Funny white elephant gifts that still get stolen

The funny plus useful rule

Pure gag gifts are fun to open and boring to steal. Once the laugh is over, nobody wants to take one home. A gift that is funny and useful stays in play: a ridiculous giant mug people will actually use, a snack with a silly name that tastes good, a game with a goofy theme.

The joke should get a laugh from a mixed group. Test it on a sibling or friend before you wrap it. If you have to explain it, pick something else.

Types of funny that work

• Too big. An oversized version of a normal item always gets a laugh.
• Too many. A bulk bag of something nobody needs a lot of.
• Ridiculous but good. Silly packaging with a quality item inside.
• Mystery. A "mystery" box where the real gift is under a layer of jokes.
• Game. A party game with silly rules, which also gives the group something to do.

What to avoid

• Anything vulgar. You do not know every person in the room.
• Jokes about politics, religion, weight, age or relationships.
• Gag gifts that make a mess, such as glitter.
• Fragile items that break during stealing.

The rules of the game matter as much as the gift. See white elephant steal rules for how many steals are allowed.

Strategy for a funny gift

If the group is big, funny gifts tend to go early because they get picked for the wrap. Useful gifts get stolen later. If you want your gag to survive, make it also something people want. If you want a laugh, bring one under $15 and accept that it may not move.

For a mixed approach see useful white elephant gifts and the white elephant rules. Hollyhush has a white elephant tool with turn order, steal limits and a TV screen: try it from the white elephant page.

Run the game with turn order and steal limits on one screen. Create your group, free

The joke gets the laugh and the item gets used.

Cheaper gags to open first and pass around.

Food that is silly and still good.