Dirty Santa Rules And Numbers
Although its name might suggest otherwise, the Dirty Santa Gift Exchange is a family-friendly game! It is called “dirty” because participants in the game steal gifts from each other in an attempt to end up with the best possible gift.
Gifts for Dirty Santa are typically something fun, new, unique, and in good taste.
Unlike the White Elephant gift exchange, Dirty Santa gifts are usually items the recipients will want and use.
Use these Dirty Santa Rules to keep your gift exchange running smoothly, then use printable Dirty Santa numbers to determine the order each guest takes a turn.
Dirty Santa Rules And Numbers
If you are hosting a Dirty Santa Gift Exchange, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Many partygoers don’t know the difference between Dirty Santa and a White Elephant Christmas party.
- Clarify that Dirty Santa gifts are typically something fun, new, unique, and in good taste.
- Choose a dollar amount and let your guests know their Dirty Santa Gift should be valued under that amount.
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Dirty Santa Rules
- Place wrapped gifts in the center of the room. When entering, have your guests place their gifts just inside the door to keep gifts anonymous.
- Have each guest draw a number. It’s easy to scratch numbers on paper and pass them out. If you want something Extra Special, check out our printable Dirty Santa Game Cards (found below)!
- The guest holding #1 goes first. Who would’ve guessed?
- Number one chooses a gift, unwraps it, and oohs and aahs before putting it on display for all to see. Gifts must stay in view at all times and remain in their original packaging, if applicable. No eating the chocolate!
- Each subsequent guest has two options: they can either steal a gift from a guest who has gone before them or choose an unopened gift from the center of the room. My sister put on the Dirty Santa Thief Mask to inspect everyone’s gift and decide what to steal. She’s a crack-up and always makes our parties fun!
- If a guest has their gift stolen, they can either steal from another or choose an unopened gift. They may not steal the same gift that was just stolen from them until the next round.
- Gifts can be stolen up to three times. A gift is frozen with the fourth owner. Encourage your guests to steal. Stealing makes for a fun, lively game!
- If number one has the same gift they started with, they may choose to trade with any unfrozen gift.
- The game is over! Wasn’t that fun?
There are many variations to Dirty Santa. Just be sure you all agree before you get the party started! No one wants smiles to turn upside down. Print off a few Dirty Santa Rules and leave them scattered throughout the room. When that persnickety guest questions your motives, it’s all in fine print!
Perfect for my Event They were beautifully made and worked perfectly for my event! Thank you for making these available for those of us who are not as creatively inclined.
Darren C
Imagine All The Fun If You Could …
- Throw a Dirty Santa Christmas party without having to scratch #s on little ripped-up pieces of paper.
- Have Dirty Santa rules in fine print, so Great Aunt Sally can’t proclaim you’re a cheater.
- Know you have provided the right information so your guests don’t show up with Grandma’s old wall clock as a gift.
- Add a special extra touch to your Dirty Santa Christmas Party with festive game cards that match your party’s theme.
You’ll Love the Dirty Santa Game if:
- You want to host a FUN Christmas Party with boisterous laughter.
- You like to play games.
- You want to save money by limiting the number of gifts you buy.
The Dirty Santa Game isn’t for you if:
- You know you’ll get mad if someone steals the gift you chose.
- You don’t like a little friendly competition.
- You want to buy everyone a gift and receive lots of gifts in return.
Dirty Santa Gift Exchange Game Pack
If you’d like to impress your Christmas Party Guests with sweet Dirty Santa Game Cards, you’re going to love this!
Each Dirty Santa Gift Exchange Game Pack includes printable rules and numbers to make hosting your gift exchange easier. The number of cards varies by design.
- Cover – Our cute Santa, donning his thief mask, is ready to encourage you to steal gifts at your Dirty Santa Gift Exchange.
- Dirty Santa Cover Page – This is the legal stuff … blah!
- Dirty Santa Party Planner – Get your party ideas out of your head and on paper! The Party Planner provides space for party details, decor ideas, activities and games, food, drinks, dessert, prizes, and party favors.
