gift moves one seat. These four are about the swap itself: the number hat, the steals and the gift nobody wants.

How many people do you need?

Three or more. Each story ends two seats to the left, so with two players both gifts come straight back. There is no upper limit. In a big room, wait after each cue until the passing stops.

Can I print a white elephant exchange poem or story?

Yes. Pick it from the Story list, type the names it asks for and press Print. The sheet carries only the text, with the cue words in capitals.

More tools

Browse Holiday Games

All 4 stories

Show the list
  • Short: The Number Hat Short, about 2 minutes. LEFT 5, RIGHT 3. Numbers from a hat and the one gift nobody steals. Every gift ends two seats left of where it started. Asks for 3 words: 1 × name, 1 × town, 1 × gift.
  • Long: The Gift That Came Back Long, about 3 minutes. LEFT 7, RIGHT 5. One unwanted gift, two steals and a trade for half a cookie. Gifts end two seats left of where they started. Asks for 5 words: 3 × name, 1 × town, 1 × gift.
  • Rhymed: The Swap in Couplets Rhymed, 14 couplets, about 3 minutes. LEFT 7, RIGHT 5. Every gift ends two seats left of where it started. Asks for 3 words: 1 × name, 1 × town, 1 × gift.
  • Office: The Break Room Swap Office, about 3 minutes. LEFT 5, RIGHT 3. Three emails, a careful list and a swap at work. Gifts end two seats left of where they started. Asks for 4 words: 2 × name, 1 × town, 1 × gift.

The kinds of words the game asks for

  • Name a first name; a made-up one is fine. More examples: Sir Reginald, Professor Plum, Doctor Noodle.

How these stories were written: All four texts were written for this site in September 2026. None is adapted from a circulating left right story or poem. The names are the ones you type, or samples; no real person appears. Pass counts are counted by script from the final text. Licence: own work