Yankee Swap Generator

Yankee swap vs white elephant

They are the same game. Yankee swap is what hosts from New England tend to write on the invitation. You still draw an order, open or steal, and freeze a gift after the limit you chose. If your group says white elephant, the order you draw here is the one they should follow.

A short set of Yankee swap rules

Each person brings one wrapped gift. #1 opens first. Everyone else opens a new gift or steals an unfrozen one. Two steals is plenty for a parlor. Player 1 can take a final swap if you said so at the start. Print the slips from the tool so the numbers are in people's hands, not only on a phone.

A New England parlor

Hosts from Boston to Burlington still write Yankee swap on the invitation. The gifts sit by the hearth, the numbers are drawn before the first coat comes off, and the parlor follows one shared list. A printed slip at each chair keeps the evening off a single phone.

Set the spending number when the invitations go out. Two steals fit a parlor. A closing trade for the opening player is a house choice, written on the card before anyone pours cocoa, not debated after the last bow. The draw above is the same fair shuffle, with the New England name on the page and on the link you send.

FAQ