- Dirty Santa Party Action Plan – Write down the things you need to do to make this party happen! The Action Plan has room to write to-dos, supplies to buy, groceries to buy, and people to call.
- Dirty Santa Guest List – Who are you going to invite to your Dirty Santa Party?
- Invites – Our Dirty Santa Invitations leave no question unanswered! Guests will know what kind of gift to purchase and what the limit is, as clear as day. Designed two to a page to fit into an A4, 4-1/4 X 6-1/4 Envelope.
- Dirty Santa Rules – To help you keep everyone on the same page. No fighting over rules! It’s important participants know the Dirty Santa Rules from the start so there’s no question once the exchange is in full swing! There are two rule sheets on one page.
- Numbers – The Buffalo Plaid Dirty Santa version includes seven sheets of numbers from 1 – 56. There are 8 cards per page, designed in playing card size, and ink-friendly. The Original Dirty Santa version includes eight sheets of numbers from 1 – 64 (for the extra BIG parties). There are 8 cards per page, designed in playing card size, and ink-friendly.
- Steal Cards – This page consists of 4 1st Steal cards and 4 2nd Steal cards. The Steal Cards make it easy to know where each gift stands.
- Frozen Cards – This page includes 8 Frozen Cards. Once a gift has been stolen 3 times, it is frozen. No one else can steal the gift. It belongs to the fourth owner, forevermore.
Tip: I used a corner punch to round the edges of each card, making them even more like a deck of cards!
The Dirty Santa Gift Exchange Game is sure to encourage Stealing, Laughter, and Fun!
Great product! Cheerful, practical, fun and easy to use. I love the format so I can continue to use this for many years. Thank you!!
Sheridan W
Get Your Dirty Santa Rules And Numbers Here
Choose your favorite Dirty Santa design below. Each printable game pack includes rules, numbers, and game cards to help you host your gift exchange.
Are you ready for a Dirty Santa Christmas Party?
I’m wishing you a loud and boisterous Dirty Santa Gift Exchange full of laughter, fun, and new, unique gifts that are in good taste!
Frequently Asked Questions
More Dirty Santa Ideas
- When the budget is $10, these $10 Dirty Santa Gift Exchange Ideas will keep you on track.
- If your teenager is heading to a Dirty Santa Gift Exchange party, these $10 Dirty Santa Gift Ideas For Teens are ready to help you buy the right gift.
- These Dirty Santa Gift Ideas come in all price ranges to get your creative juices flowing.
- When the party calls for $25 Dirty Santa Gift Ideas, we have you covered!
- Check out these Gender Neutral Dirty Santa Gifts to get ideas that anyone attending the party would love.
- Dirty Santa
- Use these Dirty Santa Gift Tags to mark the gifts under the tree so you don’t end up taking the wrong gift to the gift exchange.
More Ideas For Gift Exchange Games
- If you’re interested in a gift exchange game with similar rules to the Dirty Santa Gift Exchange, check out these Christmas Gift Exchange Games where you’ll find a large variety of ideas!
- When funny gifts are what you’re looking for, these White Elephant Rules and Printables are ready to help.
I’M ON A MISSION TO HELP YOU HAVE FUN WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK THIS CHRISTMAS.
I know what it’s like to spend hours looking for the perfect gift for each family member. I also know that gift-giving can be an uncomfortable situation for young adults just getting started in this world, feeling the pressure to spend a bunch of money (that they really don’t have) on gifts.
As our family has grown, we have gone from buying gifts for everyone to playing Dirty Santa and buying one gift each for our extended family gatherings. Sure, the gifts aren’t as personal as they once were, but we no longer have to agonize over the perfect gift for each family member, and the young adults in the family don’t have to spend a bunch of cash on gifts … or, worse yet, feel guilty for not buying any gifts at all.
It’s not your job to make sure extended family gets the perfect gift from you. After all, the gift you thought was so perfect will probably end up in their garage-sale pile before the year is over.
Instead, we use most of our hard-earned Christmas Budget for immediate family members. That way we can purchase things they actually need and want!
You can have an excellent Christmas without going into debt!
