How to play the left right gift game
The left right game is a gift exchange where a story does the shuffling. Everyone brings one wrapped gift and holds it in a circle. One person reads the story out loud, and every time the words LEFT or RIGHT come up, the whole group passes their gift one person in that direction. With all the back and forth, it's hard to tell where the gifts will land until the last line.
- 1Set a budget and ask everyone to bring one wrapped gift that would suit most people in the group.
- 2Sit or stand in a circle, close enough to hand a gift to the people on both sides.
- 3Pick a reader. The reader can play too, with their gift on their lap, or sit out and run the story.
- 4Read the story at an easy pace. On every LEFT, pass to the left. On every RIGHT, pass to the right.
- 5On the last line, everyone makes one final pass to the left. Then open the gift you're holding.
How to read the story so it works
The direction words are printed in bold capitals, so the reader can see them coming. A good read is half the fun. A few things help:
- Read it once on your own before the party, so you know where the jokes and the fast parts are.
- Pause for a beat after each LEFT or RIGHT, so the gifts can actually move.
- Speed up in the busy parts, like the run of three RIGHTs near the start. A pile-up of gifts is part of the game.
- Lean on the trick words. "RIGHT on time" and "I LEFT the cookies" still count, and they catch people every year.
- Keep your voice up. In a big room, the people at the far side of the circle need to hear every word.
Tips for 6 to 40 people
The story has 25 passes, and they zigzag, so the gifts never sit still. LEFT comes up a few more times than RIGHT, so by the last line every gift has moved three seats to the left of where it started. In any circle of four or more, nobody ends up with their own gift. To keep it a surprise, mix up the seats so people don't sit next to whoever they came with.
6 to 10 people
One cozy circle around a coffee table or on the floor. The passes come fast and every gift swings back and forth, which gets the most laughs.
10 to 20 people
Pull chairs into one big circle. Ask everyone to hold the gift out in front of them, so it's easy to grab on a fast pass.
20 to 40 people
Make two circles side by side with one reader in the middle, loud enough for both. Each circle passes on its own, so the story still takes about 5 minutes.
Missing or extra gift?
If someone forgot a gift, let them be the reader. If there's an extra gift, put it on an empty chair in the circle, and the people on either side move it along on each pass.
Office and family versions
Office party
Set a small budget, something like $15 to $25, and ask for gifts anyone would enjoy: snacks, a mug, a candle, a desk plant. The whole game takes about 10 minutes, so it fits in a lunch break. For more ideas, see our office holiday party games.
Family Christmas
Mix the ages in the circle, so the cousins sit next to the grandparents. Kids love to be the reader, and the funny parts land well with every age.
Friends and roommates
Run it after dinner with joke gifts or a theme, like "something cozy" or "under $10". Play it twice with a second reader if the first round goes too fast.
Classroom
A teacher can read the story while students pass small, matching treats, so everyone ends up with something equal. It also works with one prize and no gifts for the rest.
Variations to try
One prize
Pass a single wrapped prize instead of a gift for everyone. Whoever holds it on the last line wins it.
Trade at the end
After everyone opens their gift, give two minutes for trades. Only swap if both people agree.
Standing version
Everyone stands. On LEFT, pass the gift. On RIGHT, pass it and turn around once. It's louder and much harder.
Steal round
Follow the story with a short steal round. Our White Elephant tracker keeps count on one phone.
Pair it with Secret Santa or White Elephant
The left right game is quick, so it pairs well with a bigger gift exchange. If your group is doing Secret Santa, hand out the Secret Santa questionnaire first, so everyone knows what to buy, and use the Secret Santa generator for the draw. Then play the left right story with a small extra gift from each person.
For a swap with steals, print the White Elephant numbers and rules and run that game after the story. If you'd like another way to move gifts around, the dice gift game uses one phone and a roll of the dice. For the rest of the evening, browse our Christmas games.
Questions
How does the left right gift game work?
Everyone holds a wrapped gift in a circle while one person reads a story. Each time the reader says LEFT or RIGHT, everyone passes their gift one person that way. When the story ends, you open the gift you're holding.
How many times do LEFT and RIGHT come up in the story?
LEFT comes up 14 times and RIGHT 11 times, for 25 passes in all. Because LEFT wins by three, every gift ends up three seats to the left of where it started. The words are in bold capitals on the sheet, so the reader can spot every one.
How long does it take?
About 3 to 5 minutes to read, plus time to open the gifts. With 20 people, plan for about 15 minutes in all.
How many people can play?
It works best with 6 to 40. For more than 20, make two circles and have the reader stand where both can hear.
Is the story family-friendly?
Yes. It's a clean, original story about a family trying to get to a holiday party on time. It works for offices, families and classrooms.
Does the reader play too?
They can. Keep the gift on your lap and pass it when you read a direction word. Or ask someone who didn't bring a gift to do the reading.
Can I print it on A4?
Yes. The story and rules fit on one sheet, Letter or A4. Print it from a phone or a computer, or download the PDF for later.
Is it free?
Yes. It's free with no sign-up.